Gettysburg Drops Women's Basketball in Heartbreaker, 55-52

SWARTHMORE, Pa. - Gettysburg's Alyssa Isler nailed three second-half three-pointers, none bigger than her trey from the top the key with :02 seconds to play, giving the visiting Bullets a 55-52 comeback win over the Swarthmore College women's basketball team (4-5, 2-4) on Friday evening from Tarble Pavilion.

Junior Madeline Ross led a balanced Garnet scoring attack with 10 points off the bench. Junior Eliza Polli finished with nine points on three treys, while Kayla Moritzky added eight second-half points

Sara Kinsley led the Bullets (3-5, 2-3) with a double-double, scoring a game-high 17 points and pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds. Isler finished with 14 points, nine of which came off three-pointers in the second half.

It was yet another roller coaster game for the Garnet, which played in its fifth game of the early season decided by three points or less. Led by one of its best defensive efforts of the season, the Garnet were in complete control early in the second half, taking a 41-30 lead on a Ross three-pointer with 12:31 to play. But just when it looked like Swat might run away with the game, the Bullets' offense finally came to life, spurring a 25-11 rally to close out the game.

Gettysburg trimmed the lead to 43-39 with 7:52 to play following a three from Katie Earley and a foul shot from Kinsley. Moritzky helped quell the Bullets' rally, scoring the Garnet's next four points to keep Swarthmore in front.

Ahead 49-44 with a little over five minutes to play, Swarthmore could do little to stop the suddenly potent Bullets' offense, as a three-pointer from Alyssa Oursler and two more foul shots from Kinsley tied the game 49-49 with 3:04 to go.

With the game tied and the Garnet in serious need of a boost, Moritzky came to the rescue once again, drilling a three-pointer from the right wing to give Swarthmore a 52-49 lead with 2:40 to play.

Unfortunately, that would prove to be the Garnet's final basket of the game. Following a pair of Swat turnovers on consecutive possessions, Kinsley tied the game with :42 seconds to play by hitting the front end of free throws and putting in her own miss following the second.

Following a missed three-pointer by Ross with :29 seconds to go, Gettysburg's Earley corralled the rebound and set up for the final shot. With the seconds ticking down, Isler picked up her dribble at the top of the key and looked to be in trouble before pulling up from deep and hitting the game-winner.

Freshman Elle Larsen finished with five points and a team-high nine rebounds. Sophomore Katie Lytle recorded six points and eight rebounds before leaving the game with an injury early in the first half.

Swarthmore takes a break for finals, returning to the hardwood in Puerto Rico on January 2-3. The Garnet return to Tarble Pavilion on January 7 against Franklin & Marshall.