WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team opened their home 2025 slate with a large-margin win over Thiel, 78-32.
The Presidents elevate to a 12-2 mark overall and remain untarnished in Presidents' Athletic Conference play with a 9-0 record.
The highlight of the night for W&J came as senior guard/forward
Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) hauled in her 1,000
th career rebound in the third quarter to become the second women's basketball player in Presidents' history to log 1,000 career stats in two categories. Dryburgh rests 124 away from breaking the W&J rebound record, currently held by Maggie Gibson '10 (1,125).
W&J distributed time well throughout the bench, having 15 players score.
Hannah Archer (Lowell, Ohio/Fort Frye) led the way in scoring for W&J with 11 points, shooting 4-for-7 from the field and 3-for-5 from beyond the arc.
Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa./Indiana Area) joined her in double-figure scoring with 10 points, five steals and four rebounds.
Riley DeRubbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) also scored a season-high nine points in 14 minutes of action.
The Presidents opened their first home bout of the new year with a 13-4 run in the early going. Dryburgh scored four points in the opening run while
Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) knocked down her 136
th career triple. Back-to-back Archer threes lifted the W&J lead to 13 at the close of the quarter.
Jacey Mullen (New Springfield, Ohio/Springfield Local) kicked off the scoring for W&J in the second quarter followed by another Archer triple to lift the lead to 23-6. Despite shooting 18 percent from the field in the second, W&J managed to hold the Tomcats at bay by the close of the first half, up 29-10.
In the second half, Kovalchick started to click offensively in the paint as she scored eight of her 10 total points on the night in the third quarter. The sophomore center's scoring barrage gave the Presidents a 46-14 lead with four minutes remaining in the third. W&J scored the final 12 points of the quarter sparked by two triple drained by
Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) and DeRubbo to elevate the lead to 58-14.
In the fourth quarter,
Brianna Toal (Pittsburgh, Pa./Moon Area) scored her first points on the season to put the Presidents up 50 before sealing the 78-32 victory over the Tomcats.
W&J held strong advantages in Points off of turnovers (28-6), second-chance points (23-3), bench points (46-10), paint points (42-14) and fast break points (15-4). The Presidents also won the rebounding battle (56-33) while creating 13 more turnovers than the Tomcats (25-12).
The Presidents get back to their structured PAC schedule this weekend as they face the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets, Saturday (Jan. 11). Opening tip is scheduled for 1:00 p.m.
