GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Muhlenberg College handed Gettysburg College its first loss of the season with a 47-46 decision in women's basketball action at Bream Gym on Saturday. 

It was another slugfest between these two rivals which came right down to the wire. After a three-pointer by junior Kim Ryan (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) gave Gettysburg (10-1, 5-1 CC) a 46-45 advantage with 43 seconds left, Muhlenberg (6-5, 5-2 CC) came right back with a lay-in by Leanna Tallamy to retake the lead. 

The Bullets had a chance to pull back in front in the final seconds, but lay-ups by senior Samantha Pagel (Harleysville, Pa./Perkiomen Valley) and the ensuing putback try by junior Emily Duggan (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) skirted off the rim. 

Junior Jessica Porter (Narberth, Pa./Lower Merion) managed to earn a tie-up following Duggan's miss and possession belonged to the hosts with 1.8 seconds left. Following a timeout, Porter received the in-bounds pass near the left baseline, but the ball was slapped away as she attempted to rise for the shot. 

Porter finished with 22 points, 12 rebounds, and three blocked shots. Senior Jenna Swope (Warminster, Pa./Archbishop Wood) posted five points, nine rebounds, and three steals, while Duggan grabbed 10 rebounds. Sophomore Sara Graham (Pottstown, Pa./The Hill School) scored six points off the bench. 

Like Porter, Tallamy was the lone player on her team to reach double-figures, finishing with 23 points, 11 rebounds, and three steals. Christina Santone logged seven points, 11 rebounds, and five blocked shots. 

The first half was a series of runs with Gettysburg jumping in front early 10-2. Muhlenberg answered with a 12-2 run to take a 14-12 lead with 7:55 left in the opening frame. A three-pointer by Nicole Pepe pushed the advantage to 21-17 with just over a minute remaining in the first half. 

Porter put the hosts in front 23-21 heading into the locker room with back-to-back three-pointers. 

The Bullets were on the brink of running away midway through the second half with three-straight buckets, including two lay-ups by Porter and a lay-in by Pagel, to make it 37-30 with 9:22 to go. 

All was quiet in the scoring column for the next three-plus minutes until the Mules made their move. A 9-0 run capped with a pair of free throws by Tallamy pushed Muhlenberg in front 39-37 with 3:16 remaining. 

Each time the Bullets knocked on the door in the final minutes, Tallamy answered the call. She scored 10 points on three lay-ups and four free throws in the final 3:16 of play. 

Gettysburg connected on a season-low 26.7 percent of its shot attempts. The Bullets finished just 16-of-60 from the floor, including 5-of-20 from beyond the arc. The hosts out-rebounded the visitors 46-36. 

Gettysburg faces Haverford College (6-6, 5-1 CC) at home on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at 8 p.m.