SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Trailing 61-60 with 5:53 remaining in regulation, the Swarthmore College women's basketball team (21-7)  out-scored visiting Marywood 7-0 until the final whistle, earning a hard-fought 67-61 win over the Pacers in ECAC South Region Quaterfinal action from Tarble Pavilion on Wednesday evening. 

With the win, the No. 2 seed Garnet moves on to the ECAC South Region Semifinals to face No. 3 seed Washington & Jefferson. That game will be played in Bethlehem Pa. on the campus of top-seeded Moravian at 2:00 p.m.

Senior Eliza Polli and junior Elle Larsen each scored 17 points for the Garnet, while senior Madeline Ross finished with 15 points. Centennial Conference Player of the Year Katie Lytle finished with eight points, 10 rebounds and six steals while making several clutch plays in the Garnet's decisive late-game run.

Brittany Mang led a scrappy Marywood (15-13) team with 15 points and four steals. The high-energy Pacers gave the Garnet fits all night long, pressing for nearly the entire game and forcing a season-high 23 turnovers.

Along with its play down the stretch, the Garnet won the game with its three-point shooting, connecting on 9-of-21 triples. Polli led the way with five trifectas. 

Led by 12 points from Polli and 11 points from Ross, the Garnet built a 38-33 halftime lead. Early in the second half, Marywood began to use its high-pressure defense to change the tempo of the game. Aided by numerous caused turnovers, the Pacers rallied from an early 10-point second-half deficit to cut the Garnet lead to one (43-42) with just under 13 minutes to go.

The frantic game remained within a few possessions for the next six minutes before the Pacers finally jumped ahead. A fast break lay-up off a Swat turnover at the 6:57 mark by Maggie Presnal gave Marywood its first lead (56-54) since the opening minutes of play.

Following a three-pointer by Morgann Haduck, Marywood found itself ahead 61-60 with 5:53 to play in the game.  That would prove to be the Pacers' final points of the game, as the Garnet - just like it did in its Centennial Conference semifinal win over Muhlenberg - closed strong to earn the victory.

The Garnet jumped back ahead on a pair of free-throws by Lytle. On the ensuing possession, Lytle ripped the ball out a Marywood player's hand and passed ahead to a streaking Larsen, who converted the fast break lay-up to make it 64-61 Swarthmore.

It would remain 64-61 until the final minute. Marywood had a chance in the final minute, but Larsen jumped in front of a driving Mang and drew a charge, giving the ball back to Swat and effectively ending the game.

Junior Kayla Mortizky finished with a game-high seven assists and eight points.

The game was Swarthmore's first home playoff game since 2005.