Box Score COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Swarthmore junior forward Will Gates scored a game-high 30 points, including his 1,000th career point with 17:44 left in the second half as the Garnet (1-6, 1-2 Centennial) defeated Ursinus (1-7, 0-3 Centennial) 69-65 in a men's basketball game at Helfferich Hall.
Gates' 30 points was one off his career high as the Garnet won for the first time this season.
Ursinus was led by 16 points from sophomore guard Pat Vasturia (Medford, N.J./Bishop Eustace) and 15 points from junior forward Jon Ward (Allentown, Pa./Parkland). Ward now sits at 996 points in his career heading into Wednesday's game at Haverford.
Sophomore guard Jesse Krasna (Fairless Hills, Pa./Pennsbury) had 12 points, with freshman guard Phil Walker (Sicklerville, N.J./Solebury Prep) going for ten.
Swarthmore also got 11 points from senior guard Michael Giannangeli in the win. The Garnet turned 21 Ursinus turnovers into 22 points, while also converting 11 second chance points.
Early on, it was all Ursinus as the Bears led by as much as ten points with 14:49 to go on a three-pointer by Vasturia, making the score 15-5. Swarthmore would battle back via a 13-3 run to tied the score at 18-all on a layup by sophomore forward Jordan Cheney at 7:26 left to go in the first half. A three-pointer by senior forward Marc Rogalski with 6:48 left gave Swarthmore its first lead at 21-20.
Ursinus would regain the lead at 22-21 on a dunk by Walker with 5:38, before a Gates' three-pointer with 4:25 left put Swarthmore back up 24-22.
Swarthmore took the lead at the half 33-31 on a three point play by sophomore guard Jordan Federer with 11 seconds left.
In the second half, Swarthmore took an early eight point lead as Gates and Rogalski hit back-to-back three pointers followed by pair of foul shots from Giannangeli. Ursinus went on a 9-0 run to go back up 42-41 with 12:26 left on two foul shots by Walker.
With the score tied at 52-all, Swarthmore took the lead for good on a three-pointer by Gates with 6:06 left. From there, Ursinus got to within two late, but, could not close the gap.
