GALLATIN, TN – The Johns Hopkins women's basketball team took on No. 11 University of Chicago in Day 1 of the DIII Music City Classic Friday afternoon, putting together their strongest offensive performance of the season to outscore the Maroon 87-79 at Pickel Field House. The Blue Jays' final point total was their highest of the season, most in a non-conference game since the 2016-17 season, and extends Hopkins' win streak to an impressive eight games dating back to November 14.
 
Michaela O'Neil and Kendall Dunham led the way of the offensive end for the Jays, finishing with a team-high 21 points apiece. The mark set a new career-high for both players with Dunham going a near-perfect 13-14 from the charity stripe while O'Neil shot an impressive 8-13 from the field. Also cracking double figures was Macie Feldman, who racked up 13 points to pair with team-best marks in assists (4) and steals (2). Greta Miller paced Hopkins in rebounds with nine to go along with her eight points, four assists and one block.
 
The two sides' stat lines were nearly identical, with the Blue Jays (9-1, 6-0 Centennial) shooting 40% from the field, 38% from 3-point territory and 74% from the free throw line, while UChicago had a 41/37/71 split. The lead changed hands 10 times in a back-and-forth contest, with neither team able to pull away until the final five minutes.
 
Jadyn Murray established herself early in the contest en route to tallying six points and eight rebounds in just 19 minutes of action, scoring four of Hopkins first seven points on a pair of layups to give her side the early 7-2 lead. A pair of O'Neil free throws made it a 9-4 game before the Maroon (7-3) went on a 10-0 run to fly ahead 15-9.
 
A made jumper by Miller stopped the scoring drought and ignited the Blue Jays' own 9-1 run to retake the lead at 18-16. A personal 5-0 run by Dunham with time winding down made it a 25-20 game in favor of Hopkins, with a layup at the buzzer by UChicago ending the first 25-22.
 
Hopkins cooled off in the second quarter, shooting a game-low 30% compared to 47% for the Maroon, but did enough to enter halftime in front. O'Neil got into double digits to start the second frame, scoring the Jays' first seven points of the quarter, with her deep ball at the 5:20 mark giving Hopkins back the lead at 32-31.
 
The junior's shot from behind the arc was followed by a Miller layup and another 3-pointer from Kara Milliken — just her third of the season — to extend the lead to six. The Maroon had an answer once again, however, using an 8-0 run to jump in front by two before Hopkins would score the next seven with points coming from Grace Soltes, Dunham and Feldman. With the Blue Jays in front 43-39, UChicago converted for the second time on the final possession of the frame, hitting a jumper with the clock winding down to send Hopkins into the break up 43-41.
 
The Blue Jays held the lead despite their leading scorer, Elisabeth Peebles, being held without a point, but the sophomore would break the drought in a third quarter in which Hopkins needed all of her nine points to stay in front.

With neither side scoring in the opening two minutes of the half, Peebles drained her first 3-pointer of the afternoon from the left wing to put the Jays up 46-41. The Maroon made it a one-possession game after a made jumper from just inside the paint by Kate Gross before Maya Johnson — who entered the contest just 30 seconds earlier — knocked down her first 3-pointer of the season to build the lead back to six.
 
Both teams traded buckets until the score read 53-49 and UChicago kickstarted a quick 5-0 run to retake the lead at 54-53. There with the answer, however, was Peebles who hit two straight threes to make it a 59-54, with another made bucket on the Maroon's final shot of the quarter sending the Jays into the final frame up 59-56.
 
After an O'Neil jumper opened the fourth, UChicago got as close as two before Hopkins finally pulled away via a 7-0 run with points coming from Miller and Feldman. From there it was all Dunham, as the sophomore hit a 3-pointer to make it a six-point game before then scoring 11 of the Blue Jays' next 18 points — all from the free throw line — to hold off the Maroon and secure the 87-79 victory.
 
Hopkins returns to action Saturday, Dec. 30 when they take on Kenyon in the final day of the Music City Classic. Tip-off for the Jays' last game of the calendar year is scheduled for 5 p.m. (CT).