The 2023 Centennial Conference women's basketball championship will be a rematch as Johns Hopkins and Gettysburg both secured double-digit home victories in Friday's semifinal round.
In Baltimore, Md., top-seeded Hopkins outscored fourth-seeded Haverford 39-14 in the second and third quarters combined to turn an early nine-point deficit into an 18-point lead they never relinquished as the Blue Jays advanced to the CC championship game for the second consecutive year with a 56-46 victory in Goldfarb Gymnasium Friday evening. In addition to advancing to the title game, the Blue Jays also handed head coach Katherine Bixby her 100th victory as the head coach at Johns Hopkins; Bixby is now 100-34 in her time as the head coach at Johns Hopkins.
Olivia Parisi scored a team-high 18 points for JHU and added four rebounds and Michaela O'Neil added 14 points and five rebounds. Haverford's Ally Landau matched Parisi as she scored a team-high 18 points, while Kayla Robinson chipped in a double-double that included 11 points and 13 rebounds for the Fords.
In Gettysburg, Pa., the second-seeded Bullets controlled the game from the start, using strong offense and quick-paced defense to open up a 25-6 first period lead en route to a 30-point win to ensure themselves the opportunity to defend their conference title. Mackenzie Szlosek led the Bullets with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four blocks, while Alaya Arnolie was the other Bullet in double-digits with 13 points. Amari Faust led the Shorewomen with nine points.
The championship game is set for Sunday at noon in Baltimore. Gettysburg defeated Hopkins 43-40 in last year's championship game in Gettysburg - the first ever CC title tilt between the two sides. The Bullets swept the regular season series this year over the Blue Jays, winning 63-48 on Nov. 22 in Gettysburg and 66-54 on Feb. 9 in Baltimore.
QUARTERFINALS: Tuesday, Feb. 21 | at #3 & #4 seeds
#6 Washington College d. #3 Dickinson, 56-48 OT
#4 Haverford d. #5 Muhlenberg, 58-46
SEMIFINALS: Friday, Feb. 24 | at #1 & #2 seeds
#2 Gettysburg d. #6 Washington College, 70-40
#1 Johns Hopkins d. #4 Haverford, 56-46
CHAMPIONSHIP: Sunday, Feb. 26 | at highest remaining seed
#2 Gettysburg at #1 Johns Hopkins, noon