ASTON, Pa. – A fast start powered the Ursinus women's basketball team to a 65-44 victory over Neumann University on Wednesday evening.
With the win, Ursinus improves to 2-1 on the season, while the Knights fall to 1-1. Senior guard
Ava Possenti finished with a team-high 14 points, six rebounds and five steals. Junior
Erin Glanz recorded a career-high 12 points on 3-for-5 shooting from 3-point range, while senior
Madison Smith added 11 points and eight rebounds.
The Bears jumped out to an early 7-0 lead through the first three minutes of play as juniors
Emma Afflerbach,
Colleen Blackman and Possenti each scored. Neumann answered with five straight points before Ursinus used an 8-2 run to take a 15-7 lead with 3:38 remaining in the quarter. Sophomore
Ruth O'Keeffe connected on a jumper, and Smith drained a three-pointer during the Bears' surge. Glanz and Possenti each hit three-pointers to close out the quarter, extending the Ursinus lead to 23-12.
Both defenses stepped up to open the second quarter, as neither team scored until Neumann sank a pair of free throws at the 7:57 mark. Ursinus then went on a 10-2 run, highlighted by Glanz's second three-pointer, to stretch its advantage to 33-16 with 3:26 left in the half. Neumann closed the frame on a 9-5 run, but Ursinus still carried a 38-25 lead into the break.
The Knights opened the second half by cutting the Bears' lead to 10, but a three-point play from Glanz and a layup by Blackman pushed the margin to 46-31. O'Keeffe and Blackman each converted jumpers on consecutive possessions to extend the Bears lead to 17 by the end of the quarter. In the final period, Ursinus used a 10-0 run to take a 63-36 lead with 4:18 remaining. During that stretch, Ursinus forced two turnovers and held Neumann without a field goal over seven straight attempts. Neumann closed the game on a 7-2 run, but the deficit proved too large as Ursinus secured the 65-44 win.
Ursinus shot 40.6% (26-for-64) from the field, 33.3% (6-for-18) from 3-point range and 43.8% (7-for-16) from the free-throw line. Neumann shot 33.3% (15-for-45) from the floor, 15.4% (2-for-13) from beyond the arc and 70.6% (12-for-17) from the foul line. The Bears' defense forced 22 Neumann turnovers and converted them into 25 points.
Ursinus returns to action Saturday, November 15th, when they host Immaculata University in its 2025-26 home opener at 1 p.m.
