HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College women's basketball team (5-5) set a program record with a 57.6% field goal percentage to defeat the visiting Gallaudet Bison (3-8) by a score of 83-54 at Gooding '84 Arena on Saturday afternoon. It was a historic day for the Fords, who also recorded the second-best three-point percentage (56.3%) and the sixth-most points (83) in program history.
After a back-and-forth start to the contest, Haverford began to pull away in the middle of the first quarter, leading the visitors 16-6 with 4:45 remaining. Caroline Orza got off to a hot start, scoring six of her game-high 25 points in the first five minutes of action. The Fords also received significant offensive contributions from Brianna Feifer and Audrey Jakway, who each scored four points during the run. After a 30-second timeout by the Bison, the visitors went bucket-for-bucket with the Scarlet and Black, but the hosts edged them 12-10 to end the opening quarter with a 28-16 lead. After a high-scoring first 10 minutes, Orza led all scorers with 10 points, while Cam Lexow of Gallaudet contributed seven points.
The Fords came out strong in the second quarter as three-pointers from Shae Mercer, Feifer, and Orza fueled a 9-6 scoring run, extending the lead to 37-22 with 7:11 remaining. Both teams continued to jockey for position throughout the period, but Haverford outscored the opposition 9-4 to push its lead to 46-26 with 3:30 left in the half. The Fords closed the quarter on a 10-5 run, taking a 56-31 lead into the break. Mercer's quarter-high 12 points highlighted Haverford's dominance, as the team entered halftime with a comfortable 25-point advantage.
At the half, Haverford had three players in double figures: Orza led all scorers with 18 points, while Feifer and Mercer each added 12. The Fords shot an impressive 66.7% from the field in the opening half and connected on 72.7% of their three-point attempts.
Haverford opened the second half with an 8-3 scoring run, prompting a Gallaudet timeout with 6:10 remaining in the third quarter. Orza continued to find the basket, scoring four of the first eight points, while Jakway and Cayla Menicola each added two. The remainder of the third quarter was more evenly contested, but the Fords' consistent shooting allowed them to narrowly outscore the Bison 9-8 and close the period with a 73-42 lead. Haverford outscored the Bison 17-11 in the third quarter, with Orza contributing seven points during the frame.
In the final 10 minutes, the Fords held off the visitors, outscoring Gallaudet 10-8 to secure an 83-54 victory. Jakway capped her day with eight of Haverford's 10 points in the fourth quarter, finishing with 15 total.
Orza, scoring her second-most points of the season, led the Fords with 25 points. Feifer (18 points), Jakway (15 points), and Mercer (14 points) also reached double figures in a dominant team performance.
For the Bison, three players scored in double figures. Lexow led Gallaudet with a team-high 17 points on 7-for-19 shooting, including 2-for-6 from beyond the arc. Alexis Roberts recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Raj Guettler added 12 points.
The Fords enter winter break with momentum after the encouraging win. Haverford returns to action after more than two weeks off with an exhibition game against Division I Loyola-Maryland on Monday, Dec. 30. The matchup against the Greyhounds at Reitz Arena tips off at 2 p.m. and will stream on ESPN+.