HAVERFORD, Pa. - Defense was the word of the night for the Haverford College women's basketball team Tuesday as it clamped down in the second half of a home contest against Dickinson College to register a 53-44 Centennial Conference victory.

The Fords (8-3, 4-3 CC) pressured the Red Devils (2-10, 2-5 CC) into 29 percent shooting from the field for the game and a staggering 11 percent from the field (2-of-19) in the pivotal second half.   

A tight battle ensued in the first half as Dickinson took a slim lead early before Hope Rainey's jumper at the 13:55 mark gave the Fords their first lead of the night at 11-9. The next seven minutes saw the game tied up on several occasions before Dominique Meeks' bucket with 6:13 left in the half put Haverford up for good. An Elizabeth Lynch three pointer just under a minute later would stretch the Fords' advantage to five, 22-17, but Haverford enjoyed only a narrow lead at the break, 26-24.

Lynch's three pointer five minutes into the second half capped a 9-4 run for Haverford and extended its lead to 35-28. The Fords held Dickinson to just eight points over the next eight minutes to keep the Red Devils at arm's length. Dickinson cut the score to 46-40 with 3:44 remaining but Haverford's defense once again stood tall while it closed out the victory. 

Meeks, once again, paced Haverford with 12 points, six rebounds, and four steals. The supporting cast was plentiful as Lynch, Calla Miller, and Jacquelyne Pizzuto finished with nine points apiece. Miller added eight rebounds, including six in the defensive end, to lead the Fords. Pizzuto did her part defensively as well with a career-high four steals. 

Dickinson's Belma Mekic led all scorers with 13 points. Bridget Borgese and Dana Walsh both pulled down seven rebounds for the Red Devils.

Next up for Haverford is a Centennial road contest at McDaniel College on Thursday night. Game time is scheduled for 6 p.m.