BALTIMORE, MD – It felt like a road game inside Goldfarb Gymnasium. Trailing by six with just 31 seconds remaining, the third-ranked Johns Hopkins women's basketball team looked finished. Instead, the Blue Jays delivered two of the biggest defensive stops of their season — and turned both into daggers, ultimately escaping McDaniel, 62-60, Friday evening inside Goldfarb Gymnasium.
 
After Layla Henderson and Macie Feldman forced back-to-back McDaniel turnovers on inbound plays, Lauren Knudson and Kendall Dunham buried consecutive three-pointers to erase a 56-50 deficit and stun the crowd into a 56-56 tie with 24 seconds to play. Momentum had flipped. The fight was just beginning.
 
In overtime, Knudson struck again.
 
Her second triple of the night gave Hopkins its first lead since the 6:35 mark of the third quarter — and this time, the Blue Jays would not give it back. Clutch free throws and another defensive stand sealed a 62-60 overtime victory in the Centennial Conference Semifinal.
 
With the win, Hopkins advances to its fifth straight Centennial Conference Championship game and 19^th overall appearance, seeking its first conference title since 2003.
 
McDaniel controlled the early tempo behind a dominant performance from Elaina Beckett. Her scoring surge pushed the Green Terror to a 16-9 lead after one quarter.
 
A driving layup from Knudson trimmed the deficit to three early in the second, but Beckett answered again from beyond the arc, extending the lead to 25-18. McDaniel carried a 27-20 advantage into halftime, holding the Blue Jays at bay.
 
Out of the break, Grace Soltes sparked life into Hopkins.
 
When it appeared McDaniel was ready to create separation, Soltes drilled a three-pointer to give the Blue Jays their first lead of the half at 30-29. But Beckett responded once more, stretching the Green Terror lead to six, 40-34. Hopkins fought to keep it within striking distance, trailing by six entering the fourth.
 
Midway through the final quarter, Beckett's 28^th point gave McDaniel a 48-42 edge. The Blue Jays misfired on three straight possessions, and the perfect season hung in the balance. Soltes answered the call again, knocking down a critical three to pull Hopkins within one possession at 48-45. Still, the Blue Jays trailed 56-50 with 31 seconds left.
 
That's when everything changed.
 
Henderson and Feldman's defensive pressure forced consecutive inbound turnovers. Knudson converted the first into a three. Dunham followed with another. Just like that, the deficit was gone — 56-56 — and overtime awaited.
 
Beckett opened overtime with another basket, but Knudson responded with her second clutch triple of the night to give Hopkins a 59-58 lead. With 11 seconds remaining, Henderson calmly stepped to the line and delivered the biggest free throw of the season, pushing the lead to two possessions. The Blue Jays secured the final stop and punched their ticket to the championship game.


Soltes led Hopkins with 13 points on 3-of-5 shooting from deep, adding four rebounds, three blocks and a steal. Emily Collins nearly missed a double-double with nine points and 10 rebounds, to go along with a pair of assists. Knudson (12) and Henderson (11) both scored in double figures, as Feldman collected nine rebounds to go along with a game-high nine assists.
 
Hopkins returns to action Sunday, March 1, hosting Gettysburg in Goldfarb Gymnasium for the Centennial Conference Championship. Tip-off is set for 1:00 p.m.

 
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