HAVERFORD, Pa. – The Haverford College women's basketball team used a 22-7 run in the third quarter to run past visiting Franklin & Marshall, 59-39, on Thursday night at the Gooding '84 Arena. Haverford was paced by Sierra Berkel, who had 12 points and ten rebounds, posting her first double-double of the season and 15th overall as a member of the Fords. Freshman Anna-Sophia Capizzi came off the bench to pour in 12 points while Macy Goldbach added 11. Samantha Wetzel recorded three blocks. The Fords are now 3-3 on the season (2-1 Centennial) while Franklin & Marshall falls to 1-4 (1-2 Centennial).
Haverford fell behind 9-2 early, as the Diplomats started hot from the field. Capizzi hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 9-5 and the Fords used a Berkel layup and Capizzi's second trey of the night to cut the lead to 11-10 going into the first quarter intermission.
Sarah Haddon hit back-to-back buckets for the Diplomats wrapped around a Berkel jumper as Franklin & Marshall went up 15-12 in the early going of the second. Katie Cook hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 15-15 with just over seven minutes remaining in the half.
Haley Pilone responded with a three of her own to put F&M up 18-15, but Wetzel and Megan Furch hit shots to give the Fords a 19-18 advantage. The back-and-forth quarter continued with Sarah Pisani nailing a pair of free throws before Cook and Furch converted on jumpers. Sarosha Parsons scored the next four, giving the visitors a brief 24-23 advantage. Sierra Berkel hit a jumper in the final seconds of the half for a 25-24 Haverford lead at the break.
The Fords shot 37.9 percent to 32.1 percent for the Diplomats. Haverford was paced by Berkel and Capizzi at the half, with six points apiece. Pilone led all scorers at the half with eight points.
The third quarter belonged to Haverford, as the Fords quickly put the game out of Diplomatic reach. With 4:56 left in the half, Parson ended an 11-5 stretch with a jumper, cutting the lead to 36-31 in favor of the hosts. Franklin & Marshall would not score for the remainder of the quarter, as Wetzel hit a jumper ahead of a Goldbach layup, a bucket from Capizzi and a jumper off the bench from Amanda Quintero. Quintero completed a three-point play to give Haverford a 45-31 advantage and posted a layup off a turnover for a 47-31 lead through 30 minutes of action.
With 7:07 left in regulation, Alex Kane cut the Haverford lead to 49-34, but Goldbach hit four straight at the free throw line and Capizzi knocked down another three for a 58-35 lead with 2:30 left, putting the result of the contest out of question.
Pilone finished with ten to pace the Diplomats, who were felled by a cold shooting night (13-53) despite an even turnover margin.
Haverford will have little time to reflect on the win, as the Fords return to action on Saturday, December 3 with a non-conference home tilt upcoming against visiting Stevens. The game is slated for 1:00 p.m. at Gooding Arena.