BETHANY, W.Va. -- Taylor Cortazzo (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) scored a career-high 35 points on Saturday afternoon, Feb. 11, to help the Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team to an 89-86 double overtime win at Bethany in Presidents' Athletic Conference action.

With the win, the Presidents (16-7, 13-3 PAC) extended their active season-long winning streak to seven games.

The Presidents faced their largest deficit of the game when they trailed 50-42 with 7:39 remaining in the game. Cortazzo then led a 18-7 run, scoring 13 of the 18 points herself, including a three-pointer to end the run which gave W&J a 60-57 lead. Bethany fought back, however, and regained a three-point lead with just eight seconds remaining in the game. After getting fouled on a half court buzzer beater attempt, Danni Medovich (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) sank all three free throws to send the game to overtime, tied 66-66.

Holding onto a one-point lead with just 11 seconds remaining in the first overtime period, Rachel Bellhy (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) connected on two free throws to pad the Presidents' lead to three points. The Bison found some magic of their own as Haley Holenka was able to hit a three with four seconds remaining to force the second overtime period with the score tied at 78 per side.

The Presidents were able to limit the Bison to just one field goal in the second overtime as Bethany scored five of its seven points from the free throw line while the Presidents scored 11 points, seven on free throws, to secure the victory.

Cortazzo's 35 points marks her first-career 30-point game and the most points scored in a single game by a President since Beka Bellhy scored 36 on Feb. 26 last season, while Cortazzo is also just two points away from becoming the 16th player in program history with 1,000 career points. She also tied her career high with five steals in the game while recording two assists, a block and hitting on 9-of-10 free throws. 

Bellhy finished the game with 20 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double in the last three games, and connected of 10 of her 12 free throw attempts, both career highs, and came away with three steals on defense. Medovich scored 11 points to go along with five rebounds and five assists while Mia Woytovich (Charleroi, Pa./Charleroi) totaled nine points and four steals.

The Presidents' offense came alive in the second half, shooting 51.9 percent (14-of-27) from the field while making 27-of-34 free throw attempts, the most makes in a game since hitting 29 against Penn State-Behrend on March 2 last season. W&J held advantages in points off turnovers (23-17), bench points (11-4), points in the paint (32-24) and fast break points (6-0) while the 89 points for the game ties their season high.

W&J will look to extend its winning streak to eight games on Wednesday, Feb. 15, in a PAC road contest at Waynesburg.