COLLEGEVILLE, Pa.–Turnovers and slow starts hurt the Swarthmore College women's basketball team as it fell, 64-47, to the homestanding Ursinus College Bears on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

The Garnet had 23 giveaways, which translated to 24 points for the Bears on the other end. Melanie Ackerman led the team with 11 points, including six in the fourth quarter, and freshmen Elizabeth Stiles and Lindsay O'Sullivan each tabulated nine. O'Sullivan corralled 11 rebounds and Swarthmore held a 42-39 margin on the glass.

Swarthmore scored its first points of the game with 4:41 remaining in the first quarter as O'Sullivan sank a pair from the line to make it 4-2 in favor of Ursinus. The offense began to heat up with Audra Woodside contributing five points in the final three minutes and Stiles converting consecutive layups to give Swarthmore a 13-12 advantage to end the period.

The teams traded the lead until the Bears went on a small run and earned a 24-29 lead with just over a minute left in the half. Ackerman drained a three with 53 seconds remaining to make it a one-possession game heading into the locker rooms.

The Garnet were outscored 19-10 in the third and held scoreless for the first five minutes of the fourth while Ursinus amassed a 17-point lead. Ackerman hit a trey and another one shortly after, but Swarthmore was unable to overcome its slow start.

The women's basketball team will take a break from competition until Jan. 2, 2017 when it faces off against St. John Fisher at the Gettysburg Holiday Tournament.