WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Senior forward Danielle Parker (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) registered her third double-double of the season to lead the Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team to a 63-49 victory over Westminster College in Presidents' Athletic Conference play at the Henry Memorial Center.

Parker poured in a game-high 17 points while adding 10 rebounds to lead the Presidents to their third straight conference win.

After Westminster opened up an early 6-2 advantage, W&J used a 13-0 run to surge into the lead at 15-6 with 4:12 to play in the opening quarter.

Sophomore guard Lauren Gilbert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) sparked the run, draining three-pointers on three straight possession for the Presidents. Gilbert's final trey gave W&J a 13-6 advantage with 4:46 to play in the first quarter. Moments later, jumper by Parker extended the lead to nine points and forced Westminster to use a timeout.

Late in the first quarter, W&J pushed the lead to 21-8 with back-to-back baskets by sophomore forward Maria Lawhorne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum). The Presidents carried a 23-10 lead into the second quarter.

W&J continued to hold a lead of at least eight points for the entirety of the second quarter. A layup by Parker in the final minute of the quarter allowed the Presidents to take a 38-26 lead into halftime.

The Presidents continued to maintain control of the game in the third quarter. Two free throws by Gilbert made the score 54-36 with 1:03 to play in the third, giving W&J its largest lead of the game at 18 points.

Defense played a major role in the victory for W&J, as the Presidents limited Westminster to 32.1 percent from the field, including just 3-of-16 from behind the three-point line. The Presidents also forced the Titans to commit 18 turnovers. In addition to its defensive advantage, W&J out-rebounded Westminster by a 49-34 margin, which included a 16-6 lead in offensive boards. 

Gilbert joined Parker in double figures, as the sophomore tallied 13 points. Lawhorne provided a lift off of the bench, recording eight points and eight rebounds. Sophomore forward Alie Seto (Allison, Pa./Brownsville) added eight points and eight rebounds in the victory.

Defensively, Kylie McKennen (Triadelphia, W.Va./Wheeling Park) and Hannah Johnston (East Freedom, Pa./Central) recorded three steals each.

The win improved the Presidents to 3-1 in PAC play and 5-5 overall. The Titans drops the Titans to 2-2 in conference play and 4-5 overall.

W&J returns to action when they travel to take part in the two-day Cruzin Classic. The Presidents open play against Earlham College on Wednesday, Dec. 19. Start time is scheduled for 8 p.m.