COLLEGEVILLE, Pa. - The Ursinus women's basketball team got out to a massive lead and never looked back, earning a dominant win over conference foe Swarthmore 78-51, on Wednesday evening.
 

With the victory, Ursinus improved to 12-7 on the year, and 6-3 within Centennial Conference action. The Garnet fell to 5-12 on the season, and now sit at 2-7 in conference play.

 
Senior forward Madison Smith led the Bears earning her second double-double of the season behind 15 points, along with 10 rebounds and four assists. First-year forward Anna Chimento finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds, while senior forward Ava Possenti added 11 points, five steals, and four assists.
 

The Bears got out to an incredibly hot start, in large part due to the play of Chimento. The first-year forward had eight of the Bears' first 13 points, giving them a 15-4 advantage with 4:49 remaining in the first quarter.  The team continued their dominance in the low post, with key points by Smith helping them extend the lead to 27-12 at the end of the first.  Ursinus was able to force a handful of Swarthmore turnovers to begin the second quarter, with Possenti helping Ursinus build a 25-point lead. Junior guard Colleen Blackman put an exclamation point on the quarter with a deep 3-pointer, giving the team a 40-15 lead at halftime.


The Bears came out of the half ready to build on their lead, going on a 10-3 run punctuated by five points by Possenti. Strong shooting, especially from beyond, helped the Garnet chip at the Bears' lead, but they never came within 25 points. Ursinus received strong play by senior guard Makenna Foder, tallying four points and a steal in the quarter, guiding the Bears throughout the remainder of the contest, and sealing the 78-51 victory.

 
Ursinus shot 50% from the field (32-64), 33.3% from 3-point range (5-15), and 60% from the free throw line (9-15). Swarthmore shot 29.1% from the field (16-55), 28.6% from 3-point range (6-21), and 92.9% from the free throw line (13-14). The Bears out rebounded the Garnet 49-27.

 
Ursinus will return to action on Saturday, January 31st, as they travel for a conference matchup against Dickinson College. The game will tip off at 2 p.m.