CHESTERTOWN, Md. – Senior Avery Close (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville) and junior Elijah Williams (Washington, D.C./Sidwell Friends) combined for 41 points, and the Bullets outscored Washington College 41-32 in the second half, but the rally wasn't enough as the Shoremen took the 70-63 decision Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference action.
 

Teams	1st	2nd	Final
Gettysburg (9-6, 5-4 CC)	22	41	63
Washington (4-11, 1-7 CC)	38	32	70

                       
Gettysburg's Top Performers

• Avery Close '22: 27 points, 11 rebounds, 12-17 FG, 2 blocks
• Elijah Williams '23: 14 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists 

Washington's Top Performers

• Kedrick Frink: 17 points, 5 rebounds, 2 steals
• Sam Corrao: 16 points
• Tray Wright: 11 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists

Game Summary - First Half

• Gettysburg was off to a slow offensive start as Washington rolled out to a commanding 23-6 lead with 10:07 on the clock. The Shoremen drained four three-pointers, with Jason Zielinski and Ethan Schwantes each tallying five points to take the charge.
• Washington led by double-figures the rest of the half, but the Bullets went on a scoring spree in the final 4:18. Gettysburg outscored Washington 12-5, with Abakar netting half of the points.
• Despite the low offensive output, Gettysburg made 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from the field, and Washington went 15-of-31 (48.4 percent) from the floor, including drilling six three-pointers. 

Game Summary - Second Half

• Gettysburg did not back down and battled its way back in the second half. Close came out with the hot hands, scoring 13 of the Bullets 19 points to put the squad within ten (51-41) at 10:18.
• A Jordan Stafford (Galloway, N.J./Saint Joseph Hammonton) made free throw at 8:55 put the Bullets within single digits for the first time in the game. A minute later, Tray Wright and Kedrick Frink each scored to pull Washington ahead by 14 (56-42).
• The Shoremen maintained the advantage, but the Bullets clawed their way back. A three-pointer by Williams started a 9-2 spurt to come within six points at 3:10. Williams continued to be clutch as he made another trey and a free throw in 50-seconds to slice the deficit to six again.
• Washington cashed in three free throws in nine seconds, but Colin Farrell (Matawan, N.J./Christian Brothers Academy) drilled a three-pointer to make it 69-63 with 27 seconds remaining. Gettysburg was unable to rally the comeback as the Shoremen collected the home victory. 

By the Numbers

• The Bullets finished 25-of-48 (52.1 percent) from the field, the team's second-best shooting performance on the season. The Shoremen went 22-of-53 (41.5 percent).
• Gettysburg hit 10-of-17 (58.8 percent) from the free throw line, while Washington made 18-of-24 (75 percent) from the charity stripe.
• Close tied a career-high 27 points, which he also accomplished in 2019 against Washington. The senior forward posted his ninth career double-double and second on the season.
• Williams tied his season-high in points with 14. He corralled 14 points earlier this season against McDaniel College. 

Where the Series Stands
Gettysburg leads the all-time series record against Washington 34-19. The Shoremen have won five of the last seven meetings.
 
Next Up
Gettysburg travels to Muhlenberg College (5-10, 2-6 CC) on Tuesday, January 25, at 7 p.m.