HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (6-12, 3-10 CC) fell to visiting Ursinus (11-7, 7-6 CC) by a final score of 55-43 at Gooding Arena Thursday night. The Fords trailed by just one at halftime, but a big second-half spurt from the visitors helped the Bears secure victory, as Ursinus outscored the Fords 29-18 over the final 20 minutes.
Ally Landau led all scorers with 19 points, adding four rebounds. Siena Emuobor had a standout contest, adding 10 points and five rebounds. First-year Audrey Jakway added eight points, seven rebounds, and two assists. Gia Flamini notched five steals, five rebounds, and three assists.
Madison Smith was a standout for Ursinus, with 13 points and 11 rebounds for a double-double effort that also included five assists. Chinwe Irondi narrowly missed a double-double of her own, with 12 points and eight rebounds.
The visitors came out firing, frustrating Haverford early as a three from Smith with 6:43 remaining in the first opened up a 10-2 advantage for Ursinus. Landau ended the run with a triple, but Natalie Mehl made a pair at the free-throw line as Ursinus was up 12-5 with 4:59 to go in the opening period. Three consecutive points from Irondi put Ursinus up by 10 at 15-5, and Ava Possenti opened up an 18-15 lead with her triple in the waning moments of the frame.
Landau and Gia Flamini helped trim the lead down to just eight at the end of one, and Haverford continually whittled down the advantage in the second, with Flamini pouring in a three with 7:46 to go, as suddenly Haverford was back within just five. Landau then connected to put the Fords within a single possession, and later added back-to-back jumpers to pull back within just one with 3:13 to go as the run hit 11-2.
Audrey Jakway tied the score at 23-23 with her jumper with 2:13 to go before halftime, but Sarah DiLello connected from distance with under two minutes left before Jakway etched her name on the stat sheet once more with a jumper that came with 90 seconds left, reflecting the one-point deficit entering the intermission.
Smith buried a pair of key jumpers early in the second half, putting her squad up by three with 8:26 to go, and Mehl then connected from long range to open up a six-point cushion. Emuobor responded with a bucket, but Sarah DiLello and Smith opened up a nine-point lead at 39-30 with 3:59 left in the third. Kelly Grant converted from three-point distance to open up a double-digit lead at 43-32, and the Bears took an 11-point lead into the fourth.
A tidy 9-0 run in the fourth quarter was capped by an Emuobor jumper, as suddenly Haverford was right back in the contest, down by just two at 45-43 with 6:50 to play in regulation. Unfortunately for Haverford, those points would be their last of the evening as Ursinus closed out the game on a 10-0 run, with Kelly adding four from the charity stripe, wrapped around key buckets from Irondi and DiLello.
Ursinus held a 40-32 advantage on the glass and outshot the Fords 39.1 percent to 31.7 percent. The Bears hit seven three-pointers while holding Haverford to just a pair from beyond the arc.
Haverford was hosting its annual Play With Pride night, celebrating Haverford's LGBTQ+ community members and supporting advocacy by and for the LGBTQ+ community. Winter events continue this weekend as Squash and Track & Field will also host pride events.
Women's Basketball now returns to action on Saturday, heading out to Carlisle, Pennsylvania, for a matchup with Dickinson. The contest is slated to begin at 2 p.m. at the Kline Center and will be followed by the men taking on the Red Devils at approximately 4 p.m.