Box Score GETTYSBURG, Pa. – The Swarthmore College men's basketball team dropped its Centennial Conference opener by a 53-48 score to Gettysburg on Saturday, Nov. 22 at Bream Gym. The Bullets erased an 11-point deficit in the second half to escape with their second straight victory on their home floor.
Swarthmore got on the board first courtesy of a
Sam Lebryk 3-pointer at the 19:15 mark and would only trail for 25 seconds in the first half. After Kevin Gladstone sank a pair of free throws to put the Bullets ahead 6-5, Lebryk and senior
Karl Barkley canned back-to-back shots from downtown to make it 11-6 with 13:56 on the clock. The Garnet led by as many as eight on two occasions thanks to a pair of layups from sophomore
Chris Bourne, and another Lebryk trifecta gave the visitors a 29-22 advantage at the recess.
The Garnet quickly jumped ahead by getting layups from freshman
Robbie Walsh and Bourne to go up by 11 points, but Gettysburg didn't quit and slowly chipped away at the deficit throughout the second half. Then after coming within one on two occasions and tying the game at 38-all on a Tanner Kirkpatrick free throw, the Bullets got a layup from Gladstone with 4:38 remaining in regulation to take the lead for good.
Swarthmore made one more valiant effort in the final minute and came within two when freshman
Jim Lammers canned a trifecta to create a 50-48 score with 30 seconds left. But after the Garnet were forced to foul to stop the clock, Pete Christ sank both ensuing free throws to put the game on ice.
Lebryk and Barkley led the way with 11 points apiece for Swarthmore, which has led at halftime in every game this season. They both made three shots from beyond the arc, while Barkley also grabbed six boards, dished out four helpers and recorded two picks.
Christ led three Gettysburg players in twin figures with 14 points, while Gladstone added 13 by shooting an efficient 4-for-6 from the field and a perfect 5-for-5 from the line. Sean Gordon added 10 points and four assists.
Swarthmore (0-3, CC 0-1) will play five of its next six games at home beginning on Tuesday, Nov. 25 when it hosts Ursinus. The opening tip is slated for 7 p.m.
