LANCASTER, PA - Johns Hopkins University guard Katie Kimball scored seven of her team's final 13 points in the last six minutes of the game to lead the Blue Jays past host Franklin & Marshall College 66-61 in Centennial Conference women's basketball action at the Mayser Center.
Trailing 54-53 with 6:21 left on the clock following a three-pointer by Franklin & Marshall guard Maxie Etess (Fr., East Lyme, CT/Lyme-Old Lyme), the Blue Jays (11-4, 8-1 Centennial Conference) rallied to take the lead as Kimball drained a pair of free throws at the 6:02 mark to go in front 55-54.
F&M (4-9, 2-5 Centennial Conference) tied the game at the 3:59 mark as Joanna DiPallo (Fr., Dublin, PA/Pennridge) made the front end of a pair of shots at the charity stripe to knot the game at 55-55, but Kimball knocked down a three-pointer 20 seconds later to start a 5-0 run as forward Julie Miller put back a missed shot at the 2:50 mark to give Hopkins a 60-55 margin.
The Diplomats pulled to within four points at 60-56 as point guard Dana Johns (Sr., York, PA/Eastern York) made the front end of a pair of free throws at the 2:36 mark, but Miller knocked down a jump shot at 2:17 to push the lead to six points at 62-56.
Guard Sarah Meisenberg (Fr., Severna Park, MD/Severn School) chipped the lead back to four points with a lay-up at 1:39, but Kimball and guard Haley Wojdowski converted pairs of free throws in the final minute to lead 66-58 before Etess drained a three-pointer with two seconds left on the game clock for the 66-61 final.
The game was tight throughout the 40 minutes of play as the lead was tied five times and exchanged hands 18 times in the game/
In the first half, the teams traded baskets to an 8-7 JHU lead before Meisenberg made a lay-up and a pair of free throws and DiPallo added a pair at the line to account for a 6-0 run as the Diplomats went ahead 13-8 with 12:47 left until halftime.
Hopkins responded to cut the lead to 13-11 behind a lay-up by Miller and a free throw by forward Andrea Dodrill. However, F&M responded to lead 21-16 and remained ahead 27-21 with 3:21 left in the half.
The Blue Jays went on a 9-2 run capped off by a lay-up and a three-pointer by Miller to lead 30-29 with 31 seconds left in the first half, but Meisenberg dropped in a lay-up with eight seconds left on the clock for a 31-30 Diplomats lead at halftime.
For Hopkins, Miller led the way making 10-of-19 from the field, including one-of-three from beyond the arc, and two-of-two at the line for 23 points with 11 rebounds in 29 minutes. Wojdowski chipped in 10 points, three assists and seven rebounds, while Kimball added 15 points, five rebounds and a pair of steals.
Meisenberg keyed the Diplomats scoring 17 points with four rebounds, a pair of assists and four steals in 30 minutes, while Amanda Miceli (Fr., North Caldwell, NJ/West Essex) and DiPallo came off the bench to score 13 and 12 points, respectively.
Overall, the key to the game was the play of F&M's bench as the Diplomats outscored the Blue Jays 28-8 from the pine.
Franklin & Marshall will continue the season on January 21 at home versus Haverford College in Centennial Conference action. Game time is set for 2:00 p.m.
