COLLEGEVILLE, PA - Ursinus College's Mary Kate Daley hit eight-of-16 field goal attempts and eight-of-nine from the free throw line for a game high 24 points as the Bears defeated Franklin & Marshall 71-60 in Centennial Conference women's basketball.
Ursinus (5-5, 2-2 Centennial Conference), which built an 8-0 run from the opening tip-off to never trail in the game, built a 40-21 halftime lead by shooting 53.3% (16-of-30) from the field, including three-of-five from beyond the arc, while holding F&M to 29.0% (nine-of-31) in the opening half.
The Diplomats chipped away at the lead to trail 42-39 with 10:43 to play courtesy an 18-2 run to open the second half, but Julia Tramontana connected on a pair of free throws and Daley hit a lay-up and a free throw to in the lead back to eight points (47-39).
Trailing 49-41, the Diplomats sliced the margin to five points as Dana Johns (Jr., York, PA/Eastern York) canned a three-pointer, but the Bears countered with a 6-0 run as Tramontana hit a jumper and Kelly Borrell converted a lay-up and a pair of free throws with 7:06 left on the game clock.
F&M climbed back into the game as Lauren Dodrill (Sr., Timonium, MD/Roland Park) made a lay-up before Johns hit a three-pointer and Christy Strunk (Jr., Pittsburgh, PA/North Allegheny) tallied a lay-up to move to within 55-51 with 4:50 left.
The teams traded baskets before Daley made a lay-up and a foul shot to put the Bears in front by seven points with 3:19 to go.
Johns then took over the game hitting a jumper and swishing a three-pointer to pull the Diplomats to within 60-58 with 2:31 left on the clock.
Trailing 62-60 following a pair of foul shots by Borrell and a jumper by Brittany Braxton (Fr., Pearl River, NY/Nanuet), Alison Walker made a lay-up and collected a steal which led to a foul to put Daley on the line as the Bears closed the game making seven-of-eight free throws for the 11 point victory.
Overall, Johns tallied a team high 17 points and four assists in 29 minutes to lead Franklin & Marshall, while Strunk chipped in 15 points and Dodrill added nine points and 10 rebounds.
The key to the game was Ursinus' success at the charity stripe as the Bears converted 22-of-25 free throws while allowing the Diplomats to a five-of-seven performance at the foul line.
Franklin & Marshall (3-8, 2-4 CC) will return to action on January 11 at home versus Centennial Conference foe Swarthmore College. Game time is set for 6:00 p.m.
