BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team opened Centennial Conference play on Wednesday night and scored a 61-37 victory over visiting Washington College to improve to 5-2 overall and 1-0 in the Centennial.  The Shorewomen had a three-game winning streak snapped and slip to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in the Centennial.

After averaging 87.7 points in their last three games, the Blue Jays were forced to grind out a victory against the Shorewomen.  Washington College turned an early 4-0 deficit into a 14-7 lead at the end of the first quarter as the Shorewomen held the Blue Jays scoreless over the final 3:58 of the period and tallied the quarter's final seven points to grab seven-point cushion,

The Blue Jays took control in the second and third quarter as they outscored the Shorewomen 21-7 in the second period and 35-11 in the middle two periods to push out to a 42-25 lead after three quarters.

A Macie Feldman three-pointer to open the second quarter jump-started a 14-1 Blue Jay run that turned the 14-7 deficit into a 21-15 lead that was never seriously threatened.  Beth Corelli and Kendall Dunham both added triples during the run for the Blue Jays with Feldman (5) and Dunham (4) combining for nine points during the spree.

Up 28-21 at the break, the Blue Jays limited Washington College to just four, third-quarter points and slowly built the seven-point halftime lead to 17 at the end of three.  Five different players scored for the Blue Jays in the period, but it was the defense, which held the Shorewomen to just one field goal, that proved to be the difference.

Washington College trimmed the deficit to 13 midway through the fourth quarter (47-34), but a pair of Layla Henderson free throws with 4:35 on the clock ignited a 14-3 game-ending run that accounted for the 61-37 final score.

The Blue Jays came into this game white hot offensively, averaging 87.7 points in their last three games and scoring at least 93 in two of those three. As the final score indicates, however, the Blue Jays came back down to earth in a gritty, defensive victory. The Blue Jays were held to seven points on 18.8% shooting in the first quarter. One player who impacted the game early and often was Macie Feldman, who had nine points and seven rebounds in the opening half. Feldman finished the game with a team-leading 11 points and nine rebounds.  

Despite trailing 14-7 after the opening quarter, the Blue Jays found their footing in the second quarter. An 11-point run in midway through the second quarter led the way towards a 21-7 second frame. Star Shorewomen Kaitlyn Boggs and Abby Meredith were held to eight total points in the first half, though Boggs did pitch in four blocks. 

The third quarter saw the Shorewomen shoot 7.1% from the field en route to a 4-point quarter. This strong defensive frame, coupled with 14 points offensively, broke the game open for the Blue Jays. The Blue Jays exited the third quarter winning 42-25 and ultimately won the game by a 24-point margin. 

Feldman's 11 points led a balanced Blue Jay scoring attack that saw five players net eight or more points as Michaela O'Neil (9), Elisabeth Peebles (9), Greta Miller (8) and Dunham (8) were also key contributors in the victory.  Feldman and Miller narrowly missed double-doubles as both had nine rebounds to go along with their 11 and nine points, respectively.

For Washington College, Emma Robinson had a strong performance, leading the team in points (9) and rebounds (12). Kaitlyn Boggs secured eight points and added 11 rebounds of her own.

Johns Hopkins will close out its three-game homestand on Saturday, December 7 when the Blue Jays welcome Bryn Mawr to Goldfarb Gym (1 pm).

- 30 -