Centennial Conference Championship Central
HAVERFORD, Pa. - After taking its Centennial Conference tournament journey on the road in the last two seasons, the Haverford College women's basketball team will stay in the friendly confines of Gooding '84 Arena on the Haverford campus for the 2020 iteration of the annual championships. With the number one seed wrapped up last week, Haverford will play in the first semifinal against fourth-seeded Dickinson (6 p.m.) in its ninth consecutive postseason appearance.
WEEKEND SCHEDULE
(all games at Gooding '84 Arena)
Friday, February 28 (semifinals)
#4 Dickinson (16-10, 13-7 CC) vs. #1 Haverford (21-4, 18-2 CC) (6 p.m.)
#2 Gettysburg (21-4, 17-3 CC) vs. #3 Johns Hopkins (17-8, 14-6 CC) (8 p.m.)
Saturday, February 29 (championship)
Semifinal winners (4 p.m.)
Tickets
Prices: $5 for adults, $3 youth 13-18, no charge for children 12 and under
*** Students from participating schools will be admitted free of charge if they present a valid school ID at the gate ***
AND HERE'S YOUR HOST...
For the third time in program history, and the second time in the last four seasons, Haverford will host the semifinal and final rounds of the CC tournament. Haverford enters the contest with a 21-4 overall record, and an 18-2 mark in Centennial play. Two wins in two days would assure the Fords of a second straight conference title and a third consecutive trip to the NCAA tournament, the fourth trip in program history (2019, 2018, 2014).
SCOUTING THE FORDS
Haveford has recorded its third consecutive 20 win season behind one of the strongest defensive presences in the entire nation. In the latest NCAA statistical release, the Fords rank as the fourth-best scoring defense, limiting opponents to a minuscule 45.9 points per contest. Haverford has also committed the second fewest personal fouls per game in Division III (10.8), and has amassed the 16th-most blocks (134). First year Cortlyn Morris has emerged as a force on the defensive end, with 56 total blocks to her ledger during her rookie campaign. Her 2.24 blocks per contest leads the Centennial and is 44th in the nation.
Offensively, four-time Centennial Conference Player of the Week Anna-Sophia Capizzi leads the Centennial Conference in points per game (19.3) while ranking first in three-point percentage (39.8) and second in field goal percentage (47.1). Capizzi has etched her name into the Haverford record books multiple times in her breakout senior campaign, as she became just the 10th player to reach 1,000 points with her 27-point night at Muhlenberg on February 12. The performance also broke the Haverford single-season record for three-pointers in a single season. In the regular season finale, Capizzi earned the Haverford program record for points in a single season. Capizzi moved past Claudette Pirwitz '96, who previously held the record with 475 points in the 1995-96 campaign.
Junior point guard Nyla Robinson has also had a breakout campaign in 2019-20, as she currently ranks first in the Centennial Conference in assists (85) and assists per game (3.4). Also a presence on the glass, she has tallied 116 total rebounds, emerging as an offensive rebounding specialist, with 62 of those caroms coming on the offensive end. Senior Megan Furch (10.3, 6.4 rpg) provides an intimidating post presence, ranking in the top 10 in the conference in rebounds per game, while Julianna Clark has been a key contributor in the back-court with a knack for big shots, hitting 58 three-pointers this season to help Haverford ice games down the stretch on multiple occasions. Senior forward Hannah Zoll has made 24 starts (3.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg), while junior guard Raina Gully has seen action in every game this season off the bench, connecting on five threes, making the most of her minutes. Other key reserves who figure to see action for Haverford include senior guard Maddie Gallic (seventh in program history in assists and blocks) as well as sophomores Caroline Andersen (3.4 ppg, 13 blocks) and Lauren Howard (1.2 ppg) and first year Kayla Robinson (1.8 ppg)
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Haverford faces a surging Dickinson team (16-10, 13-7 CC) on Friday evening, as the Red Devils have pulled right into the thick of the CC title discussion with seven straight wins since falling at Haverford on February 1. The Red Devils rank second in the conference in points per game (62.0) and are well balanced with the third-fewest turnovers per game (14.3) and the fourth-fewest points per game allowed (55.5) in the Centennial. Two Red Devils average double-figure scoring, as sophomore Kate Deutsch (11.3) and senior Emily Padalino (10.4) lead the charge Haverford has faced off with Dickinson once in postseason play, dropping the first-round contest in Carlisle in the 2015-16 season. Dickinson owns the all-time series edge, 25-18, but Haverford has won eight straight in the series, dating back to that aforementioned postseason matchup.
Gettysburg (21-4, 17-3 CC) is certainly no stranger to Gooding Arena or the CC tournament stage, as the Bullets have reached the final in each of the last three seasons and battled the Fords in each of those tournament editions. Gettysburg owns a 33-14 edge in the all-time series, but Haverford has won three of the last four, including the CC title game a season ago. After dropping their 2019-20 season opener to Messiah, Gettysburg rattled off a Centennial-record 19 games before Haverford upended the then-No. 16 Bullets at Bream Gym to tie for first place in the conference. Gettysburg is first in the conference in points per game (69.8), and field-goal percentage (46.3). Senior Ashley Gehrin (16.6 ppg) has done the bulk of the scoring for the Bullets, as she is the only player to average double-digit scoring.
Johns Hopkins (17-8, 14-6 CC) comes into its semifinal contest on a five-game win streak, having bested Haverford in the regular season finale to lock up the third seed. The Blue Jays are making their fourth consecutive appearance in the CC tournament after reaching the semifinals in each of the last two seasons. Haverford took a defensive battle in last season's semis, coming away with a 43-41 victory. Haverford is 2-2 all-time against JHU in postseason play, also capturing the 2014 title over the Blue Jays. Johns Hopkins is allowing just 50.6 points per game, the 12th-best scoring defense in Division III. Sophomore Diarra Oden (18.0 ppg) has been on a tear, as she currently has 432 points this season, the 12th-most in program history and ranks second to Capizzi in points per game in the conference.
FORDS RECEIVING VOTES IN THE NATIONAL POLLS
Women's basketball is receiving votes in both the latest D3Hoops.com and Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Poll. The national rankings are the last before the conference tournament season opens in earnest this week. The Fords enter the Centennial Conference tournament as the top seed after a 1-1 week to finish the regular season. Haverford grabbed a victory at home over rival Swarthmore, and then saw its program-record 11-game winning streak snapped at Johns Hopkins in the regular season finale despite a valiant comeback effort in the final moments.
HOW TO FOLLOW
For fans that can't make it to Gooding '84 Arena, live video and stats for each of the three sessions this weekend are available via CentennialConference.tv. Fans are also encouraged to visit HaverfordAthletics.com and @HCFords_Sports on twitter for updates throughout the tournament.
SELECTION MONDAY
After automatic bids to the national tournament for Division III are decided this week, the NCAA will announce the at-large teams and bracket on its selection show this coming Monday, March 2 at 2:30 p.m.. The NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Selection Show will be streamed live on NCAA.com.