Arlington, VA…Haverford's Jacquelyne Pizzuto made a field goal on the game's final shot to lift the Fords past The College of New Jersey women's basketball team 50-49 in the title game of the Pablo Coto Tip-Off Tournament on Saturday.
 
The Fords moved to 2-0 following the tournament hosted by Marymount University, while the Lions drop to an even 1-1 as they get ready for their home opener on Wednesday, November 20 against Moravian College.
 
The final 17 seconds of the game saw three lead changes as the team's finished with a flourish. After TCNJ's Kylie O'Donnell (Magnolia, NJ/Sterling) and made three free throws with 1:41 left to put the Lions in front 46-45, neither team scored until the final 20 seconds.
 
Elizabeth Lynch sank a 3-pointer for the Fords with 17 seconds left putting Haverford in front 48-46, but the Lions quickly got down the floor and O'Donnell made a lay-up and was fouled. She sank the ensuing free throw with 13 seconds left giving TCNJ one final lead, but at the other end of the floor Pizzuto made the game's final shot giving the Fords the tournament title.
 
O'Donnell, who was named to the all-tournament team, poured in a game-high 22 points for the Lions, including a 7-for-7 performance from the foul line. Senior Colleen Duffy (Spotswood, NJ/Spotswood) chipped in with seven points and senior Kelly Roddy (Belmar, NJ/St. Rose) and junior Kelly Coughlin (Trumbull, CT/Trumbull) each finished with six.
 
TCNJ got out of the gate quickly racing out to a 9-2 advantage, which turned out to be its biggest lead of the half. The Lions reached that margin when Coughlin connected from behind the 3-point arc.
 
The Fords slowly gained momentum and took their first lead of the game at 18-16. Haverford was able to keep the lead going into the half, but the Lions trimmed it to a point at 25-24.
 
The game stayed close throughout the second half and in the final two minutes, no team led by more than two points and there were also four ties in that time frame leading up to the fast finish.