Box Score

SWARTHMORE, Pa. –Junior Sean Thaxter scored a career-high 11 points off the bench and drove in for a key layup down the stretch to lead the Swarthmore College men's basketball team to an 81-70 triumph over Washington College on Wednesday, Jan. 28 at Tarble Pavilion.
 
The first half was evenly played and featured seven ties and six lead changes. After a layup by Tas Dixon with 535 seconds left created the sixth deadlock at 36s, junior Shane Loeffler made a pair of charity shots and sophomore Tom Wilmots put back his own miss at the free throw line in the waning seconds to put the hosts up 40-36 at the break and ahead for good.
 
Washington College attempted to come back and scored on its first possession courtesy of a jumper by John Weston, but the hosts answered with an 11-2 run to establish control. Sophomore Sam Lebryk set up a Yonda 3-pointer, and Bourne followed with three straight field goals.
 
In a game that featured an unprecedented 64 fouls between the teams, Swarthmore stayed focused and built its lead up to 13 at 57-44 when freshman Robbie Walsh finished a pass from Zack Yonda at the 13:23 mark. The Shoremen came within seven on four occasions before Yonda and junior Sean Thaxter hit back-to-back layups in the waning minutes. Thaxter's shot proved to be the exclamation point that made it 77-66 with 1:05 left and put the game away.
 
Thaxter netted his career-best 11 points in 16 minutes of action off the bench for Swarthmore, while Yonda finished with a game-high 20 points. Bourne fell just shy of a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds.
 
Joey Shelton and James Drury contributed 16 points apiece to pace Washington College (2-16, CC 2-9). Pat Morgan recorded 14 points and three steals, while top scorer Dave Knox was limited to just eight points.
 
Swarthmore (8-10, CC 4-7) visits nationally-ranked Franklin & Marshall on Saturday, Jan. 31 at 1 p.m.