The Basics
• Score: Johns Hopkins-49, Ursinus-42
• Records: JHU (21-3, 18-2 Centennial) • UC (5-20, 5-15 Centennial)
• Location: Baltimore, MD • Goldfarb Gym
 
How it Happened
The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team allowed 21 first-quarter points – and then allowed a total of just 21 over the final three quarters as the Blue Jays topped visiting Ursinus, 49-42, in the regular season finale Saturday evening in Goldfarb Gymnasium.  Johns Hopkins caps the regular season with a 21-3 record, including an 18-2 mark in the Centennial Conference, while the Bears end the season at 5-20 overall and 5-15 in the Centennial.
 
Down 21-16 at the end of the first quarter after the Bears' Maria D'Aulerio drained a three-pointer to close the period and still down by five (23-18) midway through the second quarter, the Blue Jays outscored the Bears 7-2 over the final 5+ minutes to pull even (25-25) at the half.  An old-fashioned three-point play from Erin Walsh tied the game at 23 before Michaela O'Neil gave the Blue Jays a short-lived 25-23 lead with a layup; D'Aulerio answered with a jumper at the buzzer to account for the halftime tie.
 
A back-and fourth third quarter saw the Blue Jays grab an early four-point lead (31-27), only to have the Bears answer with a 7-2 run of their own that Kelly Grant capped with a three-pointer to give the Bears a 34-33 lead.
 
The Blue Jays ended the third quarter with a 6-2 spurt that included another O'Neil bucket and a three-pointer from Aleah Spruell as Hopkins led 39-36 entering the final period.
 
The Bears pulled even with an Alyssa Martin triple less than 90 seconds into the fourth quarter only to have Diarra Oden answer with a three-pointer of her own at the 5:33 mark to give the Blue Jays a 42-39 lead.  Ursinus was even for the final time with three minutes remaining after hitting 3-of-4 free throws, but the Blue Jays got a fast-break jumper from Oden and a Jadyn Murray basket inside to go up 46-42 with 90 seconds remaining and Christine Corpuz hit 3-of-4 free throws down the stretch to seal the victory.
 
What it Means
• Johns Hopkins is the number two seed in the upcoming Centennial Conference Tournament.  The Blue Jays will play third-seeded Haverford in the semifinals on Friday, February 25 at Gettysburg.  The time of the game will be announced on Monday, February 21.
 
• Johns Hopkins will be making its 23^rd appearance in the Centennial Conference Tournament.
 
• The Blue Jays reach the 21-win mark for the 13^th time in school history.
 
• Hopkins' 18 Centennial Conference wins this season ties the school record originally set in 2018-19.  In four seasons under head coach Katherine Bixby, the Blue Jays are 65-15 in Centennial Conference regular season games.
 
• The Blue Jays honored Oden, Walsh and fellow senior Abby Reppen prior to the game.
 
Inside the Box Score
• Oden led the Blue Jays with a game-high 15 points and added eight rebounds, while Walsh added 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
• The Blue Jays outrebounded Ursinus 52-33 and had 16 offensive rebounds in the victory.
 
• Ursinus got a team-high 14 points and 13 rebounds from Chinwe Ironde, but only one other Ursinus player (Martin) had more than five points in the game.