WC Closes Game on 24-5 Run to Best Haverford

HAVERFORD, PA – Senior guard Jane O'Donnell (Cape May Court House, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) scored 23 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer with 46 seconds left as visiting Washington College topped host Haverford College, 65-58, on Tuesday night in Centennial Conference women's basketball action at Gooding Arena. The Shorewomen, who closed out the game on a 24-5 run, are now 1-4 on the season and 1-1 in the Centennial, while the Fords drop to 2-2 and 1-1 respectively.

With Haverford leading 53-41 with 9:34 remaining in the game, the Shorewomen netted a 7-0 run over the next 70 seconds to reduce the Fords' lead to 53-48 on Jane O'Donnell's fifth make from three-point range. Sophomore guard Meghan Tait (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) scored the first four points of the 7-0 run on two free throws and a layup. WC cut the Haverford deficit to 56-53 with 4:09 to go in the game on a sixth three-point hoop from Jane O'Donnell. The Shorewomen would finally break even when sophomore guard/forward Sally O'Donnell (Cape May Court House, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) nailed a three-pointer to tie the contest at 56-56 with 1:15 left. The Fords grabbed a 58-56 lead on their next trip down the court on a Sara Cram layup. Out of a timeout, WC took its first lead since early in the game at 59-58 when Jane O'Donnell hit her seventh three-point basket of the game on a pass from Tait with 46 seconds left. Haverford would miss a three-pointer on its next trip down the court and Washington got the rebound with 38 ticks left. Tait would can six free throws in six attempts in the last 24 seconds to provide the final margin and get WC its first win of the season.

In the second half, Washington shot 45 percent from the floor, while holding Haverford to just 29 percent in field goal shooting percentage.

In the first half, Haverford took a 14-4 lead just 5:04 into the game on a Nina Voith jumper. Washington would respond with a 12-2 run of its own to knot the game at 16-16 with 9:29 left in the half. During the run, Jane O'Donnell scored nine points as she canned three three-pointers. The Fords countered with an 8-0 run to take a 24-16 lead with 7:28 left on a spurt that was finished off on a Victoria Sobocinski triple. After Jane O'Donnell's fourth trifecta of the half to cut the lead to 24-19, the Fords scored the next seven points to take their largest lead of the half a 31-19. The hosts would take a 33-22 lead into the locker room. Haverford shot 48 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, while holding the Shorewomen to just 31 percent.

The Fords scored four of the first six points in the second half to lead 37-24, their biggest of the game, with 19:11 left on a layup by Sara Cram. The Shorewomen answered with a 9-0 run to cut the lead to 37-33 on a layup by freshman guard Maggie King (Kensington, MD/Bethesda-Chevy Chase) with 15:27 to go in the second on a feed from sophomore guard Meghan Tait (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area). Haverford would respond with a 16-8 run to restore the lead back to double-digits at 53-41 with 9:34 left in the second half on a Dominique Meeks layup.

Jane O'Donnell scored her 23 points on seven three-pointers and two free throws. Her seven threes is one off of her school record which she set against Franklin & Marshall in January 2007. Tait had 19 points, including a perfect 8-for-8 from the charity stripe, and dished out a game-best six assists. Sally O'Donnell netted her first collegiate double-double with 16 points and a career-best 12 rebounds. Her 12 boards tied her for tops in the contest.

For Haverford, Meeks and Voith both posted double-doubles in the setback. Meeks had a team-best 19 points, tied for the game-high in rebounds with 12 and blocked a game-best four shots. Voith scored 17 points, corralled 11 rebounds and handed out a team-best four assists.

The Fords shot 39 percent in the game, while the Shorewomen shot 38 percent. WC shot 11-for-26 (43 percent), while Haverford shot 5-for-14 (36 percent) from behind the arc. The Fords held a slim 40-37 edge in rebounds, while both teams turned it over 20 times. Washington was 12-for-13 from the free throw line, while Haverford was just 5-for-11.

The Shorewomen return to action Thursday with a 7:00 p.m. Centennial Conference road game at Bryn Mawr.