HAVERFORD, Pa. — The Haverford College women's basketball team (2–0) defeated Rutgers-Camden (0-2), 72–54, under the lights of Calvin J. Gooding '84 Arena on Tuesday evening. The Fords used a dominant second quarter to seize control, outscoring the Scarlet Raptors 28–10 to secure their second straight win to open the season.
Haverford's defense set the tone early, forcing eight turnovers in the opening quarter and converting them into eight points on the other end. Audrey Jakway put the Fords on the board with a tip-in at the 6:25 mark, followed by a layup from Caroline Orza to give Haverford a 4–3 advantage. Orza continued to pace the offense, knocking down a three-pointer at 4:26 and sinking two free throws at 3:06 to extend the lead. Despite a late three-pointer from Rutgers-Camden's Hope Goodwine, the Fords held a 16–12 lead after 10 minutes of play.
The Scarlet and Black broke the game open in the second quarter, dominating both ends of the floor. Jakway anchored the inside attack with several key rebounds and layups, while Georgia Koff-Gilmore facilitated the offense with crisp passing. Bri Heafey connected from long range and added multiple layups to stretch the advantage to 35–22. Orza closed the half with a layup and free throw to give the Fords a commanding 44–22 halftime lead.
Rutgers-Camden found momentum in the third quarter, capitalizing on Haverford turnovers to narrow the gap. Gabriella Toledo's fast-break layup at the 9:03 mark highlighted a 19–13 edge in the period for the visitors. Courtney Edmundo added a layup and a three-pointer late in the frame, but Haverford maintained a 57–41 advantage entering the final stanza.
The Fords controlled the fourth quarter to seal the victory. Jakway set the tone with an early block and rebound, while Shae Mercer and Heafey contributed key baskets in transition. Orza delivered the dagger with a three-pointer in the closing seconds to cap the 72–54 win.
Orza led all scorers with 24 points and 10 rebounds, adding five steals in a stellar two-way performance. Heafey chipped in 13 points and three steals, while Jakway tallied 10 rebounds and two blocks. Koff-Gilmore dished out a team-high five assists.
Edmundo paced Rutgers-Camden with 22 points and nine rebounds, while Goodwine added 15 points, including three three-pointers, and four assists. Toledo contributed five points and three steals in the effort.
The Fords will return to Gooding '84 Arena on Saturday, November 15, when they host Elizabethtown, a team receiving votes in the D3Hoops.com poll and ranked #22 in the WBCA Coaches Poll as of October 28. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.
