BALTIMORE, Md. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (16-6, 12-5 CC) saw its nine-game winning streak snapped by Johns Hopkins (17-2, 14-1 CC), despite a thrilling fourth-quarter comeback bid. The Blue Jays escaped 52-51 in overtime after Haverford used a 17-5 fourth-quarter to force the extra period. Ally Landau came alive in the second half to pace all scorers with 23 points while Caroline Andersen took a star turn off the bench, notching 12 points and seven rebounds. Kayla Robinson continued to collect rebounds better than almost anyone else in the nation, posting 12 on the afternoon.
In a slow start offensively between two of the best defensive teams in the nation, it was Johns Hopkins who took the early lead, beginning the contest on a 7-0 run before Cortlyn Morris knocked down a layup with 4:49 remaining, Haverford's first field goal of the contest to put the run to bed. The Fords battled back thanks in part to the spark provided by Andersen off the bench, and Landau tallied just before the first quarter buzzer as the Fords went into the second down only six at 11-5. The Blue Jays then built their lead into the second, but Andersen completed a three-point play to put the Fords within just five with 3:10 remaining. The lead for the hosts was 20-11 going into the intermission, as both teams struggled for offensive consistency against stifling efforts on the defensive end for each side.
Going into the third, a 6-2 spurt for Johns Hopkins put the hosts up by 13 at 26-13, but Haverford again whittled that advantage back to a manageable number behind strong interior play from Morris and Kayla Robinson. Landau connected from distance with 2:09 left in the third, putting the Fords back within seven, but a strong spurt highlighted by a Michaela O'Neil triple gave the Blue Jays a sizable 12-point cushion heading into the fourth.
The Fords turned on the jets in that fourth stanza, shaking off a 4-0 start from the hosts almost immediately. Landau took command of the offense, finishing a runner with 7:52 to play, single-handedly stuffing the scoresheet as the lead was trimmed to 39-27. Robinson then tallied with 5:04 remaining, and Landau poured in a three with 4:04 to play. Suddenly, Haverford had a real shot down just seven with all of the momentum on the side of the guests.
Taking advantage of some sloppy offensive play from JHU, Andersen was called upon for the next five Haverford points as the Fords were within one possession. Erin Walsh gave the hosts a three-point cushion, hitting one of two free throws in the final minute, but again Landau proved to be integral for the Fords, drilling a three-pointer to send the contest to overtime at 40-40 as the Fords erased all of the Blue Jays afternoon plans in a matter of just seven minutes. In the extra period, it was Haverford striking first behind buckets from Landau and Gia Flamini. The lead reached three with 3:21 remaining in the bonus stanza, and Robinson knocked down one of two from the charity stripe for a 48-45 lead with 2:33 remaining.
Diarra Oden and Greta Miller notched consecutive field goals for the hosts, putting Johns Hopkins up by one at 49-48, and a big steal from Jadyn Murray gave her squad the ball with under a minute left, clinging to a one-point lead. Sent to the free-throw line on a three-point attempt, Oden collected all three shots to put her squad up by four. Landau once again had an answer, putting Haverford back to within one after a triple with 10 seconds left. On the ensuing possession, Murray was sent to the free-throw line, missing both shots, but a last ditch offensive chance for the Fords went fruitless as the hosts escaped by the thinnest of margins.
Johns Hopkins has now won 13 consecutive games as Haverford provided far and away the biggest scare of that winning stretch.
The Fords, firmly in third in the Centennial Conference playoff chase, will now return home on Tuesday for a battle at Gooding Arena against Muhlenberg. The contest is slated to begin at 6 p.m. and will be followed by the Haverford men's squad taking on the Mules at approximately 8 p.m. The two sides will be hosting BLUE Night for Type I Diabetes Awareness night. A weekend trip to Gettysburg (Feb. 12) will be another key battle heading into the final week of the regular season.