(Swarthmore, Pa.) – The Dickinson women's basketball team won its third straight game, improving to 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Centennial Conference. The Red Devils held off a late rally by Swarthmore to post a 46-43 road win on Thursday night.

The Red Devils struck first on a nice cut and lay-up from first-year Jackie Joyce (Mechanicsburg, Pa./Cumberland Valley).

The Red Devils blocked shots on back-to-back possessions before the Garnet tied the game with a foul line jumper. The score remained 2-2 as Swarthmore missed on a pair of three-point attempts.

The Devils worked the ball inside on the other end, but were unable to put any points up as well. Maggie O'Neill turned back a pair of shots for the Garnet.

Mary Martin (Honesdale, Pa./Honesdale) ended the scoring drought with a free throw at the 1:19 mark. Dickinson stripped the ball away inside on the next two possessions but were unable to convert on the offensive end, holding a 3-2 lead at the end of the first.

Martin scored off an in-bounds play and forced a steal to open the second quarter. Mairead Donahue (Trumbull, Conn./St. Joseph) came up with an offensive rebound and Helen Roberts (Oakton, Va./Oakton) converted a three-point play to give Dickinson an 8-2 advantage at the eight minute mark.

Donahue grabbed another offensive rebound and sank a short jumper to make it 10-2. Jessica Jowdy answered for the Garnet and Hayley Raymond added a free throw to cut the deficit to 10-5.

O'Neill made a nice move off an in-bound to make the score, 10-7, and Jowdy hit a three-pointer to tie the game with a little over two minutes to play in the half.

Martin pulled an offensive rebound and scored on a baby hook with 1:46 on the clock. Swarthmore hit a free throw and Jennifer Smith (Short Hills, N.J./Millburn) countered with two from the line to give the Devils a 14-11 lead.

Jonica Brown (Mohnton, Pa./The Hill School) was fouled on a long three-point attempt at the buzzer. She hit all three free throws to put Dickinson up 17-11, at the break.

Joyce started things off again to start the second half, driving down the lane for an easy lay-up. Martin followed up, drawing a foul and this time hit both free throws for a 21-11 lead. Raymond converted a pair of free throws for Swarthmore before Kassidy Lesher (Shoemakersville, Pa./Hamburg) put-back a rebound for a 23-13 advantage.

The game turned offensive in the second half. The Garnet scored on back-to-back possessions before Joyce answered with a three-pointer from the wing. Swarthmore went back-to-back again, with Raina Williams drawing a foul and completing the three-point play to cut the margin to four.

Jowdy hit a foul line jumper and Raymond drove to the basket to tie the game at the three minute mark of the third.

The Garnet had a chance to take the lead but missed two free throws. Roberts sank a jumper to put Dickinson back in front before Jordyn Bell closed out the quarter with a free throw to make the score 28-27.

O'Neill would put the hosts up, hitting a three-pointer to start the fourth quarter. Roberts drew a foul and tied the game, just seconds later.  

Joyce knocked down a three-pointer and Smith hit a free throw to give Dickinson a four point lead. Jowdy countered with a three-point play and Swarthmore went in front on a jumper from Bridget Scott. Martin led the Devils back to a four-point lead as they reached the midpoint of the fourth quarter.

Jowdy cut it to two but Roberts buried a three-pointer with just over two minutes to play. Jowdy hit one-of-two free throws to make the score, 42-38, and O'Neill drained a three to cut the lead to one.

Martin made a strong move, scoring on the other end for a three-point advantage. The Devils forced a turnover as the clock went under a minute. Martin almost stole the rebound but the ball went out of bounds and into the hands of Swarthmore.

The Garnet tried to hit a three-pointer but settled for a put-back from Williams with six seconds left to play. Joyce was fouled and sank both free throws for a three-point lead and 4.3 seconds remaining in regulation.

Swarthmore was able to advance the ball into the front court with a timeout. The final attempt was off the mark as the Red Devils win their third straight Centennial Conference match-up.

Jowdy led Swarthmore (3-11, 2-6) with 15 points while Abbey Deckard controlled 10 rebounds.

Martin led the Red Devils with a double-double, scoring 14 points and controlling 10 rebounds to go with a pair of steals. Joyce tallied 12 points and five rebounds while Roberts reached double-figures with 10 points, adding five rebounds as well.

Lesher and Donahue combined for 10 rebounds while Donahue added three steals and a blocked shot and Lesher tallied two blocks on the night.

The Red Devils improve to 7-6 overall and 4-4 in the Centennial Conference. They head east again on Saturday, traveling to Haverford College for a 1:00 pm tip-off.