GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg College held the University of Scranton to just 20 percent shooting from the field and Most Outstanding Player Alyssa Oursler (Middletown, Md./Middletown) poured in a game-high 17 points as the Bullets knocked off the Lady Royals 49-41 in the championship game of the Days Inn Tournament in Bream Gym.
Gettysburg (7-3) won its own tournament for the fifth time and the first time in back-to-back seasons since 1994-95. Oursler topped her personal best as a Bullet by 11 and held Scranton's 1,400-point scorer Megan Kopecki to just one field goal. She was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Sara Kinsley (Fairfield, Conn./Fairfield Ludlowe) and Rianna Doane (Glen Mills, Pa./Bayard Rustin).
Both teams struggled from the field in the early going with only a jumper by Oursler sitting on the scoreboard in the opening three minutes of play. The Bullets eventually jumped out to a 10-4 lead following a steal and quick lay-up off the in-bounds pass by Doane at 12:48.
Scranton (7-4) battled back and took what would turn out to be its only lead of the game at 13-12 following a three-pointer by Christina Hiltunen just before the nine-minute mark of the first half. The advantage wouldn't last long as Oursler knocked down the first of a career-high three three-pointers on Gettysburg's next possession.
Oursler worked the perimeter once again before the close of the opening period, knocking down another trey just before halftime to give the hosts a 25-19 edge.
In the second period, senior Caitlin Moser (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) put the Bullets up by eight with the opening bucket, but the Lady Royals battled back, pulling to three (31-28) on a jumper by Katie Cunningham at 12:55.
Gettysburg opened up its largest lead of the afternoon by mounting an 11-1 run over the next four minutes. Oursler capped the spurt with back-to-back buckets, the first a three just before the shot clock expired and the second a fast-break lay-up courtesy of Lauren Dadigan (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley) which pushed the score to 42-29 with 8:08 left.
Twice Scranton whittled the deficit down to five points in the waning minutes, but each time the Bullets came up with a trio of points to push the lead back to eight, including after back-to-back free throws by junior Julie McGrory (Moorestown, N.J./Moorestown) with 57 seconds left.
Gettysburg capped an outstanding defensive stand at its own tournament by holding Scranton to season lows of 10 field goals and three three-pointers. Over the two days of competition, the Bullets held their opponents to just 21.9 percent shooting from the field and only five treys.
Oursler, a transfer from Washington & Jefferson College, finished 6-of-11 from the field and hit a pair of free throws for her first double-figure effort as a Bullet. After netting a career-high 21 points in win over Randolph College on Sunday, Doane finished with seven points and four steals against Scranton. Kinsley rounded out Gettysburg's all-tournament selections with a game-high seven boards in the finale and McGrory, who was a perfect 7-for-7 at the charity stripe, notched nine points and five rebounds.
Kopecki managed just one field goal in six attempts, but she hit seven free throws as part of a nine-point, 11-rebound all-tournament performance. Jennifer King and Tayler Pallotta each posted eight points for the Lady Royals.
In the consolation game, St. Mary's (Md.) College (7-4) breezed to a 76-46 win over Randolph (0-9). Shana Lewis and Taylor Petrisko each netted a dozen points for the winners, while all-tournament selection Pui Sham posted eight points and four assists. Brandie Witt notched a double-double effort of 19 points and 10 rebounds to earn tournament honors for Randolph.
Gettysburg heads full-swing into the Centennial Conference schedule this week, beginning with a road trip to Haverford College on Wednesday, Jan. 5. Game time is 6 p.m.