FROSTBURG, Md. – Senior Caitlin Moser (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) posted 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead No. 16 Gettysburg College past York (N.Y.) College 83-56 victory at the Frostburg State University Jim Crawley Tip-off Tournament on Friday night.
Four players reached double-figures for Gettysburg (1-0) led by Moser's second consecutive 20-point effort in a season opener. Newcomer Alyssa Isler (New Hope, Pa./New Hope-Solebury) finished with 13 points in her collegiate debut, while juniors Sara Kinsley (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) and Julie McGrory (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) added 12 and 11 points, respectively.
The Bullets led only by six points at the half and the squad saw that lead whittled down to four twice in the opening moments of the second stanza. After York (1-2) pulled to that margin on a jumper by Maimouna Dabo at 17:26, Gettysburg went on a 12-3 run to take its largest lead to that point at 54-41 with 13:29 left in the game.
The advantage never slipped below 10 the rest of the way with the Orange and Blue netting all but one of the final 19 points scored.
Moser netted the game's opening bucket as part of a 14-point first half for the senior. York took its only lead at 7-6 on a jumper by Niya Jarvis at 14:49, but Moser answered right back with back-to-back buckets. Each time the Cardinals pulled the deficit to within a score in the first stanza, Gettysburg had an answer, including a 5-1 run capped by a jumper by freshman Caroline Murphy (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) to end the period.
Gettysburg canned 34-of-76 shots (44.7 percent) in the game, including going 19-of-38 in the second half. The Bullets out-rebounded York 51-34, with 25 of those boards on the offensive end, while also forcing the Cardinals into 22 turnovers. On the flip-side, Gettysburg committed only 11 miscues while dishing out 24 assists.
Moser, who scored 20 against Wilkes University in last season's opener, finished 10-of-18 from the field, while Isler canned a trio of three-pointers off the bench. Kinsley added nine boards, five coming on the offensive glass, with four assists and three steals. McGrory grabbed five rebounds and dished out a game-high five assists. Murphy finished with seven points and six boards.
Shadae Rice led York with 14 points, while Jarvis and Kadisha Wickham each tallied 11.
Gettysburg advances to Saturday's tournament championship against Frostburg State, which defeated Mt. Aloysius College 64-56, at 4 p.m. The Bullets won last season's tournament with a 63-57 victory over the Bobcats in the finale.
- Go Bullets –