WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Five Presidents scored in double figures as Washington & Jefferson pulled away in the fourth quarter of a 77-63 win over Bethany on Senior Day at the Henry Memorial Gymnasium.
The victory improves the W&J women's basketball team to 20-3 overall and 14-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference. It also marks the 13th time since 2002-03 the Presidents have reached the 20-win plateau. With either a win or a Saint Vincent loss next week, W&J will lock up a top two seed in the 2017-18 PAC Women's Basketball Championship Tournament.
On the day W&J's seniors were recognized for their four-year contributions to the program, senior
Amirah Moore (Moon Township, Pa./Moon) tied for the game high with 20 points, her third 20-plus point showing of the season. She also recorded a game- and season-high eight assists on the afternoon. Freshman
Lauren Gilbert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) notched 16 points, including a pair of triples and 6-of-9 showing at the free-throw line, while the trio of seniors
Taley Dunaway (Latrobe, Pa./Greater Latrobe) and
Mya Gordon (Washington, Pa./Washington) and junior
Danielle Parker (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) each chipped in 10 points. Parker also recorded her sixth double-double of the year, and 13th of her career, with a game-leading 14 rebounds.
W&J trailed by as many as seven points (20-13) in the first quarter, but closed the period and began the second with a 16-0 run that lasted 4:45. Over than span, Gilbert scored nine points, Moore produced four and
Alie Seto (Allison, Pa./Brownsville) added three points to give the Presidents a 29-20 lead with 6:40 left in the first half. Bethany quickly got within two points with a 7-0 spurt of its own, 29-27, before the two teams eventually went into halftime tied at 38-38.
Nine straight points from 1:06 of the third to 6:46 of the fourth gave W&J a 10-point lead, 63-53, but the Bison tallied eight of the next 10 points to get as close as they would come, 65-61, with 4:37 to play. The home team controlled the final 4:08, boasting a 12-2 rush that saw W&J hold Bethany to just 1-of-7 from the field before posting the eventual final of 77-63.
W&J produced a season-low seven turnovers, while forcing Bethany into 17 giveaways. Parker snagged three steals to be the only player with multiple takeaways. The Red & Black also held advantages in points in the paint, 40-24, and points off turnovers, 20-11.
The Presidents will welcome Waynesburg to the Henry Memorial Center to conclude this three-game home stand with the final regular season game of the 2017-18 campaign on Wednesday, Feb. 14. Tip-off against the Yellow Jackets is set for 6 p.m.Â
Highlights:
Gordon gets the Presidents on the board first
Gilbert nails a three off a feed from Gordon
Gilbert lays in the fast break bucket
Dunaway hits a step-back jumper late
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