SWARTHMORE, Pa. – The Neumann University Women's Basketball team dropped a 68-57 decision against Swarthmore College on Saturday afternoon to begin to 2026-2027 season.
Neumann started off slow, trailing 5-0 but three free throws and a jump shot, all by
Jess Aponik tied the game up at five with 6:31 to go in the first quarter. The teams traded buckets and short runs for the rest of the period, and the game was even at 14 after 10 minutes. The Garnet started the second strong with a 7-0 run and were up by 10 with 4:11 left. An
Alyssa Cresto three started the Knights on a 7-3 push but they found themselves down 33-25 at the break.
A quick 5-1 run by Neumann to start the third quarter helped get them within four but a nine point push by Swarthmore had them up by 13 with 4:21 left. Their lead ballooned to 17 by the time the quarter came to a close. Over the first 1:45 of the final period, Neumann scored eight points in a row to claw back within single digits. Following a Garnet free throw,
Elaina Guerzon nailed a three and a jump shot, getting Neumann with five at 52-47. Unfortunately for the Knights, they gave up nine straight points over 1:55 to fall behind by 14, sealing the game.
Jess Aponik led with a double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds, along with six assists and three steals. Guerzon and
Jenna Aponik each added 12 points.
Neumann (0-1) returns to the Mirenda Center on Wednesday for the home-opener as they'll host Penn State Brandywine for a 7:00 PM tip off.
