GETTYSBURG, PA – The No. 4/4 Johns Hopkins women's basketball team controlled the offensive glass all night, turning that dominance into a 19-5 advantage in second-chance points en route to a 66-63 win over Gettysburg Wednesday evening inside Bream Gym.
Lauren Knudson poured in a career-high 21 points—including a career-best five three-pointers—to lead the Blue Jays to their 19
th straight victory, tying the Centennial Conference record for longest win streak. The win lifts Hopkins to 19-0 overall and 10-0 in conference play, keeping the Blue Jays among the nation's five remaining unbeaten Division III teams.
A fourth-quarter lead that grew to 12 points, 58-46, was tested down the stretch. With 39 seconds remaining, Gettysburg's
Olivia Jones converted an and-one to cut the Hopkins lead to 66-63. The Blue Jays looked to Knudson—who accounted for all five of Hopkins' three-pointers—to help seal the game, but her attempt to stretch the lead further would not fall. On the final possession, Hopkins clamped down defensively, forcing a miss with 9.8 seconds left to secure the hard-fought victory.
Despite collecting 11 offensive rebounds in the opening quarter, Hopkins couldn't create separation as shots from the perimeter were slow to fall. When the Bullets threatened to tie the game at 14,
Macie Feldman delivered a clutch hook shot to send the Blue Jays into the second quarter ahead, 16-14.
Hopkins found a rhythm to start the second.
Kendall Dunham came up with a steal that led to an
Emily Collins jumper, pushing the lead to 24-16. Gettysburg responded to trim the margin, but Knudson remained hot, knocking down her third three of the half to make it 27-20. After the Bullets pulled within one at 29-28, Knudson answered again from deep to restore a six-point cushion. Dunham capped the half with a jumper from the free-throw line, sending Hopkins into the break with a 40-32 advantage.
Gettysburg opened the third quarter with five straight points to close within three, 40-37, but
Jocelyn Goldstein halted the run with an offensive rebound and putback—part of her dominant night on the glass. Later in the quarter,
Faith Williamson sparked a 7-0 run and converted an and-one to give Hopkins its largest lead to that point, 51-41. The Bullets trimmed the deficit to seven heading into the fourth, 53-46.
The Blue Jays again stretched the lead to 12 in the final quarter before Gettysburg mounted one last push, setting up the tense final minute. Hopkins' defense held firm when it mattered most, closing out the win to extend the program's historic streak.
Knudson led the Blue Jays with her career-high 21 points and five threes. Goldstein added 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Feldman contributed 12 rebounds and two steals, while Dunham filled the stat sheet with eight points, seven rebounds, a game-high five steals and four assists.
Johns Hopkins returns to action Saturday, February 7, traveling to Collegeville, PA to face Ursinus at Helfferich Hall. Tip-off is set for 3:00 p.m.
