WALTHAM, MA - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team fell short in a hard-fought battle at Brandeis University, 58-51, to close out opening weekend. The Garnet took the lead at the midway point of the fourth quarter, but were held scoreless in the final four minutes of regulation.
Catherine Chadwell was outstanding for the Garnet, leading the team with 15 points, 11 rebounds, three blocks and three steals. The rookie closed out an exceptional weekend with her second-straight, double-digit performance and her first collegiate double-double.
Claire Mathews was equally as impressive, tallying 14 points for the Garnet. The sophomore transfer knocked down four three-pointers and hit big shot after big shot against her former team.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Early in the first, Brandeis built a 10-4 lead to open the game. The Garnet then adjusted with a
Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson free throw and a Chadwell bucket to pull within three. Following a Judges' basket, Chadwell countered with her sixth point to end the quarter. Swarthmore overcame a slow start to shrink its deficit to 12-9 at the first intermission.
- Swarthmore flipped the script with an electric start to the second quarter. After exchanging buckets, the Garnet rallied for nine-unanswered points to put the Judges on the defense. Kanyamiheto-Watson kickstarted the rally with a three-pointer, while Chadwell, Samara Diggs and Lily Czub followed with buckets to build a 20-15 lead with 7:23 left.
- The Judges punched back with a 10-0 stretch to regain the lead, but the Garnet erased their progress with a 13-4 run to close out the final four minutes of the half. Mathews led the charge with a trio of triples, including a buzzer-beater, in the final minutes to create a four-point cushion at the half, 33-29.
- Brandeis pulled within two points at the midway point of the third, but Mathews continued to haunt the Judges with a layup to halt the home team's momentum. Chadwell helped maintain Swarthmore's lead with a couple buckets to close out the quarter as Swarthmore entered the final stanza with a 43-40 lead.
- The Garnet offense got off to a slow start in the fourth to allow the Judges to overtake the lead. Brandeis began the final quarter on an 8-2 run to take a three-point lead until Mathews and Czub responded with threes to give the Garnet a two-point edge with 4:55 left.
- The Judges finally slowed down the Garnet offense, ending the game on a 9-0 run to steal a late victory. Swarthmore was held scoreless following Czub's go-ahead three-pointer at the 4:55 mark.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Chadwell 15, Mathews 14
Rebounds: Chadwell 11
Assists: Kanamiheto-Watson 5
Threes: Mathews 4
Steals: Chadwell 3
Blocks: Chadwell 3
UP NEXT
The Garnet (0-2) open its home schedule against Penn State Brandywine on Tuesday, November 18.
