Berk, Tide Hold Off Mules
Karen Berk '08 recorded a career-high 29 points and 12 rebounds to propel Swarthmore to a 85-82 victory at Muhlenberg College, the first ever by a Garnet team in Memorial Hall.
Swarthmore had been winless in their first 21 trips to the campus, dating back to a 76-60 Mules victory in 1994. The Garnet skillfully handled the intense Muhlenberg press attack, turning the ball over only seven times in the first half while shooting 56% (18-32) from the field and 92% (11-12) from the free throw line.
Jen Stevenson '06 canned three-pointers on consecutive possessions and Radiance Walters '06 finished off a lay-up to stake Swarthmore to a early 8-4 lead just two minutes into the game.
The Garnet fired off a 14-3 run in the next six and a half minutes to push the lead to 22-7 at the 12:53 mark. The Mules quickly cut the into the deficit, bringing it to six following a three-pointer from Lindsay Orosz at 9:35.
Swarthmore continually broke through the Mules full court pressure for easy baskets, railing off a 21-7 run to build a 47-27 lead with 1:20 left in the half. The Mules sandwiched another Berk basket with five quick points making the halftime score 49-32.
The Garnet pushed the lead to twenty-four, the largest of the night, following a Walters three-point play at 17:59 left in the contest.
The incessant Mules pressure began to wear on Swarthmore in the middle of the second stanza. Muhlenberg, tops in Division III in scoring (85.6 ppg.) poured a 35-15 run over the next fourteen minutes to cut the lead to 71-67 Garnet.
Swarthmore called a time-out to re-organize the press break, and back to back lay-ups by Berk pushed the lead back to eight with 2:39 remaining.
Gwen Doyle, 11th in the country in three-pointers per game, got loose for her only trey of the night at 1:28 to cut the Swarthmore lead to 77-70. The Mules began to foul the Garnet, a poor foul-shooting team at 59% in 2004-05. Debra Farrelly '06 sank a pair and Jessica Fuhr '07 nailed one of two to push the lead back to ten with 1:05 on the clock.
And as many around the Centennial Conference have found out, no lead is safe when the Mules are in the building. A Kristen Piscadlo three-point play, an Abra Like three-pointer, and a Tiffany Kirk three pointer coincided with three Garnet free throws to make it 83-79 Swarthmore with 36 seconds remaining.
Stephanie Colunccini got two of her team-high 18 points on a short jumper to cut the Garnet lead to two. Swarthmore got the ball into Ali Wolff '05, forcing the Mules to foul the top free throw shooter in the Conference (80% going into Thursday night).
Wolff sank both free throws for an 85-81 lead with 24.4 showing on the clock. Piscadlo drew a foul on Berk with eight seconds to go, but only made one of the two from the charity stripe to make it 85-82.
Berk corralled the rebound and was immediately fouled. The freshman center came up empty on both tries from the line to open the door for the Mules, but a Doyle three-pointer at the buzzer rimmed out, giving Swarthmore (8-6, 5-4 CC) their third straight win.
Swarthmore shot a season-high 52% (30-58) from the field and out-rebounded the Mules 45-37 for the contest. Wolff and Walters added 11 points apiece for the Garnet, while Kristen Lee chipped in 10 points on 5-6 shooting from the field. Stevenson contributed nine points and a team-high six assists while Berk recorded a career-high five steals.
Piscadlo scored 17 points and had six assists, while Kirk added nine points as Muhlenberg fell to 8-6 overall and 4-4 in the Conference.
The Garnet will host Ursinus College on Saturday, January 22 in Tarble Pavilion. Please note the tip-off has been changed to 11:00 a.m. due to inclement weather in the forecast.