ll team entered Saturday’s contest in dire need of a win. After suffering two disappointing losses against conference foes McDaniel College and Muhlenberg College, the Lady Jays needed to secure a victory in order to maintain their position in the conference standings with the conference tournament quickly approaching.
On a blustery afternoon, the squad welcomed Haverford College to Goldfarb Gym for the contest. The Fords had previously dispatched Hopkins 51-47 in early January and entered the match-up tied for the conference lead.
Haverford came out firing in the first half. It took several minutes for the scoring to begin, but Haverford freshman forward Sierra Berkel got a bucket to finish off a crafty post move. She would not have much success the rest of the day. Aided by the strong defensive presence of junior guard/forward Beatriz Williams, Hopkins limited Berkel to a subpar 3-13 shooting on the day. Williams was consistent in her thwarting of Berkel’s shots throughout the contest.
Williams also contributed two ferocious blocks, keeping constant pressure on Haverford in the paint. Despite her stalwart defensive efforts, the Lady Jays failed to gain a lead in the first half. The Jays trailed by as many as eight points, before trimming the lead down to four at halftime.
Hopkins regrouped in the locker room at halftime and took the hardwood at the start of the second half with a renewed sense of urgency. Senior Jess Brown helped spark the comeback off a pretty assist from junior point guard Katie Clark. Four seconds later, junior guard Liz Tommasi made use of her quick hands, picking the ball and laying it on the other end to give the team a 31-30 lead, their first of the game. The teams would trade buckets before Clark would twinkle the twine with a 12-foot jumper from the right elbow.
With the 35-32 lead, the Lady Jays would never look back. Senior forward Maggie Fruehan played a key role off the bench, dropping a team-high 13 points in just 18 minutes. Her hard work down low continually provided Hopkins with much needed baskets in crucial situations. Williams would also sink several key jumpers down the stretch that helped to cushion the lead. The pair dominated in the low post, each snatching nine boards over the course of the game.
The team’s strength was marked by its focus on attaining victory through a whole-team effort. Every Hopkins player contributed to the team’s endeavor; each Lady Jay that entered the game recorded a bucket, and players routinely passed up open shots to find a better look for their teammates.
The Lady Jays’ tight defensive coverage was also crucial to their win. Haverford’s leading scorers, Berkel, Elizabeth Lynch and Jacquelyne Pizzuto, combined for a mere 11-44 from the field. Pizzuto was named the Centennial Conference’s second-team all conference point guard last year but struggled to score, shooting just 2-13 from the field. Clark further established her status as one of the top guards in the conference, as she continually blanketed Pizzuto with suffocating defense and forced her into a wide array of ill-advised shots.
“I think that our defense was definitely a huge part of our success in that game,” Clark said. “We definitely ramped up the intensity and it was effective in taking them out of their game plan and forcing them to take shots early. We have been putting more emphasis lately on team and individual defense, and Saturday was a great showing of the work we have put in”.
The Fords offense integrated a heavy amount of high ball screens that the Lady Jays were able to work around. Several times Haverford shooters were able to get open and bury from deep, but overall the Lady Jays’ team defense proved significant improvement from some earlier showings in the year. Clark emphasized that defense will be a focal point for the team moving forward.
“We can’t take any game for granted and need to continue to take care of business each day,” Clark said. The team currently finds itself sitting in fourth place in the conference with only four games remaining on the schedule. Every game matters as the Lady Jays grapple for the highest seeding possible going into the conference tournament.
On Saturday, Hopkins will travel to Swarthmore to take on the Garnet. Earlier in the year, the Lady Jays defeated Swarthmore, with stifling defense, holding them to 25 percent shooting. Hopkins is looking to come out firing as they strive to gain momentum heading into the playoffs.
Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The News-Letter.