FREDERICKSBURG, Va. – Sophomore Ashley Gehrin(Chester, N.J./West Morris Mendham) knocked down a pair of free throws with 21 seconds left and senior Emily Gibbons (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) blocked Virginia Wesleyan College's final shot attempt to seal a 55-52 victory for Gettysburg College in the championship game of the Hyatt Place Tip-off Tournament hosted by the University of Mary Washington.
 
Gettysburg (2-0) nearly blew a 12-point lead entering the final quarter of play. Virginia Wesleyan (2-1) posted a 21-5 run and took a 49-47 advantage on a lay-up by Amanda Gerni with 3:43 to play. Sophomore Kiera Cesareo(Randolph, N.J./Randolph) hit a big three-pointer to regain the lead for the Bullets, and after the Marlins forced another tie, Gehrin was fouled after grabbing an offensive rebound. She knocked down both free throw attempts.
 
Jayla Harris attempted a jumper from the free throw line with two seconds left, but Gibbons deflected the attempt and came down with her team-high 16th rebound. She was immediately fouled and sealed the win by making her second free throw.
 
Gibbons finished with her second double-double in as many days with 12 points. The senior forward was named tournament MVP after averaging 20.5 points and 19 rebounds per game. Senior Kendra Meredith (Boyds, Md./Northwest) was named to the All-Tournament Team after posting eight points, four rebounds, and six assists in the title game.
 
Harris tallied 16 points and five assists and was named All-Tournament for Virginia Wesleyan. Gerni finished with 10 points.
 
Gettysburg trailed 17-11 with 7:23 left in the second quarter. The Bullets ran off the next 12 points with freshman Meredith Brown (Landisburg, Pa./West Perry) accounting for five tallies. Gettysburg led 25-21 at the break.
 
The Bullets dominated the third quarter, hitting 7-of-14 field goals and out-scoring the Marlins 17-9. Gettysburg seized a double-figure advantage on a lay-up by Gehrin which made it 33-23 with 5:18 left in the period. The margin grew to 14 (42-28) following a pair of free throws by Meredith, but a jumper by Harris at the end of the quarter ignited Virginia Wesleyan's big run to seize the lead in the fourth quarter.
 
Gettysburg out-rebounded Virginia Wesleyan 44-27. The Bullets shot slightly better from the field at 19-of-48 (39.6 percent) compared to the Marlins' 21-of-57 (36.8 percent).
 
Gehrin tallied 10 points and was 6-of-6 from the charity stripe. Brown turned in six points, while Cesareo, junior Emma Dorshimer (Jenkintown, Pa./Jenkintown), and sophomore Emma Hahner (Forest Hill, Md./C. Milton Wright) each scored five points. Dorshimer also grabbed six rebounds.
 
Gettysburg opens its Centennial Conference schedule at home against Franklin & Marshall College on Tuesday at 6 p.m.