SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team rode a hot shooting performance to a 75-58 victory at Gwynedd Mercy University on Tuesday night. The team shot 43.3 percent from the field and 45.8 percent from three-point range.
Three Swarthmore starters ended up in double figures to headline an excellent offensive output. Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson paced the team with 18 points, while Lily Czub and Claire Mathews added 16 and 13 points, respectively.
Three-point shooting fueled the team's success, tallying 11-of-24 from beyond the arc. Kanyamiheto-Watson shot 4-of-5 from long range, while Mathews knocked down four threes as well.
Raven Richardson made her presence felt in the senior's season debut, scoring eight points with a team-high 12 rebounds.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Mathews opened the game with a three-pointer before the Griffins rattled off 11-unanswered points to build an 11-3 advantage at the midway point of the first quarter.
- Swarthmore quickly cut into its early deficit with a Samara Diggs layup, followed by threes from Kanyamiheto-Watson and Czub to even the score. Kanyamiheto-Watson added a bucket and another trey before the first stoppage as the Garnet trailed by one after the first, 17-16.
- Richardson opened the second quarter with a layup to spark a 19-6 run. Mathews hit a pair of triples during the run, while Carly Murphy added another three-ball. The Garnet closed the run with a 35-23 lead with 4:33 left.
- Gwynedd Mercy climbed back into the game with a pair of threes to embark on an 8-0 stretch. However, Mathews helped end the half strong for Swarthmore, netting her third three-pointer of the quarter. Richardson then capped off the quarter with a jumper to put the Garnet ahead by double-digits, 45-35.
- Swarthmore maintained its hold on the lead, opening the third stanza with a 5-4 stretch in the opening four minutes. The Garnet expanded its lead at the quarter's end, building a 56-45 advantage to begin the final quarter.
- Richardson scored the opening three points of the fourth quarter to take a 14-point lead. The Griffins battled back to pull within single digits, 59-50, but the Garnet countered with eight-straight points to put away the home squad. Kanyamiheto-Watson scored six points during the stretch, including the team's ninth three-pointer to close the rally.
- Swarthmore kept adding on as they cruised to a 17-point victory. Kanyamiheto-Watson and Czub both hit from three-point range in the final minute, knocking down the team's 10th and 11th of the evening.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Kanyamiheto-Watson 18, Czub 16
Rebounds: Richardson 12
Assists: Mathews 7
Threes: Kanyamiheto-Watson, Mathews 4
Steals: Czub 4
Blocks: Murphy, Diggs 2
UP NEXT
The Garnet (2-2) return from Thanksgiving break against Penn State Abington on Monday.
