ST. DAVID'S Pa. – The Haverford College women's basketball team fought back from an eight-point deficit early in the second half to go ahead by three with less than three and-a-half minutes remaining, but ultimately fell to Eastern University, 57-51, Monday evening
Nina Voith was the only Haverford (3-8) player in double-figures, leading all scorers with 20 points. Voith was 6-for-7 from the foul line and grabbed eight rebounds. Sara Cram had a game-high 10 boards and five steals on the night.
Eastern's (5-5) Bekah Roland scored 13 points and Jeriah Garton added 10. Joelle DeCarlo came off the bench, scoring 12 points all in the second half. Thanks in large part to DeCarlo and Sam Weaver's eight points the Eagles bench accounted for 27 points.
The first half saw just two baskets scored nearly six minutes in and both teams hovered around the 30 percent mark from the field. An 11-4 Eagles run put them ahead, 13-7, but Haverford responded by scoring the next six points and tied the score on a three by Victoria Sobocinski. Sobocinski connected on three free throws on the next possession and Voith followed with a jumper to put HC on top by five. Eastern closed the half on an 11-3 run for a 24-21 halftime advantage.
A three-point play and a layup by DeCarlo gave Eastern its largest lead of the game, 33-25, as the game approached the 14-minute mark. The Fords promptly responded with a 15-4 run to take their first lead of the half. A three-point play by Voith made it a one possession game. After an Eastern basket Liz Mayell drained a three and Voith hit a layup on the ensuing possession for a 38-37 lead.
Haverford still held a two-point lead with less than six minutes to play, but Lori Wileczek's jumper tied the score at 41-all. From that point the game saw four lead changes and one tied score over the next four minutes. The Fords took their last lead on a jumper by Voith with 1:52 left. A jumper by Garton gave Eastern the lead, 50-49, and a Haverford turnover put the Eagles in the driver's seat. Roland completed a three-point play with 51 ticks left that put Eastern up by four.
Forced to foul, the Fords sent Eastern to the line where it made 4-of-6 in the final 30 seconds. Voith made it a three-point game with two free throws, but the Fords fouled on the inbound and could never get any closer.
The Fords return home for the first time in over a month when they host Johns Hopkins University in a doubleheader. The men host the Blue Jays at 4 p.m. followed by the women at 6 p.m.