MANSFIELD, Pa. - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team dropped a tight battle against Division-II Mansfield University, 68-65, on Saturday. The Garnet dug themselves an early hole with a 21-7 deficit in the opening quarter, but outscored the Mounties 58-47 for the remainder of the game.
The Garnet were excellent from long range, shooting 10-of-20 from beyond the arc. Alyssa Hayashi and Katelyn Becker each had three triples to pace the Garnet. Hayashi led the team with 15 points, while Norah Wingfield added 14 points.
Becker put together another well-rounded effort with 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds, while shooting 4-of-7 from the field.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mansfield dominated early with 10-unanswered points to start the game. The Mounties opened with a 19-2 run to put the Garnet in an early hole. Swarthmore made up some ground with a couple buckets from Wingfield and Lillian Czub, but trailed 21-7 after the opening quarter.
- Early in the second, Mansfield increased its lead to 17 points until Becker drained a three-pointer to get her team going. Swarthmore responded with a 12-1 run to end the opening half. Carly Murphy and Hayashi both contributed threes to help put the Garnet within striking distance, 31-26.
- Swarthmore came out of the half with six-straight points to take its first lead, 32-31. Wingfield bookended the run with a pair of buckets, while Rebekah Gendler added a jumper. However, the Mounties would reestablish their lead with a couple threes to spark an 8-0 swing with 6:53 left.
- Later in the third, Murphy connected from deep to shrink their deficit to four points. Following a Hayashi bucket, Becker tied the game with another triple with 33-seconds left. The Mounties then added a late bucket to carry a two-point lead into the final quarter, 51-49.
- Mansfield opened the fourth with a three-ball, but Becker provided an immediate answer with her third triple of the contest. The Mounties built their lead back to six points, but had their advantage erased with back-to-back threes from Wingfield and Hayashi, 58-58.
- The Mounties rallied late with a couple buckets to pull ahead by four points. Hayashi eventually brought the Garnet within a point with a pair of free throws, but Swarthmore was unable to regain the lead.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Hayashi 15, Wingfield 14
Rebounds: Hansson 9
Assists: Becker 8
Blocks: Hansson 4
UP NEXT
The Garnet (1-3) return home against Arcadia University on Tuesday.
