BALTIMORE - The Swarthmore College women's basketball team pushed No. 5 Johns Hopkins University to the limit in a hard-fought 77-68 loss on Wednesday night. The Garnet were one of only two teams this season to lose by single digits to the undefeated Blue Jays, who have defeated every other opponent by 20 or more points.

Late in the fourth quarter, Swarthmore tied the Blue Jays with 5:19 in regulation. The Garnet kept the game within single digits for the majority of the contest against the high-powered Blue Jays. The matchup featured eight lead changes and three ties.

Catherine Chadwell rose to the challenge, leading the Garnet with 19 points while adding five rebounds and three assists. The rookie finished one point shy of a season high but connected on a season-best nine field goals in an eye-opening performance.

Vianna Kanyamiheto-Watson joined her fellow rookie in double figures with 14 points, while knocking down a game-high four three-pointers on six attempts. Both rookies have been incredibly efficient for the Garnet with each tallying nine double-digit performances through 11 games. 

HOW IT HAPPENED
- The Blue Jays seemed in control early with a 9-2 run to open the contest. The Garnet then stunned its rivals with a 13-2 stretch over the following four minutes of play. Kanyamiheto-Watson fueled the rally with back-to-back threes to ignite nine-straight Swarthmore points. Raven Richardson then closed the stretch with a jumper, giving the Garnet a 13-11 lead with 3:35 left.  

- Hopkins would quickly counter with a 7-2 swing, until Kanyamiheto-Watson notched her third triple of the stanza to tie the game. Hopkins would finish the remaining minutes with a 6-2 edge to take a slim advantage into the first intermission, 24-20.

- Swarthmore started off the second quarter hot with a 7-2 run. Chadwell and Richardson opened the stanza with jumpers to even the score, before Lily Czub eventually hit from long range to take another one-point advantage. 

- The Blue Jays went on their biggest run of the evening, rallying for a 14-2 stretch to take its only double-digit lead of the game. Emy Chen and Chadwell helped salvage the quarter with much-needed buckets to close the half. However, the Blue Jays entered halftime with a 42-33 lead.

- The Garnet outscored the Blue Jays in the third quarter to put the home team on its toes. Chadwell scored seven points during a 9-2 stretch to bring her squad within five points. Later in the quarter, the Garnet maintained pressure with nine-unanswered points to find themselves in front with 3:10 left. Kanyamiheto-Watson kickstarted the run with a three, while Carly Murphy closed the stretch with a go-ahead jumper.

- Despite a devastating blow from the Garnet, Hopkins bounced back with their own 9-0 run to expand its lead back to eight points. Richardson would settle the Garnet down with a bucket in the final minute to bring the game to 59-53. 

- The Blue Jays tried to silence the Garnet with a triple to open the fourth quarter, but the pesky visitors clapped back with an 8-0 run, which featured a pair of Claire Mathews' threes. Midway through the stanza, the Garnet tied the game once more after Murphy rattled home a long deuce at the 5:19 mark.

- Swarthmore remained within an arm's length of its nationally-ranked challenger, but could not overtake the Blue Jays in the remaining minutes. The home team ended the game on a 13-4 run to escape an excellent performance from a gritty Garnet squad. 

GARNET LEADERS
Points: Chadwell 19
Rebounds: Richardson 9
Assists: Chadwell 3
Steals: Watson 5
Blocks: Richardson 4

UP NEXT
The Garnet (3-8, 0-3) return home against Dickinson College on Saturday.