HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's basketball team nearly pulled off a comeback win over arch-rival Swarthmore College Wednesday evening, but fell, 56-52, in Centennial Conference action. The Fords clawed back from a 16-point second half deficit to get within two points with 46 seconds to play.
Calla Miller, Victoria Sobocinski and Nina Voith all finished the night with 11 points for Haverford (4-10, 2-8 CC). Voith grabbed 11 rebounds for a double-double and Dominique Meeks had 11 as well.
Ceylan Bodur scored a game-high 15 points for Swarthmore (7-8, 4-6 CC). Genny Pezzola totaled 12 points and was 3-for-3 from the arc. Kathryn Stockbower posted a double-double with 10 points and 15 rebounds, but the Fords held the Centennial Conference's leading scorer nine points under her season average.
Pamela Costello and Bodur hit three's on each of Swarthmore's first two possessions and Brittany Schmelz's jumper put the Garnet ahead, 8-0. The Fords responded with the next seven points. Sobocinski hit a three and Sara Cram intercepted a pass at mid-court and coasted in for a layup to cap off the run. After getting within a point Haverford went 7:01 without scoring, but the Garnet only scored four points in that span to keep it a five-point game.
Voith broke the scoreless streak with two free throws and hit a jumper on the next possession to make it 14-11. Swarthmore responded by draining three consecutive treys, two by Pezzola, to go up nine with 2:54 remaining. The Garnet held on to its nine-point lead going into halftime.
Swarthmore opened the second half on an 11-5 run to increase its lead to 15 points. With less than 12 minutes to go the Garnet led by 16, 47-31, but Haverford worked its way back into the contest thanks to a 20-4 run in the final eight minutes. Liz Mayell's jumper sparked the run that saw the Fords score on 11 straight possessions. Miller's trey with 3:37 left got it within nine and after a foul shot by Meeks and a layup by Sobocinski Haverford was within striking distance.
Haverford took advantage of Swarthmore turnovers on its next two possessions to get the score to 54-52. Meeks grabbed a rebound off her own missed shot and made a layup. At the other end of the floor Miller picked up a steal and went the length of the court for a layup to get within a basket. After a missed basket by Bodur, Haverford called timeout with 24 seconds left, but turned the ball over.
The Fords fouled Stockbower on the inbounds pass. She made her first free throw and missed the second, but Pezzola collected the long rebound and was fouled. After missing the first she sank the second to put the Garnet up four and the game out of reach with 12 ticks left on the clock.
Swarthmore held a 46-34 advantage on the glass. The Fords were cold from the foul line where they made just 9-of-21 on the night. Twenty of HC's 52 points came in the paint and the Fords scored 16 points off 21 Garnet turnovers.
The Scarlet and Black close out their four-game homestand hosting Franklin & Marshall College Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m.