BALTIMORE, MD – The No. 3/3 Johns Hopkins women's basketball team saw its undefeated season come to an end Sunday afternoon, falling to Gettysburg, 68-59, in the Centennial Conference Championship game inside Goldfarb Gymnasium. The loss drops the Blue Jays to 25-1 overall and marks the fifth straight championship-game setback to the Bullets, as Hopkins continues its pursuit of the program's first conference title since 2003.
 
Both teams struggled to find an offensive rhythm early, trading the lead throughout a tightly contested first quarter. A pair of free throws from Layla Henderson gave Hopkins a 13-10 advantage with 2:33 remaining, but Gettysburg answered late and took a 16-15 lead on a basket by Ava O'Neil to close the frame.
 
Stephanie Theodossakos knocked down a three-pointer midway through the second quarter to pull the Blue Jays within two, 26-24, before Gettysburg used a 7-0 run to build its largest lead of the half at 33-24. Emily Collins converted an old-fashioned three-point play in the closing minutes to trim the deficit to 33-27 at the break. Despite shooting just 26.5 percent (9-of-34) from the field in the opening half, Hopkins trailed by only six.
 
The Blue Jays responded out of halftime. After a Gettysburg basket to open the third, Henderson sparked a 9-0 run with a three-pointer, and Lauren Knudson capped the surge with a triple of her own to give Hopkins a 36-35 lead — its first since the opening quarter. The momentum shift was short-lived, however, as the Bullets closed the period on an 8-0 run to carry a 49-41 advantage into the fourth.
 
Hopkins made one final push in the closing minutes. A pair of free throws from Kendall Dunham and a Henderson layup cut the deficit to 53-49 with 4:55 to play. But Centennial Conference Tournament MVP Reagan Chrencik responded on the other end, helping Gettysburg stretch the lead back to seven and maintain control down the stretch to secure the 68-59 victory.
 
Collins led the Blue Jays with 12 points and 11 rebounds for her double-double, finishing 6-of-7 from the free-throw line while adding two blocks and a steal. Knudson added 10 points, while Dunham paced the defensive effort with four steals and Grace Soltes chipped in three.
 
Hopkins now awaits the NCAA Division III Selection Show to learn its postseason fate, including whether it will host an NCAA Regional and who its next opponent will be. The selection show is scheduled for Monday, March 2 at 2:30 p.m.

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