WASHINGTON, Pa. – Fourteen Presidents scored as the Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team overtook the visiting Franciscan Barons by a final score of 92-51 Wednesday evening in the Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
The win improves the Presidents to a 13-2 overall record with a 11-0 mark in Presidents' Athletic Conference play. The win marks the third occasion this season that the Red & Black have come to rest their final score in the 90's.
Four Presidents hit double figures on the evening beginning with
Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa./Indiana Area) who went 9-for-12 from the field and scored a team and career-high 19 points.
Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) followed up with 13 points in the outing, joined in double figures by
Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and
Jordyn Wolfe (Pittsburgh, Pa./Montour) who each put up 10 points each. Bezjak and Loutsion led the team with four assists apiece.
Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) picked up a team-high three steals and Dryburgh pulled down a game high 11 rebounds throughout the night.
W&J went 39-for-77 from the field with their most efficient quarter occurring in the closing quarter of play (10-for-16). W&J's defense held the Barons to over 30 percent from the field (20-for-59) and over 20 percent from beyond the arc (5-for-23).
The Presidents put up 20 points or more in every quarter outside of the second quarter. W&J ended out the first half outscoring the Barons 25-9. Maria McCallen of Franciscan scored all nine points for the opposition in the first 10 minutes. The Barons battled back in the second 10 minutes of play, keeping the scoring close with W&J only outscoring the Barons 18-17.
Loutsion led the first half charge with 10 points going 5-for-5 from the field. Kovalchick tallied eight points under the basket followed closely by seniors Bezjak and Cherry who logged seven and six points respectively. Four Presidents also contributed three points each, including a buzzer beating half-court shot from Dryburgh and three points each from Marino Gardo (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway), Wolfe and
Hannah Archer (Lowell, Ohio/Fort Frye). The team collected 21 rebounds in the first half headed by Dryburgh picking up seven.
W&J limited Franciscan to just eight points in the third while once again logging 25 points and a blazing 17-point run. Kovalchick spurred the scoring spree with three layups with one being converted for an old fashioned three.
Riley DeRubbo contributed to the 17-point surge next with two free throws. Another bucket was scored by Kovalchick followed by another converted three-point play at the foul line, this time completed by
Jacey Mullen (New Springfield, Ohio/Springfield Local). DeRubbo ended the run and the scoring for the Presidents in the quarter with a clean three pointer.
The Red & Black added 24 more points in the final quarter of play to ensure their 92-51 victory over Franciscan.
W&J held strong advantages in points in the paint (58-24), bench points (41-0), points off of turnovers (31-17) and fast break points (28-12). W&J also took control of the rebound game, holding a 49-31 advantage on the boards.
W&J returns to action this coming Wednesday (Jan. 22), as they hit the road to take on the Chatham Cougars. The midweek bout is scheduled to tipoff at 6:00 p.m.
