Crusaders Roll Past Rebounding Swatties
SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Swarthmore forwards Karen Berk '08 and Cara Tigue '06 tallied double-doubles as the Garnet fell to Alvernia 59-50 in Tarble Pavilion on Thursday evening.
Lauren Fortner led the Crusaders (13-12) with 13 points while Erin Knarr chipped in 12 points and Mandy Reinhart dropped in 10 points.
Berk scored 13 points while corralling a career-high 22 rebounds, finishing one rebound shy of tying the school record. Nancy Rosenbaum holds the Swarthmore record, snagging 23 boards vs. Vassar on December 5, 1992.
Tigue finished with a career-high 13 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the floor. The senior captain added 10 rebounds to register the first double-double of her career.
Alvernia was on top 26-24 at halftime as both teams struggled to find a mark on the basket. The Garnet hit 33% of their shots while Alvernia could only convert 28% on their end.
The Crusaders began to hit jump shots, extending their lead to 45-35 at 10:49 following a triple by Michelle Lutzkanin. The Garnet countered with a three from Laura Popovics '08 on the very next possession. Swarthmore cut the lead to 49-45 with 6:13 remaining as Popovics nailed another triple, but the Crusaders locked down on defense, limiting the Garnet to a single field goal for the remainder of the game.
The game hinged on the lack of efficient free throw shooting by the Garnet; Swarthmore hit only 7-of-21 (33%) from the charity stripe on the night.
Alvernia hit 41.4% of its shots from the field in the second half, including four baskets from beyond the three point arc.
The Garnet conclude the 2005-06 season on Saturday, February 18 when they host rival Haverford at 2:00 p.m. Swarthmore will celebrate Senior Day, recognizing the accomplishments of the four seniors: Debbie Farrelly, Tigue, Jen Stevenson, and Radiance Walters.