Fitzgerald Posts Double-Double, Pair of Career Highs in Win

HAVERFORD, PA -- Visiting Washington College rallied from an 11-point first-half deficit to record a 55-49 win over host Haverford College in a Centennial Conference women's basketball game tonight inside Gooding Arena. Sophomore forward Erin Fitzgerald (Greensboro, NC/Bishop McGuiness) tallied a double-double for the Shorewomen (2-2 overall, 1-2 Centennial) in the win, posting a pair of career highs. 

The Fords (4-2, 1-2) used an 11-0 run to take an 18-7 lead on a lay-up by Calla Miller with 10:55 remaining in the first half. The Shorewomen ran off the next nine points to pull within two points, but Haverford countered with a 9-2 spurt to push the lead to 27-19 with 2:33 left in the half.  Fitzgerald converted a lay-up with 1:37 to go and made one of two free throws with two seconds left before halftime as Washington closed the gap to 27-22.

The Shorewomen opened the second half with four quick points as sophomore guard Claire Mattox (Arlington, VA/Potomac School) drained a three-pointer, was fouled, and knocked down the free throw just seven seconds into the period.  Washington then grabbed its first lead since the opening minutes when sophomore guard Kelly Mitchell (Laurel, MD/Academy of the Holy Cross) drained a three-pointer with 17:02 remaining, putting the Shorewomen in front, 29-27. Haverford scored eight of the next 11 points to take a 35-32 lead on a three-pointer by Victoria Sobocinski with 12:59 to play in the second half. 

The Shorewomen then went on a 19-6 run, opening up a 51-41 lead on a jumper by senior guard Meghan Tait (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) with 3:25 to play. The Fords used a 6-1 spurt to get back to within five points at 52-47on a lay-up by Rachel Baskin with 39 seconds remaining. Tait was fouled on Washington's next possession and made one of two attempts to give Washington a six-point cushion with 32 seconds left. Jacquelyn Pizzuto then missed a lay-up for Haverford and Mattox converted a pair of free throws with six seconds left to extend the lead to 55-47. Pizzuto scored at the buzzer for the Fords to provide the final margin.

Fitzgerald finished with 11 points, a career- and game-high 13 rebounds, and a career-best four blocked shots. Mitchell came off the bench to lead all scorers with 14 points, while Tait added 12 points. 

Elizabeth Lynch was the only Ford to reach double figures in scoring, finishing with 10 points. Sobocinski added nine points and a team-best seven boards for Haverford. 

Washington shot 37% from the field in the game to Haverford's 36%. The Shorewomen committed 24 turnovers to the Fords, 18, but held a 45-33 advantage on the glass.  Neither team shot well from the free-throw line as Washington was 14-for-25 and Haverford was just 4-for-15. 

The Shorewomen return to action Saturday with a 2:00 p.m. Centennial Conference game at 13th-ranked Muhlenberg.