NEWPORT NEWS, VA – For the first time in over 25 years, the Johns Hopkins women's basketball team will advance to the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Sweet 16. The Blue Jays' run into the tournament continues following a drama-filled 77-75 victory over host and Division III powerhouse Christopher Newport, ending the Captains' season short of the Round of 16 for first time since 2015.
Four Hopkins players scored north of 10 points in the win, paced by a team-high 18 from
Michaela O'Neil. Joining the junior in double figures were
Macie Feldman (17),
Greta Miller (13) and
Elisabeth Peebles (12), with the Blue Jays' 77 points tying Christopher Newport's season high for points allowed in a game. Feldman also led the way in both rebounds (9) and assists (5), while Miller tacked on a pair of steals and the game-clinching denial with time winding down in the one-possession victory.
Both teams came out firing in an offensive opening quarter that ended with the Captains up four. CNU (27-2) hit a triple on its first possession to break the seal before back-to-back buckets from O'Neil and
Jadyn Murray gave Hopkins (26-3) its first lead of the day at 4-3. After a Feldman triple knotted things at seven, the sides remained within a point of each other before the Captains built a bit of separation with four minutes to go in the first. Growing their lead to as much as six with 2:17 on the clock, O'Neil converted again down low to make it a 23-19 game after one.
Saturday's second quarter belonged to the Blue Jays, who held CNU to just seven points on 19% shooting. Consecutive 3-pointers from Miller and Feldman — the sophomore hit a career-best four triples in the win — turned the bucket to end the first into an 8-0 run that put Hopkins back in front 25-23. CNU used a quick 5-0 response to retake the lead, but it was short-lived as another 9-2 run starting with a freebie from
Layla Henderson and capped off by a Peebles runner sent Hopkins into halftime in front 34-30, marking just the third time all season the Captains trailed at the half.
The third quarter was as close a frame as you'll find, with the score within one possession for all but the opening two minutes. CNU used a 6-2 run to level things at 36 to start the quarter, leveling things again at 38 before it was Hopkins' turn to tie the score at 40 following a pair of Peebles free throws. A perfect trip at the line for Miller gave the Blue Jays back the lead at 44-43, but it was the Captains outscoring Hopkins 3-1 in the final 1:30 to take a 46-45 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
Christopher Newport came out strong to start Saturday's final quarter, using a 9-4 run to take their largest lead of the game since there were three minutes left in the first at 55-49. Unwavering, however, were the Blue Jays, who used three straight triples from Feldman, Miller and Peebles to jump back in front 58-57. Tough and-one conversions by both
Kendall Dunham and Feldman kept Hopkins up three before Miller's easiest look of the day made it 75-70 with 1:29 to go and forced a CNU timeout.
The Captains used the stop in play to their advantage, scoring the next five points to level the game once again at 75, but it was O'Neil drawing contact at the other end to earn a trip to the line with just 21 seconds on the clock. After sinking both to put the Jays in front 77-75, the Captains had three chances to tie or take the lead following offensive rebounds, but on their third attempt it was Miller rejecting a CNU layup attempt and hauling in the rebound to seal the two-point victory and punch Hopkins' ticket to the Sweet 16.
Next up for the Blue Jays is a matchup with Scranton Friday, March 8. Tip-off for the Sweet 16 game is to be determined.
Inside the Box Score — Johns Hopkins
- With the win, the Blue Jays are headed to the Sweet 16 for the fourth time in program history and first since 1998.
- Hopkins' victory over CNU is the second in program history and first in the NCAA Tournament. The Captains won the first NCAA Tournament meeting in 2011, 81-62.
- The Blue Jays ended CNU's home winning streak at 54 games, snapping the longest active streak in Division III and second-longest across all divisions.
- The win is Hopkins' 26th of the season, setting a program record for wins in a single season
- After hitting two threes in tonight's contest, Peebles is now just two away from breaking the program's single-season record for threes set in the 1995-96 season.
- Feldman was unstoppable in the first two rounds of the tournament, averaging 17.5 points on 43% shooting, 8.5 rebounds, five assists and two steals.
