Popovics, Swarthmore Celebrate Senior Day With OT Win
SWARTHMORE, Pa. -- Swarthmore senior Laura Popovics scored 10 points in overtime to send her team to a 74-65 win over Haverford in Centennial Conference basketball action Saturday afternoon in Tarble Pavilion.
Haverford (3-21, 0-18 CC) led by nine points, 38-29 with 16:33 on the clock and Swarthmore went on a 7-0 run to bring the deficit within two points, making the score 38-36 at 15:16.
Swarthmore continued to rally, tying up the game 55-55 at the 3:28-mark. The score was a back-and-forth battle, seeing six ties.
Popovics (pictured left) struggled behind the three-point arch all afternoon, but came through with two treys and an old-fashioned three-point play, to fuel the Garnet offense in the overtime period. With the combination of Popovics and offensive rebounding, Swarthmore outscored Haverford in overtime, 15-6, to win the season-finale.
Garnet forward Kathryn Stockbower ’11 (Ft. Washington, Pa. / Upper Dublin) registered her 21st career double-double with 16 points and 20 rebounds. Also posting a double-double was captain Pam Costello ‘10 (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford), who tied her season-high with 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds. Melissa Grigsby ’09 (West Chester, Pa. / West Chester East) was one of the four Garnet starters to score in the double-digits with 12 points.
Haverford junior Brittany Lattisaw (Washington, DC / Mercersburg Academy) picked up a double-double for the Fords with 17 points and 15 rebounds. Junior Natalie Richmond (Saddle River, N.J. / Northern Heights) had to leave the game early, due to foul trouble, yet still managed to score a game-high 18 points.
Before tip-off, Swarthmore honored their three seniors Karen Berk (Havertown, Pa. / Haverford), Popovics (Gorham, Maine / Gorham) and Kristen Traband (Swarthmore, Pa. / Ridley).
A Fords seven-point run to start the game was stalled at 17:04 when Stockbower scored a lay-up.
The afternoon crowd of over 300 fans went wild when the Garnet came within one point following a behind-the-back pass from Popovics to Costello to make the score 11-10 at 11:09.
The Garnet knotted the score with 17-17 with 6:34 and took their first lead following two good free throw shots from Costello.
Closing the first half the Fords went into the locker room leading the Garnet 30-25. Lattisaw scored 14 points for the Haverford while grabbing nine rebounds during first half action.
Swarthmore ended the season 8-16 overall and 6-13 in the Centennial.
Click here for the full box score.