COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – Behind a 19-3 run in the second quarter, the Ursinus College women's basketball cruised to a 67-55 victory over Swarthmore College on Tuesday evening from Helfferich Hall.

 
It was a crucial victory for the Bears (13-9, 9-7) as they currently sit in fourth place within the Centennial Conference standings while the Garnet (10-12, 8-9) ranked fifth in the conference.

 
Junior Chinwe Irondi paced the Bears lineup with her ninth double-double of the season behind a game-high 26 points and 12 rebounds. It marks as her ninth game this season scoring 20 or more points while also adding three steals and two blocks. Sophomore Madison Smith ranked second on the team with 11 points and three rebounds, while senior Natalie Mehl tallied seven points and three assists.

 
Each team opened the contest trading baskets as the score was tied at six a piece with 5:10 remaining in the first period. Irondi tallied four of the first six points for the Bears, while a layup from senior Sarah DiLello gave Ursinus an 8-6 advantage. The Bears would extend their lead to 15-10 behind a three-pointer from Alison Lisanti, but a 7-2 run from the Garnet tied the contest at 17 heading into the second quarter.

 
Ursinus responded in the opening minutes of the second stanza jumping out to a 23-19 lead behind a 6-2 run. With under six minutes remaining, Ursinus used a 10-0 run to extend their lead to 33-19 with 2:57 remaining in the half. Mehl and senior Kelly Grant each connected on three-pointers during the Bears run, while layups from sisters Sarah and Charlotte DiLello extended the Bears lead to ten. Charlotte DiLello ended the half with a three-pointer as the Bears outscored the Garnet 19-3 during the period. The Bears shot 61.5% (8-of-13) during the period with the defense holding Swarthmore to shoot just 11.1% (1-of-9) from the field.

 
Each defense stepped up at the start of the second half as both teams could only muster one basket through the first three minutes of play. After a Swarthmore bucket, Ursinus responded with a 9-5 run to extend their lead to 47-29 with 4:03 remaining in the quarter. The Bears' run was started by six straight points from Irondi before a Lisanti three-pointer increased the Bears lead to 18. Each team traded scores over the remainder of the period, but Ursinus extended their lead to 20 heading into the final stanza.

 
Swarthmore opened the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run to cut their deficit to 12 with 7:01 remaining in the contest. Ursinus quickly answered with an 8-2 run to extend their lead back to 18 behind baskets from Smith, Mehl, and Irondi. The Garnet used one last effort to get back into the game, but the Bears denied any opportunity and earned a 67-55 victory.
 

The Bears shot 56.9% (29-of-51) from the field, 38.5% (5-of-13) from three-point range, and 57.1% (4-of-7) from the free-throw line. Meanwhile, the Garnet shot 40.7% (22-of-54) from the floor, 50% (4-of-8) from deep, and 53.8% (7-of-13) at the charity stripe. Swarthmore held a 30-29 edge in rebounds, while the Bears totaled 18 points off turnovers and 32 points in the paint.
 
 
The Bears will return to action on Thursday, February 8^th as they host Bryn Mawr College for a 7:30 p.m. from Helfferich Hall.