SWARTHMORE, Pa. - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team outlasted Penn State Hazleton, 67-51, with a dominant fourth quarter on Monday night. The Garnet outscored the Nittany Lions 16-4 in the final stanza to put away the visitors.
Carly Murphy and Catherine Chadwell led the way with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Murphy collected a season-high in scoring, while shooting 8-of-12 from the field. The junior also grabbed six rebounds with four steals and two blocks. Emy Chen joined her teammates in double figures with 12 points.
Coming off their best shooting performance of the season against Salisbury, the Garnet followed it up by shooting 46.2 percent, their second-best mark of the year.
Samara Diggs had another excellent defensive performance for the Garnet, as she saw an expanded role with her fourth career start. The rookie grabbed a season-high 11 rebounds in 25 minutes of action.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- Swarthmore jumped all over Penn State, opening the game on a 13-2 run. Murphy led the charge with six points, while Chen contributed a three-pointer and a layup during the stretch. The Garnet then closed the quarter with a 9-6 advantage, as they headed into the first intermission with a 12-point lead.
- The Garnet kept their foot on the gas with the opening four points of the second quarter. Swarthmore led by as many as 16 points in the stanza, but the Nittany Lions narrowed the gap with a 7-0 run in the final minute of the half. The Garnet went into the locker room with a 36-27 advantage.
- Early in the third, Penn State rallied for an 8-2 run to cut its deficit to five points. The Nittany Lions went on to even the score with a three-pointer at the 3:03 mark. Swarthmore made the most of a challenging third quarter, closing the final three minutes on an 8-4 run. Chadwell added an and-one layup in the final minute, while Murphy closed the stretch with a three-pointer.
- After the Nittany Lions cut its deficit to two points to open the final stanza, Swarthmore responded with a 13-0 run over the next seven minutes of action. Murphy and Chadwell combined for 12 points in the fourth as the Garnet outscored their opponent 16-4.
GARNET LEADERS
Points: Murphy 19, Chadwell 18
Rebounds: Diggs 11
Steals: Chadwell, Murphy 4
Blocks: Murphy, Jacques 2
UP NEXT
The Garnet (7-14) return to action against Washington College on Wednesday.
