SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team dropped a physical, hard-fought battle against Penn State Abington, 66-58, on Monday night. The Nittany Lions pulled away from the Garnet with a 22-14 advantage in the final quarter.
Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson led the team with 19 points while adding four assists and three rebounds. Catherine Chadwell also enjoyed double-figures with 13 points and seven rebounds, while Lily Czub contributed 10 points with five boards.
Raven Richardson was a presence on both ends of the glass, grabbing a career-best 15 rebounds with five offensive boards.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Kanyamiheto-Watson kickstarted the quarter with a three-pointer before the Nittany Lions countered with a 12-2 run to build a seven-point advantage with 3:13 remaining. The Garnet settled in towards the end of the stanza, using a pair of Czub threes to wrap up the final three minutes on an 8-2 swing. Penn State entered the first intermission with only a one-point lead, 14-13.
- After Penn State scored the opening five points of the second, Kanyamiheto-Watson evened the score with back-to-back threes. The Nittany Lions tilted momentum back in their favor with an 8-4 edge to end the quarter, giving the visitors a 28-24 lead.
- Chadwell opened the second half with a bucket before the Nittany Lions took over with six-unanswered points. The Garnet made up for their slow start, responding with a 13-2 run to build a three-point advantage, 39-36. Claire Mathews drilled a three during the run, while Chadwell knocked down another triple to give her team the lead.
- Later in the third, Abington would regain control with six-straight points. Kanyamiheto-Watson then tied the game with a three-pointer, before adding a pair of free throws to even the score after three quarters, 44-44.
- Czub put the Garnet in front with the opening bucket of the fourth quarter. However, the Nittany Lions ran away with the game, thanks to a 13-3 run to build an eight-point cushion. The Garnet brought their deficit down to five points after a Emy Chen and-one layup with 1:52 left, but it wasn't enough to overtake Abington.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Kanyamiheto-Watson 19
Rebounds: Richardson 13
Assists: Kanyamiheto-Watson 4
Threes: Kanyamiheto-Watson 4
Steals: Kanyamiheto-Watson, Murphy 2
Blocks: Murphy, Richardson 2
UP NEXT
The Garnet (2-3) open conference play against Franklin & Marshall College on Wednesday evening.
