Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – McDaniel College is probably glad Megan Hartman (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) is a senior because she almost single-handedly ended the Green Terror's season, lighting up the floor for a career-high 27 points as the Gettysburg College women's basketball pulled out a 79-71 victory in the first round of the Centennial Conference Tournament inside Bream Gymnasium on Wednesday night.

With the victory Gettysburg (17-9) picks up its first ever victory in the CC postseason and advances to the semifinals where it will face No. 1 seed and host Franklin & Marshall College (19-6) at 3 p.m. inside the Mayser Center. Muhlenberg College (19-6) will face Dickinson College (16-8) in the other semi with the winners meeting in the championship game on Sunday, March 2, at 2 p.m.

Hartman was a force on both sides of the court, besting her previous career high for points by nine in addition to tallying seven rebounds and three steals. She finished 9-of-16 from the floor and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. She wasn't a solo act in the game, however, as freshman Caitlin Moser (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) pounded out a double-double in the first half en route to finishing with 19 points and a dozen rebounds before fouling out with one minute remaining.

Gettysburg took control early in the game with a 14-2 run to go up 19-6 at 11:36. The margin remained double-digits for the remainder of the opening stanza as the Bullets connected on nearly 50 percent of their field goals (17-of-36), while the Green Terror only made 10-of-32 shots (31.3 percent). Most of the damage was done in the paint with a 28-14 scoring advantage going to the hosts. Moser led the way with 13 points and 10 boards, while Hartman notched 10 points to lift Gettysburg to a 42-25 lead at the half.

McDaniel rallied furiously in the second half, trimming the deficit down to 10 (49-39) at 14:40 following four consecutive points by Robbin Gregg. The lead dipped to single-digits shortly after on a three-pointer by Sally Grace and a lay-up by Ashley Lyles that made it 55-48, but Hartman and Moser put the Bullets back in control with six consecutive points combined to push the margin to 13 (61-48) with just over 10 minutes remaining.

After a poor shooting first half, the Green Terror lit the scoreboard with 56.7 percent shooting (17-of-30) in the final period to climb back into the game. Trailing 66-52 with 7:27 on the board, the visitors went on an 11-2 run capped by another Grace three-pointer to pull to within five (68-63) with under five to go. Hartman and Moser halted the streak as the former found the latter for a reverse lay-up at 3:55. Moser was fouled on the play and sunk the ensuing free throw to put the Bullets up 71-63.

Courtney Gogolinski cut the lead to six with a lay-up on the next possession for McDaniel, but once again Gettysburg went to its senior guard as Hartman nailed a jumper to push the margin back to eight (73-65) with three minutes remaining. The Green Terror had their opportunities to get back in the game with consecutive free throw attempts, but the second try each time was off the mark. McDaniel was forced to send the hosts to the line in the hope the team would falter down the stretch, but the suddenly hot free throw shooting Bullets calmly connected on 6-of-8 attempts in the final minute to seal the deal, capped by Hartman's 26th and 27th points of the night with seven seconds remaining.

Though Hartman and Moser stole the show offensively, the rest of the team did their part as all but one player who saw time made a field goal. Freshman Kelley Andersen (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) connected on 4-of-5 field goals en route to nine points to lead the reserves, while fellow first-year Caitlin Bay (Flemington, N.J./Immaculata) came up with five points and a pair of steals. Sophomore Courtney Fields (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) had an off night shooting, but was a major factor with six points, nine rebounds, and three assists.

For the second straight game, McDaniel shot poorly from the charity stripe on Gettysburg's home floor, connecting on only 11-of-20 attempts (55.0 percent). Grace was lethal from beyond the arc, finishing 5-of-6 from distance and 6-of-8 overall for a team-high 18 points. Robbin Gregg poured in 17 points and dished out a game-high seven assists, while Courtney Gogolinski tallied 14 points and five steals. Ashley Lyles led the rebounding effort with seven boards in addition to a dozen points.