COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – The Swarthmore College men's basketball team suffered an 82-73 loss at Ursinus College in a Centennial Conference contest on Wednesday night.
 
The Garnet built a 10-point advantage (29-19) in the first half but the Bears fought back and inched in front 41-40 by halftime. Ursinus padded its lead and was up by as many as 13 in the second period. Swarthmore rallied to cut the deficit to two (75-73) with 2:31 to go but the Bears then held the Garnet scoreless down the stretch.
 
Zander Jimenez had another strong outing for Swarthmore, scoring a game-high 25 points for his second 20-plus performance in three games. The sophomore shot 10-of-16, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. Ryan Chu and Jonathan Stump both shot 50 percent from the floor, finishing with nine and eight points respectively.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Jimenez opened the contest with a three before Ursinus strung together five points. The Garnet then went on a 14-3 run to go ahead 17-8 at the 15:52 mark. Swarthmore was a perfect 4-for-4 from the field during the stretch with five different players contributing points. Chu later drilled a shot from downtown and the Garnet had their largest lead at 29-19 with 8:32 on the clock.
 
- After the Chu three, the Bears responded with a 16-6 surge to even the score at 35 with 2:44 left in the half. The home team shot 5-of-8 on field goals and was an unblemished 5-of-5 at the line. Caleb Aurelien answered with a three for Swarthmore and, after two Ursinus free throws, Jimenez made a driving layup to give the Garnet a 40-37 edge. However, the Bears closed the frame with four straight points to lead 41-40 at the intermission.
 
- Ursinus methodically pulled away from Swarthmore to open the second half, earning its largest lead at 13 (63-50) with 12:15 remaining. With the score 69-56, the Garnet got back in it with eight unanswered points to trail by five (69-64) with 5:36 to go. Andrew Park sparked the run with four points while Eddie Paquette and Jimenez added two apiece. The Bears upped the margin to nine (75-66) but Swarthmore hit back with another seven in a row to get within two (75-73) with 2:31 to play. Jimenez netted four points and Stump scored three as the duo sank all three field goal attempts and a foul shot.
 
- Park came up with a block at the other end and the Garnet had a chance to tie or take the lead but they were off the mark on a jumper. Swarthmore had another opportunity after a turnover but could not convert once more. Ursinus followed with a layup for a four-point cushion (77-73) with 1:31 remaining. Six more Garnet attempts did not fall and the Bears closed out the game at the line as the Swarthmore comeback bid came up short.
 
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Jimenez 25
Rebounds: Devin Burger, Jimenez 4
Assists: Nyle Coleman 4
Steals: Aurelien 3
Blocks: Aurelien, Stump 2
Threes: Jimenez 3
 
UP NEXT
The Garnet (10-8, 4-2 Centennial) visit Muhlenberg College on Saturday.