Johns, Dips Bury Garnet
Dana Johns sank five three-pointers in the second half on her way to a game-high 25 points and a 62-51 Diplomats victory over Swarthmore on Saturday afternoon in Tarble Pavilion.
The Garnet took a 37-31 lead following a lay-up by Radiance Walters '06 off a feed from Jessica Fuhr '07 with 14:33 left in the game.
Johns quickly erased that advantage, draining three-pointers on consecutive possessions to tie the score at 37. Swarthmore quickly called a time-out and responded with a bucket from freshman Karen Berk at 12:59 to make it 39-37.
Johns, the leading scorer in the Centennial Conference (16.2 ppg.) coming into the game, rained in two more treys to give the Diplomats the lead, 43-39.
Fuhr nailed a free-throw line jumper at 10:45 to cut the lead to 45-41, but Maura Lentz answered with a three of her own to ignite a 12-6 F&M run. It would be another nine minutes before Swarthmore would score another field goal, a three-pointer from Jen Stevenson '06 with 1:47 remaining. By that time F&M had built a comfortable 58-47 lead, one which they never relinquished.
The Garnet quickly cut the lead to seven on quick buckets from Walters and Cara Tigue '06, but the Diplomats sank four out of five from the line to capture the season sweep of Swarthmore.
Johns ended up six for eight from three point land, handing out four assists and recording five steals in the process. Lauren Dodrill chipped in 11 points and 10 boards for the Diplomats (10-12, 8-7 CC), accumulating her Conference-leading 14th double-double of the season.
Walters led a balanced Garnet attack with nine points and five rebounds, while Fuhr, Berk, and Ali Wolff '05 added eight points apiece. Fuhr registered a career-high five assists as Swarthmore (13-9, 9-6 CC) slipped into a fourth-place tie with Gettysburg, a 70-65 winner over Washington College on Saturday afternoon.
The Garnet will host Washington on Wednesday night, the final regular season home game for Swarthmore's three seniors: Wolff, Kristen Lee, and Lauren Kett. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.