Box Score
GETTYSBURG, Pa. - Amy Kreitz and Amy Abernathy scored a combined 44 points en route to a 73-60 victory over Gettysburg in Centennial Conference (CC) women's basketball action on Wednesday.
Kreitz scored 24 points -including 7-for-8 from the free throw line - and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Abernathy, the current CC Player of Week, scored 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Diplomats. Lauren Howanski went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe for eight points in the game, including key free throws to seal the victory.
Dana Bear (Lansdale, PA/Lansdale Catholic) led three Bullets (11-12, 6-6 CC) in double figures with 20 points, including 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Emily Falk (Boiling Springs, PA/Boiling Springs) recorded 12 points off the bench and fellow freshman Elizabeth Ross (Chestertown, MD/St. Andrew's School) chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
The two teams battled back and forth throughout the first half and the first ten minutes of the second half with Franklin & Marshall having the biggest lead at six points with 9:38 left in the first half. The Diplomats (16-4, 9-2 CC) were able to take a 10-point advantage late in the second half and hold off a Gettysburg comeback attempt to cruise to their ninth conference victory of the year and with the loss the Bullets were eliminated from CC playoff contention.
Franklin & Marshall went on a 12-3 run over a seven minute span to pull away from Gettysburg after the Bullets were able to tie the game at 49-49 at the 11:15 mark in the second half.
Kreitz knocked down her only 3-pointer of the game to give the Diplomats the lead for good at 52-49 with 11 minutes left in the game.
Jay Hodge (Silver Springs, MD/St. Vincent Palotti) sank two free throws to cut the deficit to 52-50.
Franklin & Marshall then reeled off 10 of the next 12 points starting with two free throws from Kelly Witkowski at the 9:14 mark and Abernathy hit a layup before Bear brought Gettysburg within four at 56-52. A
Abernathy hit another layup and Jessie Atkins hit a jumper. Kreitz capped the run with two free throws to give the Diplomats a 62-52 lead with 4:45 remaining.
The Bullets were able to cut the lead to six on a modest 6-2 run with Bear leading the way with four points and Falk adding two, but Franklin & Marshall ended the game 9-2 run in the final two minutes of the game to seal the victory.
In the first half, the two teams battled back and forth with the Bullets gaining a four-point advantage with 15:45 left in the half and the Diplomats taking a six-point advantage, but after eight ties in the half, Jen Nolan (Germantown, MD/Seneca Valley) gave Gettysburg a 32-30 lead into the locker room after hitting a jumper with three second left.
Nolan, who played her final home game, added nine points for the Bullets. Hodge had team-high 14 rebounds in a losing effort.
Gettysburg returns to action Saturday when they travel to Western Maryland. Tip-off is 1 p.m.
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