HAVERFORD, Pa. - Shannon Smith scored a career-high 14 points and the Haverford College women's basketball team placed three players in double figures but it wasn't enough as visiting McDaniel College edged the Fords in overtime, 69-63, on Saturday afternoon in Centennial Conference action at Gooding Arena.
Headed to the Centennial tournament for the third consecutive season, Haverford (17-3, 11-3 CC) entered the contest looking for its eighth straight win over the Green Terror (15-5, 10-4).
The Fords found their range quickly as they shot over 63 percent from the field in the first eight-plus minutes of play including a 2-for-3 effort from behind the arc.
Senior Hope Rainey's wing jumper at the 11:16 mark capped off a 10-0 run by Haverford that gave the Fords an 18-12 lead.
A three-pointer from Steph Perez tied the score at 22-22 at 5:40 but Haverford hit three three-pointers of their own over the remainder of first-half action that resulted in a four-point lead (31-27) for the hosts at the break.
The two teams combined for nine three-pointers in the opening 20 minutes. Five different Fords delivered from behind the arc while Perez kept the Green Terror close with four from long range.
After the third deadlock of the night (31-31), Jacquelyne Pizzuto drove the lane for back-to-back buckets. Pizzuto's layups were the beginning of a 15-5 surge. Smith capped the run with her third basket of the half at the 8:50 mark that gave Haverford a double-digit lead for the first time in the game.
The Fords extended their lead to 12 on a basket by Rachel Baskin with just under six minutes remaining on the clock before McDaniel rallied to tie the score at 56-56 on a jumper by Lindsey Nichols with 18 seconds to go in regulation.
After a Haverford timeout, Pizzuto came off an Elizabeth Lynch screen looking to give her squad its ninth home victory of the season but the junior's jumper was just off target and the two teams headed to overtime.
The Fords went cold from the field in the extra session as they came up empty on their first six field-goal attempts.
Nichols gave the Green Terror a three-point lead on a layup at the one-minute mark and Pizzuto tried to answer with her second-three of the night but it fell short. McDaniel managed to grab the defensive rebound which forced Haverford to foul. The Green Terror then went on to sink four free throws in the final 46 seconds to claim the victory.
Smith tallied all of her 14 points after intermission. The junior center also registered seven rebounds and five blocks. Pizzuto and Lynch chipped in with 11 points each while Cara Wyant added nine points. Baskin scored six points to go along with a team-high 10 rebounds.
Perez and Nichols shared game-high scoring honors with 18 points apiece to pace McDaniel. Emma Wingerd registered a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds.
Seniors Rainey, Baskin, Wyant and Nina Voith were honored before the contest. The quartet will graduate as the winningest class in program history.
Haverford heads to Washington College on Wednesday for a 6 p.m. conference contest against the Shorewomen (7-13, 6-8).