CALDWELL, N.J. – The Tigers went on a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to tie the game at 53-53. Looking to get back on track, the #3/4 Thomas Jefferson University women's basketball team (29-1) held their own and outpaced the Tigers 12-4 in the final minutes as the Rams beat Holy Family University (21-9) to advance to the CACC Championship Finals for the ninth time in school history.
 
WHAT HAPPENED
Taylor Hinkle and Ava Morrow got the Tigers out to a 5-2 lead for Holy Family. Jefferson responded by shots made from Morgan Robinson, Sam Yencha, and Cassie Murphy to get ahead 8-5. Emma Kuczynski hit her shot while Robinson and Murphy added points to their own statline, getting up 14-8. Yencha put up another basket that put the Rams up 16-12 heading into the break.
 
Yencha kept attacking the Holy Family defense, scoring six points in less than two minutes. Haley Meinel made both free throws to give Jefferson a double digit lead, 24-14, over Holy Family. Holy Family began to climb back against the Rams, going on a 12-6 run behind Carly Bolivar and Jenn Kokolus layup while Hinkle made a three to get the Tigers within two points of Jefferson. Meinel hit a three pointer to give a cushion for Jefferson, with the Rams heading into the break up 31-28.
 
Morrow made a layup and three pointer while Carolyn Prevost converted her own shot, putting the Tigers ahead of Jefferson 35-31 with momentum swinging their way. The Rams looked to take the intensity in the air for their own, riding on a 16-2 run to the end of the third quarter as Jefferson went up 51-37. Yencha and Meinel each scored six points during that run, with Murphy putting in up four points in those 10 minutes.
 
Meinel got the first basket in the fourth to get the lead up by 16. The Tigers once more took momentum over, putting a 12-0 run that held Jefferson scoreless for almost five minutes. Hinkle scored eight of those points in a row for Holy Family. Morrow hit her three pointer cut the Rams' lead to four. Prevost and Hinkle each made a layup to even it out with Jefferson 53-53. Robinson made sure that was short lived with a layup, putting Jefferson back onto   with 1:58 in the matchup. Meinel's layup made it a two-possession game. A couple fouls on the Tigers put Kuczynski at the line, making one of her free throws to put it at 58-53. Tigers missing their shots, they would foul the Rams. Robinson went 5-6 at the line, with Kuczynski making her two attempts as Jefferson escaped a tight contest with Holy Family 65-57 to enter the CACC Championship Finals.
 
INSIDE THE BOXSCORE
Sam Yencha: 18 points on 9-of-19 shooting, 8 rebounds, 3 assists
Haley Meinel: 17 points on 7-of-12 shooting (1-3 3PT), 5 rebounds, 4 steals
Morgan Robinson: 13 points on 4-of-7 shooting, 5-6 FT, 8 rebounds, 6 assists, 3 steals
Cassie Murphy: 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting, 6 rebounds, 3 steals
 
UP NEXT
Jefferson will make their first CACC Championship Final appearance since 2021-2022 season. They look to capture the conference title since 2019-2020 when the Rams take on rival and #2 seed in the South Chestnut Hill College. The Griffins beat Goldey-Beacom 66-48 to advance to the finals. Jefferson makes their ninth appearance in the CACC Championship. The Rams are currently 4-4 in the title game.