BEREA, Ohio - A historic season for the Haverford women's basketball team (23-5) came to a close in the NCAA Tournament First Round on Friday night, as the Fords fell to host No. 9 Baldwin Wallace (27-2) by a final score of 67-42 at Ursprung Gymnasium.
Megan Furch had 16 points to lead Haverford, while Centennial Conference Player of the Year Anna-Sophia Capizzi added 11 points and a game-best six rebounds. First year Cortlyn Morris poured in seven points and pulled down four rebounds. The Fords outscored Baldwin Wallace 18-11 in the final quarter, and excelled at the free-throw line all night long, shooting 94.1 percent from the line (16-17), the third-best single-game showing from the charity stripe in program history.
The Yellow Jackets began the contest on a 26-6 run, stifling the Haverford offense and forcing 10 turnovers in a dominant first stanza. Haverford could not overcome that early deficit, as Baldwin Wallace connected on an impressive 51.7 percent of its shots in the first half, including four three-pointers, to build a sizable intermission lead. Defensively, Baldwin Wallace held Haverford without a three-pointer for the first time since the 2011-12 season.
Furch single handedly helped the Fords on a 9-4 run to begin the fourth quarter, pouring in a layup with six minutes remaining in regulation to get Haverford within 29 points. The senior forward added 12 of her 16 during the final period. The contest was the 110th of Furch's career at Haverford, as she became the program's all-time career games played leader, eclipsing Katie Cook '19 with the postseason start.
Riley Schill had 14 points for the hosts, leading three Yellow Jackets in double figures. Lily Edwards came off the bench for 13 points in just 13 minutes, adding five rebounds to her ledger.
The thrilling 2019-20 campaign is now concluded as the Fords again put together one of the most exhilarating and memorable seasons in program history. The run included a dominant regular season that featured 18 conference wins and an 11-game win streak, as well as a postseason journey that culminated in a third consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and a second straight Centennial Conference title. While replacing the production and leadership of all-conference seniors Capizzi and Furch will be a tough task, a strong group of returning leaders and talented young players look poised to once again bring Haverford to new heights in 2020-21.
