WAYNESBURG, Pa. -- Senior guard Taylor Cortazzo (Irwin, Pa./Penn-Trafford) became the 16th player in Washington & Jefferson women's basketball history to reach 1,000 career points, but the Presidents couldn't maintain a fourth quarter lead in a 71-66 defeat at Waynesburg.

Despite the loss, which drops W&J to 16-8 overall and 13-4 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, the Presidents clinched the No. 2 seed and a double bye to the semifinals in next week's PAC Championship Tournament by virtue of Saint Vincent's loss at Thomas More. TMC, W&J's opponent for Saturday's regular season finale, has already secured hosting right for the PAC semifinals and finals which will take place in Crestview Hills, Kentucky next Friday-Saturday, Feb. 24-25. Waynesburg, locked in a battle for fourth in the league standings, improves to 14-10 on the year and 10-7 in league action after completing the regular-season sweep.

Cortazzo reached exactly 1,000 points at the free throw line at the 4:15 mark of the first quarter. It was a fitting place as the guard is a career 79 percent shooter, with nearly one-fourth (222) of her point total coming at the charity stripe.

W&J took a three-point lead into the locker room when it led, 30-27, at intermission. A 6-0 run later in the third quarter extended the margin to match the game high of seven points early in the fourth period, but Waynesburg answered by making three triples during a 12-0 run to make the game 57-52 Yellow Jackets with six minutes to play.

A quick five points by Rachel Bellhy (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) tied the game at 57-57, but the home team scored the next six points and never surrendered the lead again en route to the 71-66 victory.

Bellhy led the Presidents with 19 points and a game- and career-high 14 rebounds, her fifth career double-double and second in the last three games. She also tied for the game lead with four assists. Danielle Parker (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) added 16 points and eight boards, while Cortazzo was the third President in double figures at 14 points behind a 9-of-10 showing at the free throw line.

Saturday's tip-off against Thomas More is scheduled for 1 p.m., and prior to the Red Out game, W&J will recognize both Cortazzo and Danni Medovich (Frederick, Md./Walkersville) with a Senior Day ceremony.