GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg College ran off a 19-2 run at the start of the fourth quarter to blow open a close game and defeat Franklin & Marshall College 85-74 in a Centennial Conference women's basketball match up inside Bream Gym Thursday night.
Juniors Emily Gibbons (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) and Kendra Meredith (Boyds, Md./Northwest) and sophomore Emma Dorshimer (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown) combined for 67 points for Gettysburg (13-4, 9-3 CC), which won for the 10th time in 11 games and took over sole possession of second place in the conference standings.
After starting the game 1-of-6, Gibbons hit her final 10 shots, including a trio of three-pointers on the way to her 13th double-double of the season, just two shy of Gettysburg's single-season record. The junior forward finished 11-of-16 from the floor and tied a career-high with 26 points along with a dozen boards. Dorshimer turned in her eighth 20-point effort of the season, finishing with 24 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Meredith notched a personal high with 17 points and dished out four assists.
Haley Pilone paced Franklin & Marshall (8-10, 6-7 CC) with 16 points. Sarah Haddon posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Ashlyn Petersen tallied 15 points and six boards. Erica Brown added 14 points and six rebounds.
Gettysburg remained unbeaten at home (8-0) with the win, but the Diplomats didn't let the hosts run away, forcing 13 ties and 12 lead changes in the game. The two teams ended the first quarter tied 15-all, but back-to-back three-pointers by Pilone and Rosha Parsons gave Franklin & Marshall a 21-15 lead early in the second quarter.
The Bullets led only once in the second quarter on a lay-up by Meredith that made it 32-31 with 2:38 before the half. Brown came right back for the Diplomats with a jumper and the visitors strolled into halftime with a 37-35 lead.
Gibbons, who was held to just four points in the first half, came alive at the start of the third quarter. She knocked down a pair of buckets and a three-pointer to regain the lead for the Bullets. A steal and lay-up by Meredith gave Gettysburg a 44-39 lead.
Over the course of the remaining 7:51 of the third quarter, there would be five lead changes and five ties with each team's advantage never exceeding three points. Trailing 59-58 with two seconds left on the clock, Gibbons received an in-bounds pass along the baseline from Meredith and dropped in a lay-up to give the Bullets the lead heading into the final frame.
Gettysburg was on fire to start the fourth quarter, scoring on each of its first five possessions. Gibbons ran off eight points on her own, capped by a three-pointer to give her team a 73-59 edge with 7:36 remaining.
Back-to-back threes by Dorshimer and Gibbons pushed the lead to 79-61 with 4:31 left and the margin didn't dip below 11 the rest of the way.
Gettysburg increased its shooting percentage in all four quarters and finished 30-of-60 (50 percent) by the final horn. The Bullets hit 6-of-8 (75 percent) three-pointers and 19-of-26 (73.1 percent) free throws. The Bullets led in rebounds (40-30), points in the paint (44-28), and second-chance points (19-11).
Gettysburg visits Swarthmore College this Saturday at 1 p.m.