LANCASTER, Pa. - The Ursinus women's basketball team were upended in a conference match on the road at Franklin and Marshall on Wednesday evening, 57-49.
The Bears fell to 10-7 on the year with the loss, and 4-3 within the conference. The Diplomats improved to 10-7 on the year, and are 3-4 in conference play.
Senior forward
Ava Possenti led the Bears in scoring with 17 points, along with three assists and four steals. Senior forward
Madison Smith finished with 13 points and a team-high eight rebounds. First-year
Anna Chimento converted all six of her opportunities from the free throw line, finishing with 10 points.
The Diplomats got out to a hot 3-point shooting start to begin the contest, jumping out to a 16-4 run with 1:20 left in the first quarter. The Bears responded with a huge run of their own, closing the Diplomats' lead to three. The Bears' strong defense turned into key offense, as Smith and senior guard
Makenna Foder converted key layups off Diplomat turnovers, making the score 15-18 with 6:12 remaining in the second quarter. With their offense getting back on track, Ursinus took their first lead of the game with 1:43 remaining in the second quarter, as Possenti drained a 3-pointer. The two teams went into the half tied at 23.
The Bears came out of the half firing, as four points in the quarter from Smith, Possenti, and first-year
Anna Chimento, gave the team a 38-28 lead with 1:25 remaining in the third quarter. It would be the largest lead they would hold all game. Franklin and Marshall were able to fight their way back into the game in the fourth quarter, sparked by a stretch of Ursinus turnovers. The Diplomats took their first lead since the second quarter, with just 2:50 left in the contest. Unfortunately, Franklin & Marshall closed out the contest on an 11-3 run to earn a 57-49 Centennial Conference victory.
Ursinus shot 30.4% from the field (17-of-56), 26.3% from 3-point range (5-of-19), and 83.3% from the free throw line (10-of-12). Franklin and Marshall shot 32.1% from the field (18-of-56), 23.1% from 3-point range (6-of-26), and 75% from the free throw line (15-of-20). They led the Bears 14-7 in second chance points.
Ursinus will return to action on Saturday, January 24th, as they take on Bryn Mawr College at home. The game will tip off at 1:00 P.M.
