ASTON, Pa. – The Haverford College women's basketball team (2-3) fell to the Neumann Knights (4-1) of the Atlantic East Conference in a non-conference matchup on Thursday evening by a score of 59-51. The game was played under the bright lights of the Mirenda Center on the campus of Neumann University.
Neumann came out firing, quickly building an 11-2 lead that prompted a Haverford timeout at the 6:25 mark of the opening quarter. The Knights were red-hot, shooting 5-of-6 from the field, including a three-pointer. However, after a triple from Neumann's Lauren Klieber extended the lead to 14-2, Haverford began to rally. The Fords closed out the quarter with a 12-6 run, hitting 4-of-9 shots from the field. Caroline Orza connected on two of her three attempts from beyond the arc, cutting the deficit to 20-14 as the first quarter ended.
Orza's jump shot to open the second quarter brought Haverford within four, 20-16, but Neumann quickly regained control, extending the lead to 25-16 with 7:59 left in the half. Both teams then struggled offensively, combining for a 3-for-15 shooting stretch. By halftime, Neumann held a 27-22 advantage, with a late basket from Cayla Menicola trimming the gap.
At the break, Klieber led all players with 10 points, while Orza paced the Fords with eight. Neumann capitalized on Haverford's eight first-half turnovers, outscoring the Fords 9-2 in points off turnovers.
The third quarter was a back-and-forth affair. Haverford outscored Neumann 10-6 in the first 6:41 of the period, cutting the Knights' lead to 33-32 with 2:33 remaining. During the stretch, Orza contributed four points, while Audrey Jakway, Siena Emuobor, and Brianna Feifer also chipped in. Neumann responded with consecutive inside buckets and four free throws, stretching their lead back to five to 41-36. Haverford ended the quarter on a high note, as Feifer drained a deep three-pointer to close the gap to just a single bucket at 41-39 heading into the final period.
Neumann seized momentum early in the fourth quarter, opening with a 6-2 run to extend their lead to 47-41. Despite a spirited effort from the Fords, the Knights maintained a consistent seven-point buffer throughout much of the quarter. Late baskets from Jakway and Abby Ryan brought Haverford within striking distance at 53-46, but Neumann sealed the win at the free-throw line, securing the 59-51 victory.
Despite the loss, Haverford had two players record double-doubles on Thursday. Orza tallied a team-high 17 points and 10 rebounds, while Jakway contributed 11 points and pulled down 13 boards. On the Neumann side, Klieber delivered a game-high 24 points, with Emily Dupont adding 18. The Knights claimed the eight-point victory by excelling in points off turnovers (14-2) and converting 12 free throws compared to Haverford's seven.
Following the hard-fought contest, the Fords return to Gooding '84 Arena for their next matchup on Saturday, November 23. They will host local rival Rosemont in a non-conference tilt, with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m. in the first game of a doubleheader that also sees the men's team taking on Lancaster Bible at 3 p.m.