WESTMINSTER, Md. - Senior Matt Kearney tied his career-high with 14 points off the bench to lead the McDaniel College men's basketball team in a 55-46 loss to Swarthmore on Saturday inside the Gill Center.

The Green Terror (10-4, 1-2 CC) dropped its third-straight home game after starting with wins in four of their first five.

Kearney also had 14 points in the team's Centennial Conference opener against Franklin & Marshall last Saturday, January 10.

The contest began with McDaniel and the Garnet exchanging leads through the first half, with the game tied on four occasions.

Swarthmore (9-6, 3-0 CC) broke a 14-14 tie with five-straight points to grow its lead to eight with just over one minute remaining in the first half.

A three-pointer from sophomore Ashenafi Stuart and a buzzer-beating jumper from Kearney cut the Green Terror deficit to 28-25 at halftime.

Junior Ryan Shaffer scored the first basket of the second half to bring McDaniel within one and free throws from junior Bruce Black made the score 30-29 with 18:23 to go. Howeveer, Swarthmore responded with an 11-0 run, highlighted by three consecutive three-pointers.

Black later cut the deficit to eight, but a four-point play by the Garnet gave the visitors a 45-33 lead with 10:37 remaining.

The Green Terror closed the gap to seven late in the contest with another Black layup, but late free throws sealed a 55-46 win for the Garnet on the road.
 
Kearney totaled 14 points and five rebounds while Black had nine points and six rebounds.  Stuart added seven points and five rebounds.

McDaniel travels to Front Royal, Va. on Monday to face Christendom in the team's final non-conference contest of the season. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m.