CARLISLE, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (6-2, 3-0 CC) erased a 15-point deficit, roaring back to defeat Dickinson (2-5, 2-2 CC) by a 49-44 final Saturday afternoon at the Kline Center. Anna-Sophia Capizzi (19 points) and Julianna Clark (13 points) each tallied double figures, as strong guard play helped kickstart the Haverford offense in the second half. Megan Furch added nine points and eight rebounds, coming up clutch with a jumper to give Haverford the lead for good with less than a minute remaining in regulation. The Fords held Dickinson to just three field goals (3-25) in the second half, stymying the Red Devils with a robust defensive effort.
Dickinson began the contest on a 14-0 run, connecting on a quartet of three-pointers in the first five minutes of the contest. The Fords called for an early timeout, searching for answers as the Red Devils seemingly had all the momentum on their side to begin the afternoon. Capizzi finally ended the Dickinson run with a triple of her own, and promptly poured in another on the ensuing Haverford possession, cutting the lead to eight in favor of Dickinson at 14-6. Unfortunately for Haverford, another 8-2 stretch gave the hosts a commanding 22-8 at the end of the first quarter.
A 13-3 response by the Fords cut the lead to just four at 25-21 with five minutes to go in the half, as Clark connected on a pair of shots from beyond the arc in the stretch. Dickinson responded on their own 5-0 jaunt, but Capizzi ended that spurt yet again by beating the Dickinson defense for a well-placed layup. Kate Montgomery knocked down a pair from the charity stripe to extend the Dickinson lead back to nine at 32-23 entering the intermission.
In the first half, Dickinson held the Fords to just 27.6 percent shooting, but Haverford held the edge in rebounding margin, taking a 20-16 edge on the glass through the initial 20 minutes. Dickinson began the second half on a 7-2 push, but Haverford began to reverse its fortunes with a methodical 15-2 run, eventually taking the lead for the first time in the contest at 42-41.
A Capizzi layup cut the lead to just 10 at 39-29 with under three minutes left in the third, and Clark then connected from long-range to trim the Dickinson advantage to seven at 39-32. Clark later converted on a layup to cut the Dickinson lead to just three at 41-38, before Furch made it a one-point game with a layup that came with under seven minutes to play in regulation. Clark went to the charity stripe and hit both of her free-throws to give the Fords the lead at 42-41 with 6:24 to play. Haverford clamped down on defense in the tense final moments of the game, with Furch and Hannah Zoll creating havoc in the paint, stifling the offensive chances for the frustrated Red Devils. After Dickinson earned a tie at 42-42, Capizzi gave Haverford another two-point lead with a layup. Montgomery knocked down a layup to tie the score at 44-44, and the Fords called a timeout with 1:07 to play.
Out of the stoppage, Furch got loose with a strong-look at a mid-range jumper, finishing from near the top of the key with a flourish to give Haverford the 46-44 lead. After a Dickinson miss on the other end, Nyla Robinson was fouled, hitting both of her free-throws to extend the Haverford lead to two possessions at 48-44. The Fords held Dickinson without a field goal in the final 1:48 of the contest, escaping with a momentum-shifting come-from-behind victory as Zoll added one of two from the free-throw line to seal the win.
Hannah Peck and Emily Padalino both tallied in double figures for the Red Devils, as the hosts connected on nine three-pointers, including six in the first quarter. Haverford has now won seven straight against Dickinson, including four straight victories in Carlisle.
Women's Basketball has just one more game before the winter holiday break, making the short trip to Allentown for a Centennial Conference battle with Muhlenberg on December 14. Tip-off time is slated for 2 p.m.