WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team claimed a 64-54 victory over the visiting Chatham Cougars Tuesday evening in the Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) scored a career-high 24 points. She logged and 80% field goal percentage and went one-for-one from beyond the arc. She made a team-high two steals while adding five rebounds and an assist to her impressive showing.
Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa./Indiana Area) and
Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) joined Loutsion in double figures with 15 and 12 points, respectively.
Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) tallied a team-high five assists and
Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds.
Even and steady offense kept the game close throughout the first half of the outing as both teams juggled the lead. After three ties throughout the first quarter, Chatham was able to pull ahead slightly and gain the largest lead of the game up to that point with an eight-point margin at the 2:06 mark.
A good three pointer by Cherry lessened the lead to 19-14 heading into the second quarter.
Two layups at the beginning of the second quarter by Kovalchick and a three pointer pulled the Presidents ahead 21-19 for their first lead since the fifth minute of play. After three more lead changes a made shot from beyond the arc by the Cougars sent both teams into the half tied at 32.
Both teams were neck and neck, exchanging the lead three additional times until they sat tied at 47-47 with 2:52 remaining in the third quarter. Loutsion and Bezjak each tallied points at the charity stripe to gain a six-point lead with Bezjak sinking two and Loutsion hitting four-of-four. A layup from Chatham ended the quarter at a score of 53-49 in favor of W&J.
In the fourth, the Presidents put up 11 points and limited Chatham to five in the final 10 minutes of play to assert a 64-54 triumph over their PAC opponent.
The Presidents hit the road to take on the Grove City Wolverines in conference play on Wednesday (Dec. 4). The game is set to get underway at 5:30 p.m.
