Women's Basketball Collects 89-53 Victory Over Chatham in Season-Opener

2nd - 00:00	1	2	T
Chatham (0-1)	23	30	53
Swarthmore (1-0)	48	41	89
Swarthmore, Pa.

Chatham	Swarthmore
Pts: 2 Players (#11, #44 - 14)	Pts: Eliza Polli - 19
Reb: TEAM - 10	Reb: Katie Lytle - 11
Ast: Carly Zelenak - 5	Ast: Madeline Ross - 7

Team Statistics	Chatham	Swarthmore
Field Goal %	36.0% (18-50 )	39.0% (32-82 )
Rebounds	48	41
Assists	11	22
Turnovers	33	13
Pts off Turnovers	15	33
2nd Chance Pts	6	11
Pts in the Paint	20	30
Fastbreak Pts	0	16
Bench Pts	21	21

full stats

SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Swarthmore College (1-0) women's basketball team opened the 2012-13 season at Tarble Pavilion with a 89-53 victory over Chatham (0-1). This contest was the first of two to open the 2012 Swarthmore Tip-Off; the Garnet will play in the championship game tomorrow at 3:30 p.m.

Senior guard Eliza Polli led the offense for the Garnet with 19 points. Junior Katie Lytle started the season with a 14 point and 11 rebound double-double effort, while Elle Larsen tallied 14 points.

The Cougars collected two 14-point performances from starter Marguerite Sargent and Rachel McClain from off the bench. Carly Zelenak and Taylor Ohm each grabbed seven boards for Chatham.

The game saw just one tie – 2-2 in the first minute of play, as the Garnet controlled the momentum and scoreboard for much of the opening game in the Swarthmore Tip-Off Tournament. Polli gave Swarthmore a nine-point lead (13-4) at 18:20 with her second three-pointer in the opening two minutes.  She ended the night going 6-for-10 from downtown.

Chatham broke a nearly four minute scoring draught at 12:02 with a three-pointer from Becky Rowe, closing the Garnet advantage to 16-10. Swarthmore responded with a 7-0 run, beginning at 11:39, to take a 23-10 lead. The Garnet followed a couple possessions later with a 4-0 run to force a Cougars timeout.

With just over five minutes remaining in the first frame, Larsen began her run at the line as she collected four back-to-back fouls. The final three she grabbed the layup and foul to total nine points in the three minute span.

Swarthmore finished the first half with a 25-point advantage, 48-23, adding two layups from Madeline Ross and Chastity Hopkins.

In the second half, the Garnet continued to maintain a significant distance between the Cougars, as the scoring margin never dropped below 22 points in the final 20 minutes. The entire Garnet starting line-up ended the night with double figures.

With the loss, the Cougars will face Washington & Lee tomorrow afternoon in the consolation game set to start at 1:30 p.m.

The Garnet will compete in the championship game at 3:30 p.m. tomorrow, facing Cabrini College.