LANCASTER, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (11-4, 7-4 CC) took home a 62-56 victory over host Franklin & Marshall (8-8, 5-6 CC) on Saturday afternoon inside the Mayser Center. Anna-Sophia Capizzi led the Fords with 16 points, while Macy Goldbach poured in 14, including four three-pointers. Megan Furch added 10 points.
With her four three-pointers on the afternoon, Goldbach passed Caitie Kimura '04 for three-point field goals in a Haverford career with 147.
Haverford forced 21 turnovers and scored 26 points off of those turnovers, routinely pressuring the Diplomats and turning defense into offense. Capizzi and Goldbach combined for five steals, helping to key that swarming effort. The transition game excelled as the Fords added eight fast-break points on the afternoon.
The Fords sprinted out on a 13-2 run after the Diplomats got out to a 4-0 lead to begin the game. Goldbach, Furch, and Capizzi contributed to the scoring in the stretch, as a jumper from Goldbach prompted an early 30-second timeout by the Diplomats bench. With 2:06 remaining in the first quarter, Hannah Zoll knocked down a trey from the top of the key, giving Haverford a nine point lead at 16-7. A full court press as well as a stifling defense effort in the paint for the Fords created havoc for Franklin & Marshall, as the Fords forced seven turnovers in the early goings, allowing just nine points in the first period.
A sluggish second quarter saw both teams struggle for offensive rhythm. The Diplomats took advantage of the erratic pace, with a Haley Pilone three-pointer cutting the Haverford lead to five before Lindsey Powers converted on a jumper, cutting the lead to just one possession. Haverford continue to prove its mettle in transition, with Capizzi finishing a three-point play to give Haverford a nine point lead with just over three minutes remaining in the half. The lead hit 10 as the Goldbach drained a trey with 1:28 to play before intermission.
Franklin & Marshall was able to cut the Haverford lead to just seven into the final minutes of the third quarter, but the Fords found themselves up by 11 heading into the fourth as Julianna Clark and Maddie Gallic keyed a 4-0 spurt to close out the penultimate period.
The Fords led by a game-high 14 with 7:31 remaining in the game, but the Diplomats were determined to chip away at the lead. A Kristin Hamil layup with 3:13 trimmed the advantage back to single digits, and Pilone drained a three-pointer to cut the lead to six. With 1:20 remaining, Kristin Hamil went coast-to-coast for a layup, and suddenly Franklin & Marshall was down by just four.
Haverford was able to outlast the challenge from the hosts, with Gallic hitting a pair of free-throws to extend the Haverford lead to six with 36 seconds to play. A Gallic steal on the ensuing possession allowed Katie Cook to further stretch the cushion to eight with 28 seconds to play, effectively ending the Franklin & Marshall comeback bid.
Furch took over offensively in the fourth quarter, scoring six of her 10 points in the final stanza. Gallic added eight points on the afternoon to four rebounds. Hannah Zoll had five points and five rebounds in a well-rounded effort off the bench.
The Diplomats ran their offense through the front court, with Kenna Williams (12 points, 10 rebounds) and Kristin Hamill (20 points, 10 rebounds) each tallying double-doubles in a losing effort. Haley Pilone scored 13, aided by three buckets from beyond the arc.
The Fords return to action hosting Washington College on Tuesday, January 22. The game is slated to begin at 7 p.m. inside Gooding '84 Arena. Haverford has won the last 12 meetings with the Shorewomen, a streak that dates back to the 2012-13 season.