WESTMINSTER, MD – The No. 5/5 Johns Hopkins women's basketball team held McDaniel to just 11 points in the final quarter and closed the game on a decisive 16-5 run to secure a 72-56 victory Wednesday evening inside the Gill Center. The win marked Hopkins' 17
th consecutive victory over the Green Terror and lifted the Blue Jays to 15-0 overall and 6-0 in Centennial Conference play, keeping them among the nation's six remaining unbeaten Division III teams.
Jocelyn Goldstein scored Hopkins' first six points, and a three-pointer from
Lauren Knudson gave the Blue Jays an early 9-4 advantage. McDaniel's Lauren Cavoli answered with a triple to knot the score at 9-9. The teams traded the lead four times over the final 3:44 of the opening quarter, but Hopkins found its rhythm from beyond the arc.
Layla Henderson capped a 10-0 run over the final 2:06 with a corner three, pushing the Blue Jays to their largest lead of the period, 24-15. Hopkins opened the conference clash shooting 4-of-5 from deep.
The Blue Jays maintained a double-digit cushion throughout much of the second quarter before McDaniel converted an and-one to trim the deficit to six, 30-24. Goldstein quickly halted the momentum with a layup, and on the ensuing possession Henderson restored the 10-point advantage at 34-24 with 3:29 remaining in the half. The Green Terror closed the quarter on a 6-0 run, however, cutting the lead to four, 34-30, at the break.
McDaniel carried that momentum out of the locker room, opening the third quarter by cutting the deficit to one possession. Hopkins responded immediately, as a pair of
Kendall Dunham free throws sparked a 7-0 run to push the lead back to double digits. The Green Terror again answered, scoring five straight points to make it a 42-37 game. The remainder of the quarter stayed tightly contested, and Hopkins took a four-point edge, 49-45, into the final frame.
Hopkins' lead remained within single digits early in the fourth quarter before another Henderson three ignited a 5-0 run, giving the Blue Jays a double-digit advantage with 5:32 remaining. From there, Hopkins took control, outscoring McDaniel 16-5 over the final 6:39 to seal its 15
th straight victory.
Goldstein led all scorers with 20 points on 10-of-15 shooting, adding nine rebounds—six offensive—three blocks, and a steal. Dunham finished with 13 points, while Knudson and Henderson chipped in 10 apiece, with Henderson going 2-of-3 from three-point range.
Macie Feldman filled the stat sheet with game highs of 12 rebounds (eight offensive) and eight assists, along with seven points and a steal.
Johns Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, January 24, when it hosts Muhlenberg inside Goldfarb Gymnasium for Alumni Appreciation Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 4:00 p.m.
