NEW YORK – The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team saw its historic season come to a close Friday evening, falling to sixth-ranked Scranton 65-53 in the Sweet 16. The Blue Jays' season concludes with a program-best 26 wins and their furthest trip into the NCAA Tournament since 1998.
 
Michaela O'Neil led Hopkins in scoring with 13 — the only Blue Jays player to eclipse double figures — while Macie Feldman paced the team in both rebounds (9) and assists (4). Kara Milliken was impressive in her 20 minutes off the bench, tallying three points and a game-high three blocks along with some much-needed energy in a game Hopkins trailed the whole way.
 
The Blue Jays fell behind six early in the first after a quartet of Scranton layups made it 8-2. The lead remained at six before a tough Kendall Dunham layup sent Hopkins into the break down 16-12.
 
Feldman was forced to exit midway through the first quarter with a head injury, and without the team's leading scorer thus far in the tournament the Blue Jays were held to just one made field goal in the second — a Milliken triple — while the Royals continued to build their lead to 34-22 at halftime.

Facing their second-largest halftime deficit of the season, the Blue Jays began what seemed to be an insurmountable comeback with seven minutes to go in the third. Down 41-24 after Scranton opened the frame on a 7-2 run, Milliken drew a charge down low and stormed to the other side of the court imploring her teammates to rally behind her, something — as they have done all season — they did without hesitation.
 
The Milliken charge — as well as the return of Feldman with a few more stitches than she came with — flipped a switch for Hopkins, leading the Blue Jays to turn a 17-point deficit into a five-point game at 47-42  heading into the fourth.
 
The Blue Jays remained within striking distance for what seemed like the entirety of the fourth but were never able to get closer than five before a dagger 3-pointer by the Royals put Hopkins down 10 with 3:40 to go. The Blue Jays made one final push with an O'Neil and-one conversion making it a five-point game with 1:13 left, but were forced to foul the rest of the way, eventually falling 65-53.
 
Hopkins sees its season come to a close in the program's fourth-ever Sweet 16 with a record of 26-4.