Garnet Advance To Semifinals with Win Over Bullets in First Round Playoff Action
Ali Wolf '05 paced the Garnet with 14 points and eight rebounds in Swarthmore's (16-10) 70-63 Centennial Conference first-round playoff victory over visiting Gettysburg (13-13). The fourth-seeded Garnet will travel to top-seeded Dickinson on Saturday for a 6 p.m. semifinal game.
The game started slowly with the score tied at 8-8 after the first five minutes. It was the Bullets to get on track first as they went on an 11-4 run to take a 19-12 lead with 7:24 remaining in the half. Katie Eiden led the charge scoring nine points in the run.
The Garnet countered with a 9-2 run to tie the game at 21-21 as Karen Berk '08 and Kristen Lee '05 accounted for all the scoring. From there it was all Swarthmore as the Garnet went on a 16-6 run over the final four minutes to take a 10 point lead. Lauren Kett '05 came off the bench to provide the needed spark with four points, five rebounds and a blocked shot during the run. An Emily Falk layup at the buzzer closed the half at 37-29.
The Garnet got off to a slow second half start and after two Berk free throws the Bullets closed to within six on back-to-back baskets by Elizabeth Ross and Jen Bengel. After a timeout Wolff and Lee each scored to build the lead back to 10.
A Laura Popovics '08 3-pointer with 11:00 remaining was the last field goal of the game for the Garnet giving them its largest lead at 56-43. From there Swarthmore spent the rest of the evening on the free throw line. Initially, the Garnet struggled hitting just 4 of 9 and Gettysburg closed to within five but the Garnet connected on ten consecutive over the final 2:25 to fend off the Bullets. Wolf, the Centennial's leading free throw shooter, hit 8 of 8 and Jessica Fuhr '07 converted two during the run.
Four Garnet starters reached double figures in scoring. Along with Wolff's 14, Debbie Farrelly '06 tallied 12 and added four assists, Lee added 11 points, seven rebounds, a Centennial Conference playoff record four blocks, and four steals and Berk finished with 10 points and three steals. Fuhr the fifth starter added nine points.
Bengel posted a game-high 18 points for the Bullets and Falk and Eiden each scored 10.
The Garnet improves its Centennial playoff record to 4-3 overall.
A bus will be available for all fans wishing to cheer on the Garnet at Dickinson. Contact the athletic department office at 610-328-8213 for more information.