POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – The Haverford College women's basketball team won the Vassar Invitational with a 57-52 victory over the host Vassar College Brewers at the Fitness and Athletics Center on Saturday afternoon.
Freshman Macy Goldbach led the Fords with 18 points on 7-of-14 shooting. The freshman also added four rebounds, three assists, three steals and a block. Sophomore Sierra Berkel scored 16 points, snagged eight rebounds and dished out two assists. With her outing today and a double-double last night, Berkel was selected as the Tournament MVP. Goldbach was also picked for the All-Tournament team with her teammate.
The Fords scored the final four points of the first quarter, including a basket by freshman Katie Cook as time expired to take a 10-8 lead after the first 10 minutes. With the score tied at 10-all, back-to-back three pointers by Cook and Goldbach put Haverford ahead for the rest of the second quarter. The Fords went into halftime in front, 25-17. Berkel and Goldbach combined for 20 of Haverford's 25 points as the visitors held Vassar to just 25 percent from the floor (7-of-27) in the first 20 minutes of game action.
Haverford took its largest lead of the contest at 29-19 after a Berkel layup with 6:57 left in the third stanza. The Brewers responded with seven straight points over the next 67 seconds to get within three. This time, it was the Fords who went on a run, stretching their lead back to eight after a three-pointer by senior Olivia Walsh at the 2:04 mark. The back and forth battle continued as the home team went on a 7-0 spurt, cutting its deficit to one before a freshman Tori Hopkins' basket from beyond the arc with nine seconds to go set the score at 39-35 at the end of three quarters.
The road team kept Vassar at bay in the fourth quarter until the Brewers had an 8-2 outburst, leading to a Fords' timeout with 1:35 to go. On the first play after the stoppage, Berkel hit Goldbach for an open jumper to put Haverford in front by five as the clock ticked under a minute. Vassar missed a three-pointer on its next possession while Haverford made four free throws down the stretch to clinch the victory.
The Fords had 13 assists on 21 made baskets. Four different players for Haverford had at least two assists with Cook leading the team with five. Five players for head coach Bobbi Morgan's squad grabbed four rebounds or more. Sophomore Samantha Wetzel swatted three shots in the win.
Vassar's Samarah Cook, Medaille's Taina Graham and Mount Saint Vincent's Kelly Nola joined Berkel and Goldbach on the All-Tournament team.
Today's win was the program's first victory over Vassar since 1995 and second all-time. Haverford improves to 3-1 this season while Vassar drops to 1-2. The Fords will now take some time off before beginning Centennial Conference play at the Gooding '84 Arena on December 1st vs. Muhlenberg. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m.