Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg trailed only once in the game for a total of 21 seconds as it earned a 60-49 victory over Swarthmore in Centennial Conference (CC) action on Saturday at Bream Gymnasium. Sophomore Joe Spierenburg (Chambersburg, Pa./St. Maria Goretti [Md.]) collected team highs with 15 points and a career-high-tying nine rebounds to help give the Bullets control of their own destiny in the hunt for a CC playoff spot.

Gettysburg (10-12, 8-8 CC) has won eight of 11 games since starting the season 0-5 in the conference. The team entered the day in a three-way tie for fourth place, but now sits alone in fourth, one game ahead of a four-way tie for the final spot with two games to go in the regular season.

Senior center Brian Sateja (Morristown, N.J./Delbarton School) got the Bullets out to the early advantage, scoring the team's first eight points. He would score 10 for the game. He also had five of his six rebounds by the 9:42 mark of the first half. Sophomore guard Dan Capkin (Wynnewood, Pa./Lower Merion) contributed 10 points to the winning effort.

The Garnet (10-13, 7-9 CC) shot just 24.6 percent (16-of-65) from the floor, despite a big day from junior forward Ian McCormick. McCormick registered game highs with 17 points and 13 rebounds for his ninth double-double of the season. He now has 989 career points and 534 rebounds, looking to become just the sixth Swarthmore player to join the 1,000-point/500-rebound club.

The Bullets have owned the series with the Garnet recently, extending their winning streak to seven straight dating back to a 68-62 Swarthmore victory in 2003-04.

Gettysburg found holes in the Swarthmore interior defense at the onset, getting three inside buckets from Sateja to take a 6-1 lead at 16:40. McCormick hit the first Garnet field goal at 16:05, putting back an offensive rebound on the right block. Bullets' senior Julius Redd (Gaithersburg, Md./Magruder) answered with a foul-line jumper at 14:55 to put the home team in front, 10-3.

Swarthmore continued to work the offense through McCormick, cutting the Bullets' advantage to 15-13 after freshman guard Matt Allen spun a post-entry feed which McCormick finished. The junior forward got loose on a fast-break and threw down a two-handed jam at 10:15 to get Swarthmore within two.

Capkin, fourth in the Centennial with 16.9 points per game, put a stop to the Swarthmore surge with a leaner in the lane at 9:36, putting Gettysburg up 17-13.

Allen's three-pointer from the left wing gave the Garnet their first lead of the afternoon, 18-17 at 7:55, but Gettysburg senior Mike Beck (Clearwater, Fla./Clearwater) dropped in his own triple on the next possession to start a 9-0 run for the Bullets. Gettysburg sophomore guard Chris Nevolo (Neshanic Station, N.J./Somerville) converted a lay-up in transition to put the home team up 24-18 at the seven-minute mark.

Garnet freshman forward Matt Turner followed senior guard Chris Casey on a fast-break and tipped in the senior's miss to end the run, and McCormick got another fast-break bucket to cut it the Bullets' lead to 26-22 with 3:35 left.

Beck finished off a nice pass from Capkin in the final minute of the half, sending the Bullets into the locker room with the 32-22 advantage.

McCormick led all scorers in the first 20 minutes with 11 points while Sateja scored eight points to go along with six rebounds for Gettysburg.

The Bullets' defense held Swarthmore to just 23.7 percent (9-of-38) shooting from the floor in the first half. Gettysburg also enjoyed a 29-20 edge on the glass.

McCormick scored the first two buckets of the second half to bring the Garnet within 32-26 at 18:25, forcing a 30-second Gettysburg timeout. The home team got layups from Redd and Capkin to push the lead back to 10, 36-26, with 16:00 to go.

Swarthmore sophomore Raul Ordonez nailed a triple, Turner dropped in two free throws, and senior Dillon McGrew swished a three-pointer, giving the Garnet an 8-4 run to get within 40-34 at 12:08.
Sateja finished off a jump hook at 11:44, and Capkin out-raced three Swarthmore defenders for a lay-in at 10:40 to put Gettysburg back in front by ten, 44-34.

The Bullets' battled through foul trouble in the second half (Redd and Sateja both picked up their fourth before the eight-minute mark), but Spierenburg kept working inside, picking up the old-fashion three point play at 7:45 to put his team up by 12. The sophomore ran the floor on the next possession and Capkin hit him for an easy lay-in.

The 20-7 Bullets' run was capped by Nevolo's deep three-pointer with the shot clock dwindling, giving Gettysburg its largest lead of the afternoon, 60-41, with three minutes left.

Gettysburg will close out the home portion of its schedule on Wednesday with a stiff test against No. 17 Johns Hopkins. The opening tip-off is set for 7:30 p.m. at Bream Gymnasium.