BALTIMORE – They met for the first time on January 11, 1994, and it wasn't a pretty outcome for the Haverford College women's basketball team as they lost to Johns Hopkins University by nearly 50 points.
Since then the Blue Jays have ruled the roost over the Fords…until Saturday afternoon when Haverford earned its first win over Hopkins with a 58-54 Centennial Conference victory ending a 21-game losing streak to the school in Baltimore.
Haverford (6-16, 4-14 CC) clamped down on defense in the second half and held Hopkins (12-9, 10-7 CC) to just 20 points off of a frigid 17 percent from the floor.
The Fords opened up an early 5-2 first half lead but it seemed as if history stepped in the way as the Blue Jays reeled off a 17-0 run over the next four-and-a-half minutes.
This is a different Haverford squad, though.
After Nina Voith sank a pair of free throws to end the Hopkins run, the Fords eventually took back the lead at 27-26 with a little more than four minutes remaining in the opening stanza.
The Blue Jays rallied to take a 34-30 lead into the locker rooms at the break but it was clear — this one might not be like all the others.
Trailing by six early in the second half the Fords clawed back until a Voith three-pointer put Haverford ahead by one. After five more lead changes she struck again from behind the arc to give Haverford a 50-47 lead.
In the past, this might be where the Blue Jays battled back, or the Fords faltered. But not today.
Hopkins climbed within one, 55-54, after two free throws by Monica Mitchell but Voith was clutch for her team once again sinking a jumper with 43 seconds remaining to stretch the lead back to three.
The Blue Jays gained possession and called a timeout with 16 seconds showing on the game clock, only a three-pointer away from tying the game, but a Victoria Sobocinski steal with eight ticks left forced Hopkins to foul.
Calla Miller sank the back-end of her two attempts from the line to ice the game and send Haverford to its historic win.
Voith ended up with a game-high 22 points and pulled down seven rebounds. Miller chipped in with 12 points, five assists and three steals while Dominique Meeks registered a game-high eight boards in the win.
KaraLea Follmer led Hopkins with 13 points and seven rebounds. The loss prevented the Blue Jays from clinching the final playoff spot for the postseason conference tournament.
Haverford will next turn their attention to Muhlenberg College who comes to Gooding Arena for a 6 p.m. league contest Wednesday evening. The Mules own a 35-game win streak over the Scarlet and Black but after Saturday, the 2009-10 Fords have proven that history doesn't always keep repeating itself.