By Sydney LoPresti, Staff Writer
The Bullets basketball teams took the court on Saturday, Feb. 12th to honor their seniors before their last regular season home games against Haverford. Seniors Avery Bennett, Carly Rice, Christina Richson, and Mackenzie Tinner were joined by their families in recognition of their contributions before the game’s one o’clock start. The men recognized the “dynamic duo” of Avery Close and Jack Rooney as well as student assistant coach Joey Carroll before their game began at three.
Rice went out with a bang in her last regular game in Bream Gym, dropping 26 points on their Centennial Conference foe, Haverford. This was the guard’s fifth 20+ point game in her career. She was a perfect 8-8 from the foul line and added six rebounds and two steals to her stat line.
When asked about Senior Day, she claimed it was “a day she will never forget.” She continued on to say “I was really thankful that my family could be there alongside me as well as my teammates and coaches.”
Fellow senior Christina Richson tacked on nine points, all from three point shots. She has been excellent from beyond the arc this season, hitting 36.4% of her shots. When asked, she shared that her favorite memory of Gettysburg basketball was “getting close with teammates, since that is what made my four years here so enjoyable.”
The win over the Fords gave the Bullets the top spot in the Centennial, improving their record to 17-1 in conference play. This is the fifth straight season the Orange and Blue have scored 20+ overall wins in a season.
Despite being strong candidates to make it to the NCAA tournament, the Bullets are focusing on the present. When questioned about the remainder of the season, Bennett replied, “we are taking it one game at a time and working hard in practice each day so that we are prepared for the challenges ahead.”
The men also pulled off a victory on Senior Day over the Fords. Carl Schaller ’25 was unwavering from the stripe, knocking down 15 free throws on 16 attempts. This contributed to his team-high scoring effort of 20 points. Close was also in the double-digits for scoring alongside Ryan McKeon ’24 and Colin Farrell ’25. The senior forward tallied 11 points and six rebounds against the Fords.
Close commented on the day as a whole, stating that “Senior day was full of mixed emotions. I felt extremely proud and honored to have been a part of this program for four years, even more so to see the success we have now versus years prior. At the same time there was an underlying sadness knowing that was my last game in Bream Gym. I’ve spent countless hours of hard work in that beautiful gym and it will be one of the things I miss the most.”
The team produced another tremendous defensive effort to top Haverford by 19 points. This was the third time this season they had nine blocks in a game. Their total blocks on the season, 120, is the third highest in the program’s history. This prominent defensive standing was complimented by a sharp shooting offense that drained 49% of their shots from the field.
The men and the women finish off the regular season with away games at McDaniel Wednesday on 2/16 and Swarthmore on 2/19. Both are looking to enter the Centennial Conference playoffs and make a postseason run.
