Bears Gun-Down Garnet
Matt Gustafson '05 recorded a game-high 32 points and Spencer Gray '08 added a career-high 13 but the Bears' hot shooting (58.2%) was too much for the Garnet (2-14, 1-8 CC) to overcome in the 75-61 Centennial Conference loss to Ursinus (8-8, 5-4) at Tarble Pavilion.
Swarthmore jumped out to a fast start as Gustafson and Gray combined for 17 of the Garnet's first 19 points to take a 19-10 lead, its largest of the game, with 10:05 remaining in the half. Ursinus countered with a 14-5 run to tie the game at 24-24 at 5:10.
From there the squads exchanges scores until 3-pointers from Nick Shattuck and Naquan Williams gave the Bears a six-point edge. Chris Casey '07 hit two free throw with no time on the clock to cut the lead to 36-32 at the half.
Once again, the Garnet got off to a slow second half start as the Bears scored 11 straight to take a 15-point, 47-32 lead with 15:57 remaining.
Two three-pointers by Gustafson and one by Dillon McGrew '07 cut the lead to eight but four Will Furey buckets pushed the Bears advantage back to 16 with 5:58 left.
Two Gray buckets sandwiched around four Gustafson free throws got the Garnet to within 10 but that was as close as they could get the rest of the way.
Furey led the Bears with 19 points and Shattuck came off the bench to add 15 points, while Mike McGarvey scored 10 points and handed out nine assists. The Bears made 16 of 23 attempts (69.6%) in the second half and 32 of 55 for the game.
Gustafson, who recorded his fourth 30-point game of the season, was a perfect 11 of 11 from the line and added three 3-pointers. He is now two shy of the school record of 185 triples held by Tim Schofield '99.
Swarthmore hosts Haverford on Wednesday at 8:00 p.m.