LANCASTER, PA -- York College's Heather Kessler made five-of-seven from the floor, including two-of-three from three-point range, and six-of-six at the free-throw line in the second half for 18 of her game high 26 points as the Spartans' women's basketball team rallied from a 42-40 halftime deficit to stun Franklin & Marshall College 78-73 in the opening round of the F&M Invitational.
Trailing by 14 points with 10:43 left in the first half, the Spartans chipped away at the Franklin & Marshall lead behind the hot-shooting of Mandy Crabbs who drained six-of-eleven for 13 first half points as York closed to within two at halftime.
In the second half, the Diplomats went on a 12-4 run to push the lead back to 10 points with 16:07 left on the clock. The Spartans closed to within six, but a lay-up by point guard Dana Johns (So., York, PA/Eastern York) and a pair of free-throws by Amy Hofmann (Sr., Wernersville, PA/Conrad Weiser) pushed the lead back to 10 points at 58-48 with 11:18 left on the clock. The margin ballooned to 11 at 60-49 as Johns knocked down a short jumper, but the points would awaken the York scorers as the Spartans went on a 16-6 run to tie the game at 64 all with 4:06 showing on the game clock.
Neither team could score over the next 26 seconds before Ashley Robertson dropped in a free throw with 3:40 for a York's first lead of the game. Center Amy Abernathy (Sr., Far Hills, NJ/American School-Paris) responded by splitting the York defense and making a lay-up for two of her team high 25 points as the Diplomats moved back in front 66-65 at 3:16.
Abernathy pushed the lead to three 24 seconds later by reeling in a defensive rebound, taking a pass, firing a shot, pulling down her own offensive rebound and laying in the ball with 2:42 to go for a 68-65 margin. She figured in the next play as Abernathy grabbed a steal and tossed a pass to Maura Lentz (Jr., Baltimore, MD/Catonsville) who fired a shot which rimmed out before Hofmann corralled the board and put back a shot for a 70-65 lead with 2:04 to go.
The points marked the last ones F&M scored until the final horn as Kessler drained a trey with 1:51 left on the clock to cut the lead to two. Nine seconds later, she swatted a pass away for a steal and dropped in a fast break lay-up to tie the score at 70 all with 1:38 left on the clock.
The Diplomats attempted to retake the lead as Ann Parker's (Sr., Baltimore, MD/Notre Dame) jumper went of the rim where Jess Huntley corralled the rebound and was immediately fouled by Johns. Following a pair of successful free throws to take the lead for good with 1:03 showing on the scoreboard.
Franklin & Marshall had chances to tie the score or retake the lead, but a charge on Courtney Tierney (Sr., Princeton, NJ/Hun School) with 39 seconds to go forced the Diplomats to foul the rest of the way as York made six-of-six down the stretch for a 78-70 lead before Tierney arched in a trey at the buzzer for the 78-73 final.
Overall, Abernathy finished the game with 21 rebounds for the only double-double of the game, while Tierney and forward Lauren Dodrill (Jr., Timonium, MD/Roland Park) chipped in 14 points apiece to pace the Diplomats' scorers.
For York, Crabbs dropped in 21 points, while Jess Kemp added nine in the victory.
The Spartans advance to face Lebanon Valley College, an 82-73 victor over Washington & Jefferson College, at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 23 in the title game, while the Diplomats will face the Presidents in the consolation game at 1:00 p.m.
In the LVC-W&J game, four Flying Dutchwomen reached double-digits as Lebanon Valley overcame a 43-35 halftime deficit to outscore Washington & Jefferson 47-30 in the second half to capture the victory.
For W&J, Shawndra McDonald tallied 20 points, Amanda Stanonik added 17 and Leigh Sulkowski dropped in 11 in the loss.
