Skip to navigation Skip to content Skip to footer

Late Comeback Falls Short As Women's Basketball Is Upended By DeSales, 66-58

Late Comeback Falls Short As Women's Basketball Is Upended By DeSales, 66-58

CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – Despite a valiant fourth-quarter comeback, the Haverford College women's basketball team fell 66-58, to the DeSales University Bulldogs on Saturday in the first game of the Morgan Stanley/Easton Tip-Off Tournament at Billera Hall.  Haverford now sits at 0-2 on the young season while DeSales pulls to 2-0 with the victory. For the second straight contest, Haverford outscored its opponents in the second half, holding a 34-33 advantage in the final 20 minutes. 

Haverford was led by junior Samantha Wetzel, who narrowly missed a double-double, posting 14 points and nine rebounds to go with three blocks. Macy Goldbach added 14 points for a second-straight double-digit scoring output. Sierra Berkel poured in nine points while Tori Hopkins registered a career-high six assists.

DeSales was up by nine at the half 33-24, with the Fords holding tough with DeSales in the first quarter. Haverford went ahead 10-7 after Berkel completed a three-point play. Amanda Quintero, who had a career-best five points, hit a pair of free throws to cut the margin to just one in favor of the hosts early.

DeSales stretched the lead back to eight with a 7-0 run, but a Berkel free-throw ended the scoreless stretch for Haverford. The Fords clawed to within three at 22-19 after a Wetzel jumper but another 7-0 DeSales run had the Fords down 29-19 late in the first half. Macy Goldbach hit a three-pointer as time expired on the shot clock in the final seconds of the period, pulling the score to within nine going into the halftime intermission.

DeSales came out hot in the third period, starting the third on a 9-0 run and later stretching the advantage to as many as 21 at 49-28 after a Melissa Rikens layup with 4:39 left in the half. Undaunted, the Fords finished the quarter on a huge 14-2 run, keyed by Wetzel, Goldbach, Hopkins, Quintero and freshman Megan Furch. The hot stretch was topped off by a Katie Cook three at the end of the quarter to put the Fords down to just the original nine-point halftime deficit.

In the early stages of the fourth, Rickens nailed a jumper to set the advantage to 11 at 53-42 in favor of DeSales, but the Fords chipped away. Wetzel cut the lead back to nine at 53-44 and after a Berkel jumper was good with just over five minutes left to play, Haverford found themselves down just seven. Freshman Anna-Sophia Capizzi got into the action with a layup at the 3:23 mark to again restore a seven point deficit, leading to a DeSales timeout. Capizzi had back-to-back baskets for the Fords, drilling a three-pointer with 1:35 left in the contest to send the Fords bench into frenzy with the visitors down just four.  

On the next host possession, Haverford fouled and Morgan McCollian hit both her free throws. After a fruitless Fords possession, Leandra Stemer hit one of two for DeSales as the Bulldogs went up seven. After Nikki Callahan was fouled, going to the line and hitting two with just eight seconds left, Goldbach hit a desperation three to pull within six. DeSales was able to ice the contest at the free throw line, escaping with a home win.

For DeSales, McCollian and Sterner (17) led all scorers while Morgan Birmelin had a game-high seven assists. Callahan matched Wetzel with three blocks. DeSales shot 41.4% from the field compared to 38.1% for Haverford.

Haverford will return to action tomorrow with a 2:00 p.m. tipoff in the consolation game of the Morgan Stanley/Easton Tip-Off Tournament against the loser of St. Vincent and William Patterson, as the pair were slated to play in a late afternoon contest in Center Valley. Haverford opens the home and conference slates on Tuesday, November 22 against Ursinus College.