HAVERFORD, Pa. – It was a wire-to-wire victory Tuesday evening with a strong defensive showing from the Haverford College women's basketball team as the Fords claimed a 50-32 Centennial Conference victory inside the Gooding '84 Arena against the visiting Franklin & Marshall Diplomats. The Fords (8-4, 3-2 CC) have now won five of their last six contests with their three most recent triumphs all coming in conference action.
Sierra Berkel's double-double of 15 points and 12 rebounds paced Haverford's win. Olivia Walsh also reached double figures with 12 points. Samantha Wetzel had a strong showing with with seven points and nine rebounds, while Katie Cook had a balanced evening of six points, four rebounds and four assists. The Diplomats scored 18 of their 32 points from beyond the arc on the evening. Leading the F&M offense from three-point land was Haley Pilone as she scored 15 of her team-high 17 points from distance.
Haverford got the night off to a great start with an 8-0 run just 2:17 into game action. The duo of Walsh and Cook teamed up for a pair of three-pointers on the first two offensive possessions with each assisting on the other's three-point basket. Two more points from Berkel at the free throw line made it 8-0 before the Diplomats first cracked the scoreboard with nearly three minutes gone by.
The Fords built their lead all the way up to 11 in the opening half with the final five points of the quarter. A layup from Tori Hopkins and free throw from Wetzel made it 16-5 after 10 minutes. Franklin & Marshall closed the game to just a six point margin with the first five points of the second quarter. However, Haverford regained a double-digit edge as Berkel found two points in the paint to double up the Diplomats for the time being, 20-10. The Fords went on to carry a 22-15 edge into the locker room.
Coming out of the break, Haverford continued to extend its lead with a 13-6 advantage in the third quarter. The Fords allowed just two points in the final 5:54 of the third and closed that quarter with back-to-back jump shots to hold a 35-21 edge with 10 minutes left in regulation time.
The final quarter also saw Haverford's defense shine as the Fords led 38-25 before allowing just one basketball from the field in the final 7:44 of the stanza. That seven-plus minute stretch saw Haverford grow its lead to a game-high 22 points on two separate occasions. The Fords would eventually put the finishing touches on their 18-point conference victory with a 50-32 final.
Haverford's defense held Franklin & Marshall to just over 18 percent shooting on the evening. The Fords shot just shy of 38 percent for the contest and matched the Diplomats with six three-pointers on the night. The hosts also added 10 points at the free-throw line.
In a busy week for the Fords that will see them play three games in the span of five days, Haverford will trek to McDaniel on Thursday for a 6 p.m. tip with the men's matchup to follow at 8 p.m. Women's basketball will return to the Gooding '84 Arena this Saturday for its second meeting of the season with Dickinson.