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LANCASTER, PA -- Center Amy Abernathy (So., Far Hills, NJ/American School Paris) and guard Amy Kreitz (Sr., Allentown, PA/Salisbury) scored a combined 44 points en rout to a 73-60 victory over Gettysburg College in Centennial Conference women's basketball action. Kreitz scored 24 points, including 7-for-8 from the free throw line, and just missed a double-double with nine rebounds. Abernathy, the current CC Player of Week, scored 20 points and 16 rebounds for the Diplomats, her league leading 14th double-double of the season. Lauren Howanski (Sr., Gap, PA/Pequea Valley) went 8-for-8 from the charity stripe for eight points in the game, including key free throws to seal the victory. Due to tonight's win, and an 85-82 double overtime loss by Johns Hopkins University to Swarthmore College in Baltimore, the Diplomats now lead the CC West by one game over the Blue Jays and two over the #3 seed Western Maryland Green Terror. Dana Bear led three Bullets (11-12, 6-6 CC) in double figures with 20 points, including 8-for-8 from the free throw line. Emily Falk recorded 12 points off the bench and fellow freshman Elizabeth Ross chipped in a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The two teams battled back and forth throughout the first half and the first ten minutes of the second half with Franklin & Marshall having the biggest lead at six points with 9:38 left in the first half. The Diplomats (16-4, 9-2 CC) were able to take a 10-point advantage late in the second half and hold off a Gettysburg comeback attempt to cruise to their ninth Conference victory of the year. With the loss the Bullets were eliminated from CC playoff contention. In the first half, the two teams battled back and forth with the Bullets gaining a four-point advantage with 15:45 left in the half and the Diplomats taking a six-point advantage, but after eight ties in the half, Jen Nolan (Germantown, MD/Seneca Valley) gave Gettysburg a 32-30 lead into the locker room after hitting a jumper with three second left. In the second half, Franklin & Marshall went on a 12-3 run over a seven minute span to pull away from Gettysburg after the Bullets were able to tie the game at 49-49 at the 11:15 mark. Kreitz knocked down her only 3-pointer of the game to give the Diplomats the lead for good at 52-49 with 11 minutes left in the game. Jay sank two free throws for the Bullets to cut the deficit to 52-50, but it would not be enough to stymy the Diplomats offense, Franklin & Marshall reeled off 10 of the next 12 points starting with two free throws from Kelly Witkowski (Jr., Colts Neck, NJ/Marlboro) at the 9:14 mark and Abernathy hit a layup before Bear brought Gettysburg within four at 56-52. Abernathy hit another layup and Jessie Adkins (Jr., Baltimore, MD/Friends School) hit a jumper. Kreitz capped the run with two free throws to give the Diplomats a 62-52 lead with 4:45 remaining. The Bullets were able to cut the lead to six on a modest 6-2 run with Bear leading the way with four points and Falk adding two, but Franklin & Marshall ended the game 9-2 run in the final two minutes of the game to seal the victory. F&M, which improves to 16-4, 9-2 in the Centennial Conference, has not lost since a 82-69 defeat at Western Maryland on December 4 as the Diplomats have overcome a 3-4 start. Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on February 9 at Haverford College. Game time is set for 1:00 p.m.
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