BALTIMORE – The Haverford College women's basketball team fell 62-58 at Johns Hopkins despite a valiant fourth quarter comeback effort. The Fords saw three key offensive players register double-digit scoring totals as Samantha Wetzel paced the team with 17 points and 12 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season.
Sierra Berkel chipped in 14 points for her seventh consecutive game scoring in double figures while Macy Goldbach helped key the comeback with 14 points, including a trio of three pointers. Haverford falls to 10-3 on the season (7-2 CC) while Johns Hopkins is now 8-6 overall and holds the same 7-2 mark in Centennial Conference play.
The Fords fell behind 15-5 in the first quarter, clawing back to trail by just four at 17-13 at the end of the first 10 minutes of play. Wetzel contributed six points in an 12-2 run as the Fords tied the score at 17-17 with a Katie Cook layup.The Blue Jays stretched their lead to seven with a Maggie Spritzer layup that saw the hosts go ahead 30-20, but Cook responded with a made three with 2:06 remaining in the half. The Fords headed to the intermission in an uncharacteristic position down six points.
An 8-0 run that began late in the first half quickly erased the Johns Hopkins advantage, as the two teams were tied at 34-34. A 7-0 run for the Blue Jays helped regain a cushion for the hosts, as a Sophia Way three-pointer and a Lexie Scholtz layup provided a flourish for Johns Hopkins. A Rorie Cole layup at 8:31 of the fourth quarter gave Johns Hopkins its largest lead at 49-38, but Macy Goldbach fired up the Haverford bench with a pair of emphatic three-pointers that cut the lead to just five at 49-44.
Samantha Wetzel hit a jumper to clip the Blue Jay advantage to just a single possession at 49-46.Madison McGrath responded with a conversion from beyond the arc on the other end, but Megan Furch battled for a layup that put the Fords down four at 52-48 with 5:04 to play. With 3:06 remaining, Scholtz finished a runner for a 10 point cushion at 58-48, but Haverford still had designs on a comeback win.
A Wetzel jumper and a Goldbach layup were followed by a three-pointer from Goldbach that yet again cut the lead to just three at 58-55 with 1:34 to play. The Fords cut the lead down to three again in the final seconds, with Wetzel drilling a three, but Lillian Scott made one of her two free throws following a foul on the inbounds, allowing Johns Hopkins to escape with a 62-58 win in a game where they were tested almost constantly but held the lead wire-to-wire.
The Fords will be back in action on Monday at p.m. against Immaculata as the Fords head to Malvern to play a non-conference contest with the Mighty Macs for the fifth consecutive season.