CARLISLE, Pa. - In its third game in five days, the Haverford College women's basketball team (10-5,7 -4 CC) completed another season series sweep, this time against Dickinson (5-8, 4-5 CC) Saturday afternoon at Kline Life/Sports Center in Carlisle. The Fords registered their third straight win, prevailing by a final score of 55-47 behind another 20 point performance from Ally Landau. The Fords walked away with a win without hitting a single three-point basket, scoring 36 of their 55 points in the paint on the afternoon.
Things got started quickly as Dickinson's Jennifer Kremp had it going from deep in the early goings, as she made three straight shots from the three-point line in the first seven minutes. Her final three of the quarter gave Dickinson a 13-8 lead. Haverford needed a spark to match the play of Dickinson. Fiona Flynn checked into the game at the three-minute mark providing back-to-back buckets and a successful free throw attempt. Before anyone could blink, Haverford now had the lead. The Fords battled back to take a 17-15 advantage to end the quarter, holding Dickinson scoreless for three minutes until a buzzer-beater from Jenna Weinstein in the final seconds of play.
If there is one person that the Fords are happy to have back in the rotation, it's Caroline Andersen. After being sidelined for the first half of the season, Andersen has seemingly hit her stride as her minutes continue to increase. In the matchup with Dickinson, the senior registered 25 minutes of action, her highest total of the season. She made every single minute count on Saturday. Andersen scored 14 points, her highest point total this year, and it was her aggressiveness in the paint that set the tone for the Fords. The senior shot eight free throws, knocking down six of them. Haverford shot 15-21 from the free-throw line, while Dickinson could only manage 8-20 from the charity stripe.
The Fords built a five-point lead in the second quarter after a pair of Andersen free throws. However, the Red Devils scored six unanswered after three-pointers from Caitlin Blackmon and Jenna Weinstein. After that, the game remained evenly matched, with each team taking turns in the lead. In the end, the game saw 12 lead changes and six ties. The first half ended with the game tied at 27, the second consecutive contests in which Haverford has been deadlocked with its opponent at the intermission.
The third quarter proved to be the difference maker. The stifling defense from Haverford, a unit that has given them the fourth-best defense in the country, held Dickinson to just five points in the stanza. Although the defense was performing well, the team still had to knock down its shots. Kayla Robinson got things started with a made layup, and then Landau followed that up with a sweet mid-range jumper to give the Fords a four-point lead. After a few made baskets, Robinson connected on another driving layup with four minutes left in the quarter. Robinson finished the game with a solid eight points and six rebounds. Cortlyn Morris made a lay-up with 38 seconds to go in the third, giving Haverford a six-point lead, its biggest lead of the game at the time. Morris finished the game with eight points and seven rebounds.
With the third quarter looking lopsided, Dickinson couldn't afford to trade baskets with Haverford, but that is exactly what happened down the stretch. Like the first quarter, the teams went back and forth with the fast-paced action, but Haverford held on. With four minutes remaining, Haverford led 47-35 after Landau and Andersen took turns getting whatever shot they wanted. Although the Red Devils fought hard in the final minute, Haverford closed the game out with efficient play calling and clock management.
Women's Basketball now gets their longest break in a week, with their next game scheduled for Wednesday, January 19, with a trip to Muhlenberg. The game is slated for 6 p.m in Allentown.