HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's basketball team fell to Franklin & Marshall College, 64-57, in Centennial Conference action Saturday afternoon at Gooding Arena. The Fords held a commanding 12-point lead during the first half, but F&M outscored the hosts 35-25 in the final 20 minutes.
Haverford (8-11, 5-9 CC) placed three players in double-figures. Nina Voith led the way with 15 points including a perfect 6-for-6 from the foul line. Dominique Meeks and Cara Wyant scored 14 points apiece. Meeks added 14 rebounds for a double-double while Wyant's point total was a career-high. Rachel Baskin scored just two points in the contest, but grabbed seven boards and swiped six steals.
The Fords started out hot, scoring the first six points of the game and extending the lead to 11-2 just three-and-a-half minutes into the game on a three-pointer by Victoria Sobocinski. F&M (11-8, 9-5) managed to get within four points just past the 12-minute mark, but the Fords quickly went back up by 10 after two Wyant free throws and a Voith layup. Two Voith free throws on Haverford's next possession gave the hosts a 12-point lead, its largest of the game, with 8:42 left.
The Diplomats responded with a 9-2 run to cut their deficit to 23-21 with 5:57 to play. Treys by Beth Holt and Elizabeth Snyder aided F&M. Haverford went back up by four, but a trey and a jumper by Megan Pauley on consecutive possessions gave F&M its first lead of the half, 27-25, with less than four minutes to go. Haverford took a three-point lead into halftime thanks to a 7-2 run to close the opening 20 minutes.
F&M scored the first six points of the second half to go ahead by two, 34-32. Haverford answered back, scoring the next three points with two Voith free throws at 14:22 giving HC its last lead of the game, 35-34. The game went scoreless over the next three minutes until a Snyder three broke the stalemate and put F&M in front for good.
A layup by Pauley with 7:46 showing gave F&M a seven-point lead, but Haverford did its best to whittle away the Diplomats advantage. Wyant buried a three to make it a three-point game, 45-42, near the five-minute mark. Needing a stop, the Fords, nearly got what they needed until Holt's desperation three from 30-feet out was nothing but net before the shot clock expired to put F&M up by six.
Haverford pulled within four on each of its next two possessions thanks to layups by Meeks, but could get no closer. The Diplomats made 14-of-16 free throws in the final two minutes to put the game away.
Alexa Barbush led all scorers with 19 points for F&M. Holt added 15 and dished out six assists while Pauley totaled 11 points.
Neither team shot particularly well from the field. F&M shot at a 37 percent clip while the Fords were at 32 percent. Haverford out rebounded the Diplomats, 43-34, but F&M scored 20 points off HC turnovers.
Haverford closes out its three-game homestand, hosting Washington College Wednesday evening at 6 p.m.