PHILADELPHIA - The Haverford College women's basketball team (14-5) faced off with a Division I opponent for the first time in program history on Sunday afternoon inside the historic Palestra on the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Penn (11-3), the 13th-ranked squad in the Division I Mid Major Top 25 poll, took the contest by a final of 81-46, in front of 734 fans.
Junior Maddie Gallic notched eight rebounds and five assists. Haverford shot nearly 40 percent in the contest, including a 4-16 mark from three-point range, fighting for open looks and creating opportunities against the Quakers, one of the top defensive teams in all of Division I. Penn limits opponents to just over 50 points a game, the third-best mark in the division.
Haverford was paced by junior Megan Furch, who poured in 16 points, and senior Macy Goldbach, who added 15, including four three-pointers. Goldbach, playing just 30 minutes from her hometown of Garnet Valley, Pa., found her rhythm from distance, keeping Haverford within striking distance in the second.
The Fords began to find their offensive game in the second quarter, with Furch finishing a runner and Goldbach converting on her first three of the afternoon, as Haverford cut the Penn lead to 28-12. Goldbach's second three of the stanza trimmed the Penn lead to 32-17 and Furch later connected on a jumper, cutting the Penn lead to just 13 at 32-19. Sophomore Julianna Clark and junior Hannah Zoll both scored in the final minute of the half, and Haverford headed into the intermission down 49-25.
In the third, Goldbach knocked down another triple, as Haverford tabbed its 30th point of the contest. Junior Anna-Sophia Capizzi got on the scoreboard with a layup that came with 30 seconds left in the period.
With 9:46 remaining in the contest, Goldbach again connected from three-point range, and Furch found a bucket on a layup with 7:23 to play. Clark also connected on a mid-range jumper in the waning minutes of action Clark finished with four points, and added a steal as well as a block. Sophomore Nyla Robinson notched three rebounds on the afternoon.
Goldbach has now compiled double-digit scoring in 16 of 19 games this season. Furch also tallied a double-digit scoring effort for the fifth consecutive game. She set her career-high with eight field goals made in the contest.
Penn's Eleah Parker had a game-best 21 points and eight rebounds, adding three blocks. The contest was the first for a Haverford side at the Palestra since the men's team played against Ursinus inside the "Cathedral of College Basketball" in 1998.
The Fords will return to action on Wednesday, January 30 at 6:00 p.m. as Haverford welcomes Ursinus to Gooding '84 Arena. The contest will be followed by the Haverford men taking on the Bears at 8 p.m.
A busy week for the Fords continues with Haverford taking on Dickinson on Senior Day inside Gooding Arena on February 2. That contest is slated for 1 p.m as Haverford will honor seniors Goldbach, Katie Cook, Emily O'Sullivan, and Ali Weiner.
