Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Sophomore guard Allie Drechsler (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) scored a game-high 17 points off the bench while sophomore forward Courtney Fields (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) posted nine points, 11 rebounds, and six assists as the Gettysburg College women's basketball team led from start to finish to win its 2007-08 home opener, 58-46, in a Centennial Conference contest versus Ursinus College Saturday afternoon in Bream Gymnasium.

After trailing by as much as 14, Ursinus (1-3, 1-1 CC) pulled to within two midway through the second half, but a decisive 8-0 run put the game away for Gettysburg (3-3, 2-1 CC), who avenged a season-ending loss to Ursinus in the first round of the Centennial Conference playoffs a year ago.

Freshman forward Caitlin Moser (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) added 11 points for the Bullets, who won their home opener for the fourth straight season, while sophomore forward Nicole Dobranski (Albertson, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) contributed seven points and 11 rebounds.

Sophomore center Carolyn Konstanzer paced the Bears with 16 points and 12 rebounds while senior guard Sarah Hennessey tossed in 12 points.

Both sides struggled to find their offensive touch in the opening half, as Gettysburg shot 22.2% over the first 20 minutes while Ursinus struggled to a 20.8% mark. The Bullets led by as much as seven (15-8) after a Fields lay-up with 4:04 on the clock, but the Bears slimmed the deficit to two (17-15) after a conventional three-point play from freshman forward Alex Shivers 49 seconds before the break. But Drechsler nailed a pair of free throws with four ticks showing to make it a 19-15 game at the intermission.

Gettysburg enjoyed its biggest lead of the game at 31-17 after an old-fashioned three-point play from Moser with 17:38 left capped an 8-0 Bullet surge. However, the Bears fought back and used an 8-0 run of their own to make it a one-possession game (33-31) after a Konstanzer lay-up with 12:10 remaining. Ursinus still trailed by two (35-33) after another Konstanzer bucket, but that's when the Bullets pulled away with its final 8-0 run. Drechsler opened the spurt with a lay-up and capped it with a three-pointer. Sandwiched in the middle was a trey from Fields. The Bears were unable to whittle the gap under nine the rest of the way.

Gettysburg, which overcame 24 turnovers, shot 60.7% in the second half and finished at 41.8% for the game. Ursinus shot just 33.3%, including 17.6% (3-for-17) from behind the arc.

The Bullets out-rebounded the Bears 46-30.

Gettysburg resumes its Centennial Conference schedule on Tuesday, when it hosts Johns Hopkins University at 7 p.m.