BALTIMORE, MD – The No. 5/5 Johns Hopkins women's basketball team led for all but the opening 1:13 on Sunday afternoon, cruising to a 64-43 victory over Rowan inside Goldfarb Gymnasium to conclude the Johns Hopkins Women's Basketball Classic. With the win, the Blue Jays improve to 11-0 on the season and extend their regular-season winning streak to 23 games dating back to January of last year.
After surrendering the opening basket, Hopkins quickly found its rhythm behind a hot start from
Lauren Knudson. The junior poured in eight of the Blue Jays' first 10 points, knocking down a pair of three-pointers to spark an early run. Hopkins pushed its lead to nine, 14-5, before Rowan answered with five straight points to trim the margin to four with just under three minutes remaining in the opening quarter.
Both teams found their footing offensively in the second frame, trading baskets throughout the period. The Profs repeatedly cut the deficit to two, but were unable to seize the lead. A late three-pointer from
Macie Feldman capped a strong finish to the half, sending Hopkins into the break with a 38-26 advantage.
Offense was at a premium in the third quarter, as the teams combined to shoot just 4-for-30 from the field. Despite being held scoreless over the final 3:23 of the period, the Blue Jays maintained control and extended their lead to 44-31 heading into the final frame.
Hopkins put the game away in the fourth quarter by capitalizing at the free-throw line, outscoring Rowan 8-0 from the stripe. The Blue Jays went 8-of-9 at the line in the final 10 minutes to stretch the lead to as many as 21 and secure the victory.
Feldman led Hopkins with 13 points and nine rebounds, narrowly missing her second straight double-double, while also adding two assists and a block. Knudson finished with 12 points, shooting 50 percent from beyond the arc.
Faith Williamson,
Kendall Dunham and
Layla Henderson each chipped in nine points. Defensively,
Jocelyn Goldstein anchored the paint with a game-high three blocks.
Johns Hopkins returns to action on Wednesday, January 7, when it hosts conference foe Swarthmore inside Goldfarb Gymnasium. Tip-off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
