FROSTBURG, Md. – Senior Jessica Porter (Narberth, Pa./Lower Merion) stroked the game-winning three-pointer with three seconds left to lift Gettysburg College past 20th-ranked Geneseo State 50-47 on the opening day of the Frostburg State University Jim Crawley Tip-off Tournament.
Gettysburg (1-0) picked up a win over a top-20 team in the season opener for the second time in three seasons. The Bullets beat No. 18 William Paterson University in its debut in 2013, which was also the team's last win over a ranked foe.
It was a well-rounded effort for Gettysburg with senior Kim Ryan (Garden City, N.Y./Garden City) leading the way with 10 points. Sophomores Emily Gibbons (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) and Annie Reilly (Ridgewood, N.J./Ridgewood) each added nine points, while Porter and freshman Emma Dorshimer (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) each tallied eight points. Gibbons and Porter led the way with eight and seven rebounds, respectively.
Geneseo (0-1), which won 25 games and advanced to the third round of the NCAA Division III playoffs last season, never trailed in the opening half and put up 18 points in the first quarter. The Blue Knights led by as many as five in each of the opening two quarters and went into the break with a 33-28 advantage.
The Bullets completely locked down Geneseo in the second half, holding the Blue Knights to just five field goals, none of which came from beyond the arc. Gettysburg held its foe without a point for the first seven minutes of the third quarter while taking the lead for the first time. Back-to-back lay-ins by senior Emily Duggan (Marmora, N.J./Ocean City) gave the Bullets a 37-33 lead with 3:41 left in the period.
Geneseo snatched the lead back with a 9-0 run to end the third quarter.
The Blue Knights maintained a five-point advantage on a lay-up by Allison McKenna which made it 45-40 with 6:27 to play. Gettysburg answered from beyond the arc with Ryan canning an attempt off a feed from Dorshimer before returning the favor with a pass to the freshman for a deep ball to make it 46-45. McKenna came right back with a lay-in to put Geneseo back in front 47-46 with 3:39 left.
Neither team was able to convert from the field over the next three minutes. Reilly corralled an offensive board and picked up a loose ball foul. She canned her first free throw attempt to tie the game with 45 seconds left.
Geneseo grabbed an offensive rebound on a missed three-pointer, but following a timeout the Blue Knights lost the ball out-of-bounds with 11 seconds remaining.
Gettysburg took advantage of the new rule that allows a team to advance the ball to the other side of the mid-court following a timeout with under a minute to play. After the ball was in-bounded, Porter raced around a low screen to the right wing and caught the pass from Ryan. The senior's shot hit nothing but net with just three ticks left.
Geneseo tried to take advantage of the new rule on its own end, but a last second three-pointer by Kara Houppert was off the mark.
Gettysburg held Geneseo to just 29.8 percent shooting from the field. The Blue Knights held a 44-40 advantage on the glass, but the Bullets committed just eight turnovers.
McKenna led Geneseo with 20 points and nine rebounds. McKenna Brooks posted a dozen points and nine rebounds.
Gettysburg will face host Frostburg State in Saturday's championship game at 3 p.m. The Bobcats defeated St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) 78-57.