HAVERFORD, Pa. - The Haverford College women's basketball team (10-12, 2-10 CC) defeated Bi-Co rival Bryn Mawr (5-17, 1-11 CC), 77-53, Wednesday evening inside Gooding '84 Arena. The Fords capitalized on turnovers, scoring 18 points off 21 Owls giveaways, and maintained a 36-18 advantage in points in the paint. Bryn Mawr struggled offensively, shooting 31.7 percent from the field, while the Scarlet and Black placed five players in double figures.
The contest served as Haverford's annual Play with Pride Night, celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion within the Haverford Athletics and the broader college community.
Caroline Orza led Haverford with 18 points and 10 rebounds, securing her ninth double-double of the season. Shae Mercer added 13 points and eight assists, directing the offense throughout the night. Audrey Jakway contributed 16 points and seven rebounds, while Bri Heafey chipped in 10 points and three steals. Brianna Feifer rounded out the balanced scoring effort with 11 points.
Jenny Briggs paced Bryn Mawr with 14 points, connecting on three three-pointers and adding four assists. Michelle Jiang scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting, and Jenna Vollor pulled down 10 rebounds to go along with eight points and one block.
The Fords set the tone early, forcing six Bryn Mawr turnovers in the opening quarter. Jakway opened Haverford's scoring with a jumper at 8:58 off a Mercer assist and later converted a layup following her own offensive rebound. Orza extended the lead with a three-point play at 4:48 to make it 13-4, and a late three-pointer from Orza — assisted by Feifer — helped the Scarlet and Black close the first quarter ahead 20-8.
Haverford held the Owls to just 21 percent shooting in the opening period while out-rebounding Bryn Mawr 14-9 and converting defensive stops into transition opportunities.
The Scarlet and Black continued to build the margin in the second quarter, outscoring Bryn Mawr 20-14. Jakway knocked down a three-pointer at 9:03 and added a layup later in the period, tallying seven points in the frame. Mercer scored six points in the quarter, including a fastbreak layup with two seconds remaining to send Haverford into halftime with a 40-22 lead. Although Sydney Gelhar hit a three-pointer at 1:39 for the Owls, the Fords answered consistently, shooting 8-of-15 in the quarter and dominating the paint with 12 second-quarter points inside.
Out of the break, the Fords maintained control, edging Bryn Mawr 18-16 in the third. Feifer opened the half with a three-pointer at 9:45, and Mercer followed with a jumper at 9:04. Heafey added a layup off a steal at 7:32 to push the lead to 23. The Owls mounted their strongest push midway through the third, cutting the deficit to 47-32 after back-to-back three-pointers from Jiang and Briggs and a Jiang layup at the 4:53 mark. The Scarlet and Black responded quickly. Jakway scored inside at 2:23, and Feifer converted a fastbreak layup at 1:29. Another Feifer basket in the final minute answered a Bryn Mawr jumper, giving Haverford a 58-38 cushion entering the fourth quarter.
The Fords forced eight third-quarter turnovers and converted them into 10 points, while recording six steals in the period.
Heafey opened the final frame with a three-pointer at 9:42 to extend the lead to 61-38. Mercer and Heafey followed with layups to stretch the advantage to 24. Orza added a jumper at 6:09 and later finished a fastbreak layup at 3:06. Urvi Iyer capped the scoring with a jumper at 1:13 and a three-pointer with 44 seconds remaining to secure the 77-53 victory.
Haverford shot 43.7 percent from the field and committed just 10 turnovers, while the Owls finished 19-of-60 from the floor. The Scarlet and Black bench added nine points in support of the starting unit.
Looking ahead, the Fords travel to Gettysburg on Saturday, February 14, with tip-off scheduled for 1 p.m.
