BALTIMORE, MD – The No. 5/5 Johns Hopkins women's basketball team dominated from start to finish in its opening game of the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship, defeating Hunter, 100-59, Friday evening inside Goldfarb Gymnasium.
 
The victory also produced a pair of program records. The Blue Jays' 100 points mark the most scored by Johns Hopkins in an NCAA Tournament game, surpassing the previous record of 79, while the team's 32 assists set a new program single-game record.
 
Lauren Knudson jumpstarted the Hopkins offense with back-to-back three-pointers to give the Blue Jays a 6-2 lead early in the first quarter. Jocelyn Goldstein—playing in her first game in over a month—sparked a six-point burst with consecutive baskets that extended the lead to 12-4 midway through the opening period.
 
An old-fashioned three-point play from Stephanie Theodossakos ignited a 15-0 Hopkins run over a span of 3:22, pushing the lead to 29-9 after a three-pointer from Layla Henderson capped the surge. The Blue Jays carried a 29-11 advantage into the second quarter.
 
Hopkins continued to pull away in the second period, using a 20-0 run midway through the quarter to build a 49-15 lead after another Henderson three-pointer. Knudson added her fourth three of the half later in the period, sending the Blue Jays into halftime with a 54-20 lead. Hopkins shot 46.7 percent from beyond the arc in the opening half.
 
Hunter increased its defensive pressure after the break and forced four consecutive Hopkins turnovers, but the Blue Jays regrouped and slowed the tempo. The Hawks briefly trimmed the deficit to under 30 on several occasions, but Hopkins maintained control and took a 75-46 lead into the final quarter.
 
The Blue Jays continued their strong shooting in the fourth as Knudson connected on her sixth three-pointer of the game—a new Johns Hopkins NCAA Tournament record—to extend the lead to 90-48. Hopkins eventually closed out the 100-59 victory to advance to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
Knudson led the Blue Jays with a career-high 22 points on 8-of-11 shooting, including a tournament program-record six three-pointers. Emily Collins added 17 points, while Henderson finished with 14 and Faith Williamson chipped in 11. Macie Feldman pulled down a game-high 10 rebounds, and Kendall Dunham dished out a game-high nine assists.
 
Johns Hopkins returns to action on Saturday, March 7, when the Blue Jays face Baldwin Wallace in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Championship. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

 
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