WAVERLY, IA – The eighth-ranked Johns Hopkins women's basketball team closed out the Wartburg Tip-Off Tournament in dominant fashion on Saturday evening, flying past host Wartburg, 70-49, inside Levick Arena. The Blue Jays' depth proved decisive, as the Hopkins bench poured in 35 points to help fuel a 44-20 run across the second and third quarters.
The opening period was a back-and-forth battle, with neither team leading by more than five. Turnovers plagued the Blue Jays early—five in the first quarter—which led directly to 10 Wartburg points. Both squads struggled to find rhythm offensively, with Hopkins shooting 36.4 percent (4-of-11) from the floor. Down five late in the quarter,
Beth Corelli knocked down the Blue Jays' lone triple of the frame to pull within two, and a
Jocelyn Goldstein free throw trimmed the deficit to just one heading into the second.
Hopkins found its groove in the second quarter. After surrendering an early basket,
Kendall Dunham sparked a 15-0 run with a corner three, giving the Blue Jays their first lead at 16-15 on a
Macie Feldman floater. The Hopkins offense caught fire, pushing the margin to as many as 13 before taking a 34-23 advantage into halftime.
Emily Collins provided a major lift off the bench, leading all players at the break with eight points on 3-of-4 shooting while grabbing seven rebounds.
The Blue Jays stayed hot out of the locker room. After a lone Wartburg free throw opened the third, Hopkins reeled off six straight points to extend the lead to 16, capped by a
Lauren Knudson three-pointer. The perimeter shooting barrage continued, as Knudson buried another pair of triples and
Faith Williamson added one of her own to stretch the lead to 26 at 56-30. Hopkins shot a blistering 6-of-9 from beyond the arc in the third to seize complete control. A Wartburg buzzer-beater trimmed the margin to 23 heading into the fourth.
Wartburg continued to fight in the final frame, outscoring Hopkins 16-14, but never seriously threatened. The Blue Jays' defense held strong, keeping the Knights at bay and maintaining a double-digit cushion for the remainder of the contest.
Williamson paced Hopkins with 12 points on 50 percent shooting (3-of-6 FG, 1-of-2 3FG), including 5-for-6 from the line. Collins followed with 10 points and nine rebounds on an efficient 4-of-5 shooting performance. Feldman filled the stat sheet with a game-high 11 rebounds, six assists and eight points, while Goldstein and
Layla Henderson each recorded two steals to anchor the defensive effort.
The Blue Jays return home on Tuesday, November 11, for their home opener against Trinity (DC). Tip-off is set for 6:00 p.m. inside Goldfarb Gymnasium.
