Garnet Spread the Love in Maryland
CHESTERTOWN, Md. - Swarthmore sophomore center Karen Berk scored a season-high 28 points and the Garnet shot a blistering 63% from the field in the second half to defeat Washington ( Md.) 62-51 in Centennial action on Tuesday evening in the Cain Athletic Center.
The Swarthmore women, feeling generous on Valentine's Day, assisted on 14 baskets, including a career-high seven helpers by senior point guard Debbie Farrelly. The team total is the second-highest total of the 2005-06 season.
The Garnet (10-13, 6-11 CC) trailed the Shorewomen 28-26 at halftime, courtesy of a deep three-pointer by Washington guard Regina Barrett in the final 25 seconds. The see-saw first half saw nine lead changes and seven ties, with neither team leading by more than four points at any juncture.
Much of the first half play revolved around the post players: Berk led all scorers with 13 first-half points while freshman forward Brianne Slizofski led Washington (5-19, 2-15 CC) with 10 points at the intermission. Both players struggled at times; the Shorewomen forced Berk into six costly turnovers while Slizofski was saddled with three personal fouls.
The score was knotted for the 11th time when Berk finished a lay-up at 13:15, making the score 41-41 and some ragged play ensued. The Shorewomen came down and got two open looks at a three-pointer but both shots missed and Garnet freshman Melissa Grigsby corralled the rebound. Grigsby's outlet pass missed its intended target, point guard Debbie Farrelly '06, and the ball ended up out of bounds with possession to the Shorewomen. The next three Washington possessions ended in missed shots while the Garnet turned the offensive end of the floor into a turnover party.
Little did the Garnet know, but the turning point in the game was about to happen. The Shorewomen took a 30-second timeout at the 11:04 mark but it was Swarthmore that benefited from the break in the action. The Garnet immediately ripped off seven straight points that turned into a 16-6 run and a 57-47 Swarthmore lead. Unselfish play and a hot hand by Grigsby fueled the out-burst; the freshman put in seven points over the run and the Garnet handed out five assists on six field goals.
Over the last three minutes and change, the Garnet executed the motion offense to answer each bucket by the Shorewomen. Swarthmore shot 15-of-24 (62.5%) from the field in the second half, finishing the game with a season-best shooting percentage of 51%. The Garnet did much of their damage in the lane, outscoring the Shorewomen 44-14 in the paint with a slight 36-34 advantage on the glass.
Berk shot 11-of-17 from the floor and 6-of-7 from the free throw line on her way to more than 20 points for the ninth time this season. The 13 rebounds gave the sophomore her 11th double-double in 2005-06, tied for most in the Centennial.
Grigsby enjoyed the best shooting night of her young career, hitting 5-of-6 for 11 points. Senior Jennifer Stevenson chipped in nine points while classmate Cara Tigue added seven points and seven rebounds.
Latoya Turner led the Shorewomen with 14 points while Slizofski ended up with 12 points on the night. Sophomore guard Elise Conway dropped off a game-high eight assists to go along with six rebounds and four steals for the Shorewomen.
The Garnet return to Tarble Pavilion this Thursday, February 16 when they host Alvernia College in non-conference action set to tip-off at 7:00 p.m.