Box Score

GETTYSBURG, Pa. – Gettysburg College trimmed an 11-point second-half deficit down to three with under two minutes remaining, but visiting Dickinson College held off the Bullets down the stretch to earn a hard-fought Centennial Conference victory in women's basketball action at Bream Gymnasium. With the win the Red Devils retain possession of first place in the league standings by half a game, while Gettysburg slips from a tie for third to sixth.

In a game marred by missed shots, turnovers, and fouls, Dickinson (13-6, 11-2 CC) jumped ahead just before halftime with a 5-0 run to take a 24-19 lead. Gettysburg (12-8, 8-5 CC) didn't let the Red Devils slip away in the second stanza, pulling to within one several times in the early going and trailing by just four (37-33) following a pair of free throws by freshman Caitlin Moser (Wyomissing, Pa./Wyomissing) with 12:12 to play.

The next six minutes were unkind to the Bullets as nine shots fell short of the mark. Meanwhile, Dickinson went on a 7-0 run to extend its advantage to 44-33 with six minutes remaining. Freshman Kelley Andersen (Greenwood Village, Colo./Cherry Creek) finally put the Bullets on the board with a lay-up at 5:47, but a pair of free throws by Kay Binetti once again pushed the deficit to 11 (46-35) at 5:29.

Dickinson retained its 10-point margin under the four-minute mark, but a jumper by Moser followed by a fastbreak lay-up by sophomore Courtney Fields (Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's School for Girls) brought the hosts back to life and pulled the score to 48-42 at 2:46. After an exchange of possessions, junior Margaret White (Burke, Va./James W. Robinson) nailed a three-pointer to polish off a 7-0 spurt and pull her team to within three (48-45) with under two minutes remaining.

The Red Devils missed each of their next two shots, but they managed to grab the offensive board each time, eventually getting a jumper by Carole Dempsey with 48 ticks left to boost the lead back to five. Gettysburg was unable to convert on its next possession and was forced to foul Brooke Muller, who connected on 1-of-2 attempts. Trailing by six with under 20 seconds left, the Bullets hoisted a pair of shots and grabbed the subsequent rebounds, the second leading to a three-pointer by Allie Drechsler (Westminster, Md./Winters Mill) with only three seconds left. Following a timeout by the hosts, Dickinson avoided the full-court pressure and the host's foul attempts to hold on for the win.

Dickinson connected on only 30.4 percent of its field goals, while Gettysburg wasn't much better at 33.9 percent. The two teams combined for 37 fouls and 41 turnovers. The Red Devils won the battle of the boards 45-41 and went to the free throw line 15 more times, converting 14-of-24 from the charity stripe.

Moser led Gettysburg with 17 points and six rebounds, while Fields finished with 10 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and two steals. Drechsler chipped in with nine points and four steals. Despite being held to only one point, senior Megan Hartman (Lewistown, Pa./Indian Valley) contributed in other ways with seven rebounds, six assists, and two blocks.

Laura Houseal notched a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds for the Devils, while Carole Dempsey led the team in scoring with 15 points. Houseal and Muller each tallied four steals, with the latter adding seven rebounds and eight points.

Gettysburg will aim to get back on track this weekend with a conference tilt against Bryn Mawr College (4-17, 1-13 CC) on Saturday. Game time is slated for 1 p.m. inside Bream Gym.