HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team began the 2026 portion of the schedule with a resounding victory, as the Fords used a strong first half and a balanced scoring attack to pull away from Immaculata, earning a 71-55 triumph Saturday afternoon at Gooding '84 Arena. The Fords improved to 8-4 on the season, while the Mighty Macs slipped to 8-3 in defeat.
Haverford never trailed after the opening quarter and led for more than 37 minutes, building a double-digit advantage before halftime and fending off an Immaculata push in the third quarter.
After a brief early deficit, the Fords seized momentum midway through the first quarter. Audrey Jakway jump-started the run with a three-pointer off a turnover, and Brianna Feifer added back-to-back fast-break layups as Haverford rattled off a 7-0 spurt to take a 15-9 lead with 3:38 remaining in the opening stanza. Caroline Orza capped the opening period with a second-chance three in the final seconds, giving the Fords a 20-15 edge after one period.
Haverford extended its advantage in the second quarter with its most decisive stretch of the afternoon, as an 8-0 run put the Fords up 28-17 and Orza knocked down a three at the 2:42 mark to make it 34-23.
Georgia Koff-Gilmore followed with a second-chance triple, and Jakway finished the half with a layup in traffic before a Shae Mecer jumper in the paint as the Fords took a 42-29 lead into the break. The Fords shot 52.9 percent from the field in the second quarter and forced key turnovers that led directly to fast-break opportunities, finishing the half with a 10-4 edge in points off turnovers.
Immaculata opened the third quarter with renewed energy, trimming the margin behind a strong interior effort from Abby Grillo. The Mighty Macs scored eight unanswered points over a four-minute stretch to pull within 46-37, their closest margin since early in the game. Haverford responded with timely defense and transition scoring, including a layup from Koff-Gilmore off a turnover to restore an 11-point cushion with 3:52 to go. Still, the visitors held the Fords to just 11 points in the quarter, cutting the deficit to 53-43 heading into the fourth.
Haverford put the game away with a 13-2 stretch in the fourth frame as Orza and Jakway came alive during the surge and Jakway's driving layup with 1:13 remaining in regulation gave the Fords their largest lead since 46-29, with the score now showing 69-53 and the game all but out of reach in the closing moments.
The Fords went 6-for-12 from the free-throw line in the quarter and limited Immaculata to 33.3 percent shooting over the final 10 minutes. Immaculata added just one three-pointer on the contest, going 1-of-21 from beyond the arc.
Orza led all scorers with 21 points, adding six rebounds and two assists, while Jakway posted a double-double, her third in the last four games, with 19 points and 14 rebounds. Koff-Gilmore added 14 points off the bench, and Feifer chipped in 10 points with two steals as Haverford finished with a 46-40 rebounding advantage.
Grillo led Immaculata with 19 points to go with four steals, while Carly Coleman recorded a double-double, tallying 16 points and 12 rebounds in the loss.
Haverford next returns to action on Wednesday, January 7 at 4 p.m. as the Fords resume conference play at Franklin & Marshall.
