By Jack Herr, Sports Editor
The men’s and women’s basketball teams honored their seniors this past weekend before their respective games, both of which ended victoriously for the Bullets and kept the team’s momentums in high gear as they prepare for the conference playoffs.
The women’s team honored their lone senior, Meghan Barbera ’23, a biology major from Fort Washington, PA. She started at guard in 24 games this season and is averaging 2.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.
The first quarter was a back-and-forth, defensive affair. Though the Bullets saw field goals from only three players total, their passing and floor spacing was key on the baskets they did make. The lead changed twice within the final 30 seconds of the quarter, but Gettysburg came out just ahead 15-14.
The second quarter started out very slow. There was a two minute stretch between the nine and six minute marks without scoring from either team. Nora Wingfield of Swarthmore rekindled the offense with a lead-gaining layup, but Gettysburg stole it right back thanks to a pair of free throws from forward Cynthia Williams ’25, who was subbed in shortly before and had made an immediate impact on the boards, grabbing five offensive rebounds in the quarter. This was followed by back-to-back three pointers from the team’s two highest scorers, guards Mackenzie Szlosek ’25 and Alayna Arnolie ’26, with Arnolie hitting another trey a few minutes later. The Garnet snuck in a three of their own to mitigate the damage before the half, putting the score at 29-22.
Swarthmore came out of the break with renewed energy. Guard Alyssa Hayashi was undoubtedly the player of the quarter, scoring seven points and notching two steals in the quarter. A three-pointer by Colleen Anderson put the Garnet within two with under a minute to go. A Szlosek free throw and a Shinya Lee ’25 buzzer beater put the Bullets back up five, but they did not escape the quarter unscathed.
The game was closer than it should have been, and the Bullets finally proved that in the final period. It was a scrappy 15 minutes, but Gettysburg dominated, outscoring their opponent 18-5. They secured the 61-43 senior day win and will compete against either Dickinson or Washington College in the Centennial Conference tournament on Friday, Feb. 24 at 7 p.m. in Bream Gymnasium.
The men’s team also went up against Swarthmore, but the Garnet were ranked No. 9 in the country heading into the game, setting the stage for an underdog story.
Before the game, the team honored their five graduating seniors. Team manager Luke Hilliard ’23 and student assistant coach Andrew Winton ’23 received shoutouts alongside players Josh Russell ’23, Sukky Nd-Ezuma ’23, and team captain Elijah Williams ’23. Head coach B.J. Dunne credited each of these seniors for their courageous enthusiasm, skillful leadership, and dedication to the team over their four years.
The teams started off hot, getting right to the basket. Gettysburg maintained a single-digit lead through the opening ten minutes, featuring multiple baskets from guards Carl Schaller ’25 and Jordan Stafford ’25, who scored 24 and 15 total points, respectively; a layup in the paint by the “Mayor of Gettysburg College” Nd-Ezuma, as dubbed by coach Dunne; and a momentum-swinging trey by Nate Williams ’26 that forced Swarthmore to take a timeout.
However, Gettysburg’s lead started to dwindle. Sharpshooter George Visconti hit two threes in just over a minute, bringing the Garnet within two, and an ensuing layup by forward George Corzine knotted the game at 21 points. The teams traded blows for the next couple minutes, and just when the Bullets thought they got the edge with a Schaller three with less than a minute remaining, Visconti responded with a buzzer-beating three of his own, sending the teams to the locker room. It was 32-30 in favor of Gettysburg, and a lot of good basketball was yet to be played.
The home crowd provided the necessary energy for the Bullets to keep fighting such a tough opponent. They rallied behind the fan favorite Nd-Ezuma when he scored a bucket to put the Bullets back up six with under 17 minutes to go. Swarthmore stormed right back though, with guard Vinny DeAngelo draining a three only two minutes later, once again tying the game. Gettysburg did not succumb, and upped their lead to 12 points with under ten minutes left in the half.
Swarthmore continued to make it close, and when Gettysburg entered the double bonus, the away team started targeting certain players to send to the free throw line. Though the Bullets missed a fair share of those foul shots, Swarthmore could not take advantage on the offensive end. This strategy ended up allowing the orange and blue to tack on points and maintain a double-digit lead.
Williams’s emphatic dunk with a minute to go electrified the crowd and punctuated what was an impressive 78-65 win over a nationally ranked opponent. The Bullets showed out for their graduating seniors, and they will go on to compete against Franklin & Marshall in the first round of the Centennial Conference playoffs on Tuesday, Feb. 21 at 7 p.m. in Bream Gymnasium.
We wish both the women’s and men’s basketball teams good luck as they enter the gauntlet that is the conference tournament. With both teams playing games here on campus, we encourage the student body to attend and support their peers.
