LANCASTER, Pa. – The Haverford College women's basketball team won its sixth straight game to open the 2017-18 season, coming from behind to dispatch Franklin & Marshall, 67-55, at the Mayser Center on Thursday night. Haverford outscored the Diplomats 39-22 in the second half to claim victory after trailing by as many as 14 in the second quarter. The Fords made 27 of 33 free throws, the most free throws converted in a single contest for Haverford since the Fords made 29 against Washington College during the the 2015-16 season.
Sierra Berkel came off the bench to contribute a double-double (15 points, 13 rebounds) while Samantha Wetzel added a team-high 16 points and tallied four blocks. Haverford improves to 6-0 on the season (3-0 CC) while Franklin & Marshall is now 3-2 (1-2 CC). The Fords are now just two wins away from matching the best start in program history, the 8-0 mark of the 2013-14 squad that captured the Centennial Conference title en route to a berth in the second round of the NCAA tournament.
A sluggish start saw Haverford shoot just 14.3 percent in the opening quarter, with Wetzel contributing all four of the Haverford points from the field. The Diplomats took an eight point lead at 19-11 to end the stanza.
A Sarosha Parsons three-pointer with 9:17 left in the second quarter gave the Diplomats an 11 point lead and Haley Pilone drained one from beyond the arc as the Fords trailed by 14 with 5:21 left in the first half.
After calling a timeout to regroup, the Fords embarked on a 13-4 run, trailing by just five at 33-28 heading into the intermission.
The hot streak continued into the second half, as Maddie Gallic tied the score at 35-35 with 7:43 remaining in the third quarter. Parsons gave the Diplomats a slim lead at 40-37 before Anna-Sophia Capizzi drained a three to tie the score at 40-40.
Berkel and Gallic each converted layups as Haverford went ahead 46-42 before Macy Goldbach hit a trey for a five-point Haverford lead at 49-44 with 1:26 to play in the third. Raina Gully hit both her free throws in the waning seconds of the period as the Fords pulled to a seven point lead entering the final quarter.
Kristin Hamill cut the Haverford lead to five at 53-48 with 7:54 left in regulation, but a 10-2 run gave the Fords some breathing room, up 62-50 with 2:40 left to play.
As was the theme all night, Haverford excelled from the free throw line in the late stages of the contest. Haverford made 27 of 33 free throws (81.8%), helping to make up for a 4-22 night from beyond the arc. Berkel (9) and Gallic (7) set new career highs in free throws made while Gully added four points, all from the charity stripe. Gallic finished in double figures with 12 points while Katie Cook matched a season high with six assists.
Hamil had a game-high 20 points while Parsons added a double-double (14 points, 10 rebounds) in a losing effort for the Diplomats.
Haverford has now won each of the past 11 matchups with the Diplomats, a mark that dates back to the 2012-2013 campaign.
The Fords return to action on Saturday, December 2 at Stevens. Tip-off is slated for 6 p.m in Hoboken, N.J. as the Fords embark on their first trip out of Pennsylvania this season. Last season, Haverford hosted the Ducks, winning 56-49 in the first ever matchup between the two programs.