HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team held visiting Johns Hopkins University to just nine points in the second half as it opened the Centennial Conference portion of the schedule with a resounding 58-39 victory over the Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
Facing a 30-27 deficit at intermission, the Fords (3-1, 1-0 CC) turned up the defense and outscored Johns Hopkins (1-3, 0-1) 31-9 over the final 20 minutes. After two free throws from Dominique Meeks at 15:43 cut the Haverford deficit to one (32-31), Elizabeth Lynch provided a spark from behind the arc just over a minute later that gave the Fords a lead (34-32) they would not relinquish.
Lynch's long-range bomb kicked off an 18-3 Haverford run that resulted in the Fords opening up a 14-point advantage (49-35) with a little over seven minutes remaining in the contest. Victoria Sobocinski, Jacquelyne Pizzuto and Lynch tallied two buckets apiece during the Haverford surge while Meeks chipped in with three steals to help silence the Blue Jays' offense.
The Fords continued to pour it on as a jumper by Rachel Baskin at 2:43 pushed the Haverford lead to 19.
Frustrated by the Fords' active zone, Johns Hopkins shot 17.4 percent in the second half. The Blue Jays managed just four field goals in 23 attempts against Haverford's trademark pressure defense which pestered Johns Hopkins into 26 turnovers on the night.
Nailing five of 10 three pointers in the second half, the Fords shot 37.7 percent from the field overall (23 of 61).
Sobocinski took game-high honors in points and rebounds with 15 and nine, respectively. The senior guard was active on both ends of the floor as she went 3 for 6 from behind the arc and corralled eight defensive rebounds. Pizzuto and Lynch added 11 points apiece to fuel the balanced attack. Meeks finished with nine points, six rebounds and five steals.
Alex Vassila led the Blue Jays with nine points and seven rebounds.
Haverford gets back into action a week from tonight as Bryn Mawr College comes to Gooding Arena on November 27. The Centennial contest begins at 7 p.m.