Box Score LANCASTER, Pa. – Senior
Elle Larsen recorded her seventh double-double of the season to propel the Swarthmore College women's basketball team to a 66-55 win over Franklin & Marshall on Saturday, Jan. 31 at the Mayser Center.
Franklin & Marshall (5-14, CC 2-10) scored the first four points of the game by getting two free throws from Anajha Burnett and a jumper from Sarah Haddon. After a bucket from Larsen closed the gap to 10-8, the Diplomats scored seven unanswered to establish control. Burnett nailed a 3-pointer at the 11:32 mark to prompt a Garnet timeout.
Swarthmore (6-12, CC 3-9), however, came out of the break full of energy and got consecutive trifectas from
Abbey Deckard to pull within three. Shortly afterwards, the Garnet then rattled off seven unanswered and went ahead for the first time when freshman
Bridget Scott finished a pass from classmate
Melanie Ackerman to make it 23-22 with 5:30 to play. Larsen then followed with an old-fashioned 3-point play, and the visitors carried a 31-27 lead into the recess.
The hosts rallied and took a 32-31 lead on a Burnett jumper that began a seesaw affair, but the Garnet established control and rattled off12 unanswered to move ahead by a 52-41 score with 8:44 left on a
Melanie Ackerman trey.
Jessica Jowdy also converted a rare 4-point play during the run by canning a shot from downtown and making the ensuing free throw. The Garnet extended their lead to as many as 16 when Larsen drove in for a layup to make it 61-45 with just under four minutes left, which was more than enough insurance for the program to earn its sixth straight victory over the Diplomats.
Larsen finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds to lead Swarthmore, which had a commanding 38-16 advantage in points in the paint. She also blocked three shots. Jowdy fell just shy of a double-double with nine points and 10 boards to go along with five steals, while Scott and Deckard netted eight points apiece. Scott also grabbed four rebounds and Deckard had four steals.
Leslie Bacile paced Franklin & Marshall in the loss with 15 points and five rebounds. Haddon contributed 13 points and two blocks, and Erica Brown registered 11 points and eight boards.
Swarthmore begins a five-game homestand when it hosts Washington College on Monday, Feb. 2 at 7 p.m.
