BALTIMORE, MD – The No. 5/5 Johns Hopkins women's basketball team turned a tight game into a rout coming out of halftime, holding Muhlenberg to just three second-half points in the third quarter en route to a 72-36 victory Saturday afternoon inside Goldfarb Gymnasium. The win marked Hopkins' eighth straight over the Mules and lifted the Blue Jays to 16-0 overall and 7-0 in Centennial Conference play, keeping them among the nation's six remaining unbeaten Division III teams.
 
What began as a closely contested conference matchup quickly shifted after the break. Hopkins held just a single-digit lead throughout the first half and went into the locker room up 30-25, but clamped down defensively in the third quarter. The Blue Jays held Muhlenberg to 1-of-11 shooting in the period, including 0-of-6 from three-point range, while forcing four turnovers to seize full control.
 
Hopkins struggled from long range early, missing its first nine attempts from deep, but found success inside the arc. A mid-range jumper from Grace Soltes helped spark an early 6-0 lead, and as Muhlenberg repeatedly trimmed the margin to one possession, the Blue Jays shifted their focus to attacking off the dribble and in the paint. Faith Williamson capped the opening quarter scoring to give Hopkins a 19-14 edge after one.
 
The second quarter was even, with both teams scoring 11 points. Macie Feldman opened the period with Hopkins' first three-pointer of the game to stretch the lead to 22-14 — the Blue Jays' largest advantage of the half. A buzzer-beating three from Muhlenberg's Katie McGrath cut the deficit to five, 30-25, at intermission.
 
The third quarter opened with more than two scoreless minutes before Hopkins erupted. The Blue Jays used a 21-0 run over a 6:13 span to blow the game open, extending the lead to 25. Kendall Dunham started the surge with a pull-up jumper and Stephanie Theodossakos punctuated it with a three-pointer. During the run, Hopkins held the Mules to 0-of-8 shooting (0-of-5 from three) and forced four turnovers, with eight different Blue Jays contributing to the scoring.
 
Though the fourth quarter was more competitive, a pair of three-pointers from Aria Mazza and Quinn O'Donnell halted any thought of a comeback and sealed Hopkins' 16^th straight victory to open the season.
 
Lauren Knudson and Williams paced the Blue Jays with 10 points apiece. Williamson filled the stat sheet with seven rebounds, three steals and an assist, while Emily Collins grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds to go along with four points and a steal.
 
Johns Hopkins returns to action Wednesday, January 28, when it hosts Dickinson inside Goldfarb Gymnasium for PRIDE Day. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.

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