Washington & Jefferson (7-1, 2-0) vs. Carnegie Mellon (4-3, 0-0)
 
When: Wednesday, December 17, 2025
Where: Washington, Pa.
Court: Salvitti Family Gymnasium
Tipoff: 12:00 p.m.

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SERIES HISTORY: The Washington & Jefferson College Presidents will take on the Tartans of Carnegie Mellon University for the 50th time in the history of women's basketball contests between the two institutions. Over the last ten matchups, play has been relatively even, with W&J holding a narrow 6-4 advantage during that span. Although Carnegie Mellon is currently a member of the University Athletic Association, it competed in the same league as W&J from the 1982–83 season through the 1989–90 season—spending two years in the Pennwood West Athletic Conference and six years in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
 
SCOUTING THE TARTANS: Carnegie Mellon is led by second-year head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller, a member of one of the most accomplished basketball families in the greater Pittsburgh region. In her first season, she guided CMU to 21 wins—tied for the most in program history—along with a second-place finish in the UAA and the program's fourth NCAA Tournament victory. The Tartans and Presidents have shared two common opponents so far this season: Cortland and Marietta. W&J defeated Marietta and fell to Cortland, while CMU posted the exact opposite results against those two teams.
 
PROGRAM PINNACLE: The Washington & Jefferson Presidents' 2024–25 campaign was the best in the 51-year history of women's basketball at the College. The team's 24 wins tied the program record for most in a single season, and it's thrilling overtime victory over No. 24 Messiah in the first round of the NCAA Tournament marked the first national tournament win in program history. W&J also secured its 13th conference tournament championship with a title-round triumph over Chatham.
 
STRONG START: Through their first eight games, the Presidents sit at 7–1, the best overall record of any PAC team. W&J has a history of strong starts, opening 9–1 in each of the past two seasons, including a 17–1 mark in 2022–23, when their second loss didn't come until January 28.
 
BATTLE-TESTED: W&J's schedule has already featured five opponents that reached their respective conference championship games last season, including two that went on to win their league titles. Furthermore, three of W&J's opponents participated in the NCAA tournament last season. The only loss that the Red & Black have suffered this year came to SUNY Cortland on November 22, when the Red Dragons were ranked 7th in the country by D3hoops.com.
 
PERFECT IN THE PAC: Through the first two games of PAC play, the Presidents are one of four teams who are a perfect 2-0, having picked up wins against Chatham and Franciscan. W&J will play its next league game against Bethany on January 7, marking more than a month between PAC contests.
 
SEASONAL SLOWDOWN: The Red & Black will see limited action with just three games over a 33-day period from November 26 to December 28, largely due to the Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks.
 
CASHING IN: The Presidents rank fifth in the nation as a team in free throw percentage (.823), a mark that ranks best in the PAC. Three W&J players rank among the league's top ten individually in that statistical category. W&J also boasts a three-point field goal percentage that is 25th-best in the nation (.345).
 
DERUBBO-DO-IT-ALL: W&J graduate student Riley DeRubbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) has been a consistent all-around contributor this season, placing in the top 10 among PAC players in seven different statistical categories. Her standout numbers include averages of 16.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 33.6 minutes per game.
 
A LOOK AT THE LEAGUE: The Presidents' Athletic Conference will look different for the 2025-26 season, as Hiram College begins its full-time membership in the league for the academic year. Additionally, the conference moves to a divisional set-up in both men's and women's basketball, with the North and South divisions consisting of six teams each.
 
NATIONAL NUMBERS: In the latest releases of the two premier national polls, W&J is listed among the teams receiving votes in both. Across every updated D3hoops.com and WBCA poll this season, the Presidents have either been ranked or have appeared in the receiving-votes category.