(Collegeville, Pa.) – The Dickinson women's basketball team had a strong start at Ursinus, but the Bears used a big run in the first half to turn back the Red Devils, 71-55, on Saturday afternoon.

The Red Devils jumped out to an early, 9-0 lead. First-year Mary Martin (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) put Dickinson on the board and sophomore Sam Kennedy (Chatham, N.J./Chatham) knocked-down a three-pointer and hit a pair of free throws to start the game.

The Devils held a 13-3 lead before the Bears regrouped and cut the deficit to four, 15-11, with just over 13 minutes to play in the first half. Ursinus would turn the tables, pulling even at 21, with 8:47 on the clock.

The Bears would net the next 21 points to pull in front, 42-21, late in the first half. First-year Jennifer Smith (Short Hills,  N.J./Millburn) broke up the run with a free throw and a field-goal, and classmate Helen Roberts (Oakton, Va./Oakton) scored with two seconds left on the clock, to make the score 44-26 at the break.

The Red Devils outscored the Bears, 12-4, to open the second half, and cut the lead to 48-38. Field-goals were hard to come by, but Ursinus countered with a 10-4 run, stretching the advantage to 58-42. The Bears remained in control from that point, slowly building on the lead down the stretch.

The Red Devils continued to battle in the closing minutes, but could not overcome the early deficit.

Smith led the Red Devils with 15 points, five rebounds and three steals while Martin finished with 13 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

Kennedy tallied seven points, three rebounds and two steals. Junior Liz Schultz (Dunmore, Pa./Scranton Prep) hit a three-pointer in the second half, netting seven points as well.

Caroline Shimrock led Ursinus (6-5, 4-2) with a game-high 18 points while Polimeni finished with 17 points, four assists and four steals on the day.

The Red Devils slip to 3-9 overall and 0-7 in the Centennial Conference. They return home to host Johns Hopkins University on Thursday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 pm.