Box Score

BALTIMORE, Md. – For the first time in 20 years, the Gettysburg College women's basketball team took a two-game season series from Centennial Conference rival Johns Hopkins University as the Bullets beat the host Blue Jays 55-53 inside Goldfarb Gymnasium on Wednesday night. The victory moves Gettysburg into sole possession of fourth place in the league standings with a 10-5 record.

Gettysburg (14-8, 10-5 CC) beat Johns Hopkins (10-11, 8-7 CC) 68-38 earlier this season and with Wednesday's win, the Bullets own a three-game win streak over the Blue Jays. The last time the Bullets won both games in a single season against Hopkins was 1987-88. Sophomore Courtney Fields (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) and freshman Caitlin Moser (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) led the charge with 16 points apiece, including combining for 19 of Gettysburg's 24 second-half points.

Despite the close score, the visitors held the lead for all but two minutes in the game, grabbing the advantage for the first and final time on a jumper by Megan Hartman (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) at 17:36. Gettysburg built its lead to as many as eight (17-9) on a three-pointer by Mary Spicer (Floral Park, N.Y./Sacred Heart Academy) at 8:01 before the Blue Jays closed to within three (24-21) on a pair of free throws by Jenna Berninger at 2:46.

Johns Hopkins was still within five at 28-23 following a lay-up by Kristen Phillips with 33 seconds to go before the break, and the hosts looked to be grabbing the momentum with a steal and potential fast break opportunity, but sophomore Allie Drechsler (Westminster, Pa./Winters Mill) swiped the ball way and Fields sealed the opening period with a three-pointer just before the buzzer to give Gettysburg a 31-23 advantage.

The Bullet lead grew to a dozen points just five minutes into the final stanza when Fields nailed another three-pointer, putting the score at 42-30 at 15:12, but the Blue Jays pecked away at the lead and whittled the margin down to just one (47-46) following back-to-back buckets by Andrea Dodrill, the last coming at 6:50. On the ensuing Gettysburg possession, Fields was fouled going to the hoop and she calmly stepped up the charity stripe and made both her attempts to put the lead back at three (49-46) with 6:25 remaining.

For two minutes neither team managed to grace the scoring column despite a handful of offensive boards by the hosts. Dodrill nailed first of five consecutive free throws for the Blue Jays at 4:17, but each time the hosts crept closer, the Bullets had an answer. Moser and Hartman connected on a lay-up and free throw, respectively, to keep the visitors in front, but a pair of free throws by Lyndsay Burton pulled the Blue Jays to 52-51 at 3:11. Both teams exchanged missed shots from beyond the arc, but Fields once again came through in the clutch with a big three-pointer at 2:27 to give her team a 55-51 advantage.

Burton put in what would prove to be the final field goal of the game at 1:56, cutting the deficit to 55-53. Gettysburg turned the ball over on its next possession, but the Blue Jays couldn't convert on their end as Stacey Kielb was off the mark on a jumper. Another turnover by the Bullets gave Hopkins an opportunity to knot the game with 26 seconds to go. A pass to Dodrill in the post was tipped by a Bullet defender and ended up going out of bounds off a Blue Jay, giving the ball back to the visitors with 13 seconds to go. The Blue Jays still had a shot to win it after Drechsler missed the front end of a one-and-one, but Burton's shot attempt went awry.

Gettysburg was out-rebounded 49-44, committed four more turnovers (20-16), and took seven less free throws (19-12), but the Bullets forced Johns Hopkins into just 26.5 shooting from the field. Moser finished 8-of-14 from the field, adding nine rebounds and two steals, while Fields went 5-of-11 from the floor, including a trio of three-pointers. Hartman finished with eight points and four rebounds. Seeing her first action in almost two weeks, sophomore Nicole Dobranski (Albertson, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial) came through with 10 boards.

Burton led the hosts with 14 points, while Dodrill and Phillips each notched double-doubles, the former with 10 each in points and rebounds, and the latter with 10 points and a dozen boards.

Gettysburg resumes conference play on Saturday, Feb. 16, against Swarthmore College at 3 p.m. inside Bream Gymnasium. Both teams will be participating in the WBCA's “Think Pink” week in an effort to raise breast cancer awareness. Donations will be collected for three-pointers made by each team and all fans are encouraged to wear something pink.