COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. – An 18–9 run in the third quarter proved to be the difference as the Ursinus women's basketball team fell 66–57 to McDaniel College on Saturday afternoon inside Helfferich Hall.
 
 
With the loss, Ursinus drops to 6-3 overall and 1-1 in Centennial Conference action. Meanwhile, the Green Terror improve to 8-1 on the season and 1-1 in conference play. Senior guard Ava Possenti led the Bears with 15 points, seven rebounds, six steals, and four assists. Junior Colleen Blackman knocked down a game-high five three-pointers to also finish with 15 points, while senior Madison Smith added seven points and three rebounds.
 
 
McDaniel opened the contest with a layup at the 9:42 mark before Blackman connected on a three-pointer to give Ursinus a one-point lead. The Green Terror responded with a 10–5 run over the next five minutes and held a 12–8 advantage with 4:33 left in the opening quarter. Both defenses held the opposing offenses scoreless over the next three minutes until a three-pointer by Possenti made it 14–11 with 1:06 to play. McDaniel stole an inbound pass in the final seconds and converted a layup to stretch its lead to 16–11 heading into the second period.
 
 
The Green Terror carried their momentum into the second stanza with an early layup before Blackman knocked down her second three-pointer to cut the deficit to 18–14. Possenti then scored four straight points, and a basket by first-year Anna Chimento gave Ursinus a 20–18 edge with 4:03 remaining in the first half. After the teams traded baskets, Chimento buried a three-pointer to send Ursinus into the locker room with a 25–22 halftime lead.
 
 
McDaniel opened the second half with a 7–0 run to regain a 29–25 advantage before Possenti sank a pair of free throws at the 5:45 mark for the Bears' first points of the quarter. Sophomore Ruth O'Keeffe tied the contest at 29 with a layup at the 4:48 mark, but an 11–4 McDaniel run gave the visitors a 40–34 lead entering the final period. The Bears cut the deficit to two at the 9:06 mark of the fourth behind a Blackman three-pointer and a Possenti layup on consecutive possessions. After an Ursinus free throw, McDaniel used a 12–8 run to take a 53–48 lead with 4:45 remaining. Ursinus trimmed the margin to three on the ensuing possession, but the Green Terror closed the game on a 13–7 run to secure the 66–57 road victory.
 
 
Ursinus shot 37.7% (20-of-53) from the field, 42.1% (8-of-19) from three-point range, and 60% (9-of-15) at the free-throw line. McDaniel shot 41.8% (23-of-55) from the floor, 33.3% (7-of-21) from beyond the arc, and 81.3% (13-of-16) at the foul line. McDaniel's Lauren Cavoli finished with a game-high 26 points, while teammate Elaina Beckett added 21 points and six rebounds.
 
 
The Bears return to action on Saturday, Dec. 20, when they travel to Teaneck, N.J., for a road contest against Fairleigh Dickinson University at 1 p.m.