HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (6-2, 3-2 CC) dropped a 59-50 decision to visiting Muhlenberg (7-0, 4-0 CC) on Wednesday night inside the Gooding '84 Arena. The Fords were paced offensively by Maddie Gallic with 14 points, as the junior led three of her teammates in double figures. Junior Anna-Sophia Capizzi added 11 points while senior Macy Goldbach again tallied in double figures, pouring in 10 to reach double-digit scoring for the eighth consecutive contest. Junior Megan Furch added nine points while grabbing a career-best 11 rebounds and a career-best five steals. Furch also recorded two blocked shots. Senior Katie Cook was a key distributor all night, with seven assists and two steals.
Haverford was limited to just 27.3 percent shooting in the first quarter by a stifling Muhlenberg defense, but the Fords shot 66.7 percent in the third and 42.9 percent in the fourth. Haverford finished the night outshooting the Mules 42.9 percent to 37.7 percent for the contest. The Mules found their advantage in the turnover margin, causing 18 turnovers and scoring 15 points off of those turnovers.
After both teams struggled to find offensive consistency in the initial minutes of the contest, Goldbach connected on a three-pointer with just under four minutes left in the first quarter for a 6-4 Haverford advantage. The 6-4 lead swiftly grew to 8-4 as Cook grabbed a steal and found first year Caroline Andersen down low for a quick layup.
From that point, Muhlenberg took command of the half. After both teams went scoreless for the first four minutes and change in the second period, Muhlenberg extended its total run to 15-0. Goldbach ended the spurt with a layup and Capizzi then finished a layup of her own that cut the Muhlenberg lead to just seven at 19-12. First year Lauren Howard drilled her first career three-pointer to cut Muhlenberg's advantage to 22-15 with under a minute left in the first half, and that margin would hold as the halftime score.
The offenses for both teams came alive in the third quarter as the 10-minute stanza featured 40 points. Gallic opened up the second half scoring with a trey, as the Fords found themselves down by just four at 22-18.
The Mules opened the lead back up to 11 with a Ny Thomas three giving the visitors a 30-19 advantage, but Capizzi knocked down a three to cut the lead to 36-30 with 1:54 to play in the period. Muhlenberg responded with back-to-back threes as the Mules lead hit 42-30. Goldbach had an answer to pull Haverford within nine at 42-33, but a Mules layup gave the visitors an 11-point lead entering the final stanza.
The Muhlenberg advantage would stretch to as many as 14 with 9:43 left in the fourth, as Ashley Polera connected from long range. The Fords stayed within striking distance in the waning moments, with a Furch jumper slicing the lead down to eight at 49-41 with 5:20 left in regulation. With 2:30 left, Capizzi sank a three-pointer to cut the Mules lead back down to seven yet again. Unfortunately, the Fords would get no closer than that seven point margin as Thomas was successful on a three-pointer on the other end to bring the momentum back on the side of the visitors with 2:07 to play.
The Fords will next return to action on Saturday, December 8 as the 2018 portion of the Centennial Conference slate wraps up with a matchup at Washington College. Game time is slated for 3 p.m. in Chestertown, Md.
Fans will also still have one last chance to catch the Fords at Gooding '84 Arena this calendar year, as Haverford hosts Eastern at 1 p.m. on Saturday, December 15, before breaking for the winter holiday recess.