Walters “Pops” Garnet Into Championship
Radiance Walters '06 tallied 11 points to along with 12 rebounds, while freshman Laura Popovics added a team-high 13 points as Swarthmore rolled to a 76-39 victory over Immaculata in the opening round of the annual Swat Tip-Off on Friday night.
The Garnet raced to a 9-0 lead to open the game and held the Mighty Macs to 18% shooting from the floor in the first half while forcing 19 turnovers to take a commanding 38-9 lead at halftime. Walters did most of her damage in the first half, shooting four for eight from the field and corralling nine boards, including six offensive.
Walters, who had four double-doubles in 2003-04, finished with seven offensive boards to go along with three steals and three assists in only 17 minutes of action.
Popovics made her first appearance in a Garnet uniform with just under fourteen minutes to go in the half and instantly became a fan favorite to the 155 fans in attendance. The freshman point guard hit the first shot she ever took in Tarble Pavilion, draining a three-pointer off a kick from Ali Wolff '05 at 10:46 to give Swarthmore a 14-3 lead.
It was all Swarthmore in the second half as all 14 players recorded a field goal and the Garnet saw their lead increase to as much as forty points on four separate occasions. The first time occurred when Popovics canned her third trey of the game with 9:07 left in the game. The stoic 'Pops', as she is known to her teammates, brought the crowd to their feet a few ticks later. The frosh drove to the basket from the left wing and came out on the other side of the hoop, flipping in a reverse lay-up over her shoulder for a 62-22 Swat lead.
Popovics added three assists and two steals in eighteen minutes, while senior tri-captain Kristen Lee contributed 10 points and four steals. Fellow captain Wolff was a perfect 4-4 from the floor for eight points to go along with seven rebounds and two assists. Cara Tigue '06 grabbed a career-high eight rebounds to establish Swarthmore's record at 1-0.
Meg Legere led Immaculata (0-1) with 13 points and nine rebounds, while Jamie Williams added 10 points and eight boards.
Swarthmore will square off against Mary Washington, a 88-64 winner over Plymouth State, at 8:00 p.m. on Saturday night in the championship game of the Swat Tip-Off. The Garnet won the 2003 Tip Off by defeating Moravian College 74-67.
Immaculata will face Plymouth State in the consolation game with tip scheduled for 6:00 p.m.