GETTYSBURG, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (4-8, 1-6 CC) was upended by host Gettysburg (9-3, 6-1 CC) Tuesday evening inside Bream Gym. The hosts used a 21-4 advantage in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 55-40 victory in the contest.
Ally Landau finished with a game-best 17 points and added eight rebounds to pace the Fords. First-years Audrey Jakway and Shae Mercer also each added seven points. All-American MacKenzie Szlosek was largely kept in check through three quarters for the hosts, but finished strong down the stretch for 14 points and seven rebounds to pace Gettysburg. Shinya Lee had a game-best 17 rebounds for the hosts.
Less than a minute into the game, Gia Flamini opened the scoring with a three-pointer from the corner, assisted by Siena Emuobor. Shortly after, Landau extended the lead to 6-0 with a successful long-range shot off the dribble. Haverford forced Gettysburg into turnovers and used a swarming defensive presence from the opening tip to come out aggressively.
Emuobor connected on a layup, contributing to the early spurt, and the Fords took an 8-3 lead. With under five minutes to play in the first quarter, Landau hit her second triple of the contest, pushing the Haverford lead to six at 11-5.
A Landau jumper later increased the lead to 13-5, as Haverford dominated early, limiting the Bullets to just 2-of-17 shooting in the first period and holding Gettysburg to just one point in the final 6:47 of the stanza.
Both teams faced shooting struggles at the start of the second half, but a successful second-chance opportunity from Audrey Jakway capped an 8-1 run, giving Haverford a 16-6 lead with 7:07 remaining in the second quarter.
Jakway and Landau each added buckets, and the teams headed into a timeout with the Fords holding a nine-point lead at 20-11 with 4:38 left in the first half. A quick 8-1 spurt for Gettysburg brought the hosts within just two with 2:46 remaining. The larger 11-3 run helped catapult the Bullets into thoughts of wrestling control, but a bucket from Shae Mercer restored a four-point lead. Landau beat the buzzer with a driving layup, sending the Fords into the break up by six.
In the third quarter, Gettysburg outscored the Fords 15-9, tying the game at 34-34 as the final seconds approached. Landau's triple and Flamini's layup set an early tone for Haverford after intermission, but the Bullets managed to stay competitive, thanks in part to the strong play of Alayna Arnolie and Emily Violante in the frame. Mercer beat the buzzer with a layup, restoring the Haverford lead heading into the final quarter.
The Bullets opened the fourth quarter with a 5-0 run, taking a 39-36 lead. However, Landau ended an almost four-minute scoreless stretch for the Fords with a long two-point jumper, narrowing the deficit to just one at 39-38. Unfortunately for the Fords, the Bullets then went on a 15-0 run, seizing full control down the stretch. Szlosek emerged from a sluggish start to be a force in that flurry, contributing nine points for her squad. Zoe Carlson interrupted the run with a layup with under a minute left, but Gettysburg was content to let the final moments tick off the clock.
Haverford now continues a busy three-game road swing with a trip to BiCo neighbor Bryn Mawr on Thursday evening. Tip-off with the Owls is set for 7 p.m. The contest serves as a prelude to Saturday's challenge in Baltimore, where Haverford will face a tough test against No. 11 Johns Hopkins at 1 p.m.