Freshman Tandem Buries Washington
Laura Popovics '08 scored 11 points and classmate Karen Berk added 10 points as the Garnet defeated the Shorewomen 63-43 on Senior Night in Tarble Pavilion.
The Garnet had ten different players score in the first half, shooting a season-high 56% from the field. Seniors Ali Wolff, Lauren Kett, and Kristen Lee combined for fourteen points and ten rebounds as the Garnet used a 11-0 run midway in the middle of the half to take a 27-12 lead.
Popovics brought the crowd to life at the end of the half, swishing a half-court buzzer beater to send Swarthmore into the locker room leading 38-18.
The Shorewomen (5-18, 3-12 CC) roared out of the locker room, using a 9-2 run to cut the lead to 40-27 Swarthmore with 14:37 on the clock.
The Garnet called timeout and quickly got the game under control. Berk finished off a nice lob from Cara Tigue '06, Jennifer Stevenson drained a three-pointer, Berk put home another bucket, and Lee swished one from beyond the arc to push the Swarthmore lead to 50-27 with 11:28 remaining.
The trademark Garnet defense, surrendering a Conference-leading 52 ppg., limited the Shorewomen to 32% shooting for the game, with Swarthmore moving closer to clinching a berth in the Centennial Conference playoffs.
Popovics shot four for nine from the field, including two three-pointers, and made her one free throw for eleven points. Berk collected a career-high four steals in the game, shooting three for five from the field and a perfect four for four from the line for her ten points.
Wolff added eight points and five rebounds in her final regular season home game. Lee, Stevenson, and Walters all chipped in seven points, while Kett added four points and a team-high six rebounds in her final regular season appearence at Tarble Pavilion.
Regina Barrett and Jeremy Cook led Washington with nine points apiece, while Lauren Duckworth grabbed a game-high seven rebounds.
A Swarthmore win or a F&M loss on Saturday will clinch a playoff berth for the Garnet, the fifth such appearance in six years.
The Garnet travel to Gettysburg on Saturday afternoon in a 4:00 p.m. match-up of the fourth and fifth place teams in the conference. Swarthmore holds a one-game lead over the Bullets in the race to host the first round conference playoff game. Swarthmore concludes their regular season on Tuesday, February 22nd at Haverford.