Washington & Jefferson (17-6, 12-2) vs. Bethany (15-8, 10-4)

When: Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Where: Washington, Pa.
Court: Salvitti Family Gymnasium
Time: 7:30 P.M.

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SERIES HISTORY: The Washington & Jefferson College Presidents are set to face the Bison of Bethany College for the 116th time on the hardwood. W&J has dominated the all-time series winning 71 of the 115 matchups between the two institutions. The Presidents have won each of the last eight meetings against Bethany, a streak that began with a PAC Tournament semifinal victory during the 2021–22 season. That win propelled W&J into the championship game, where it went on to capture the program's first conference tournament title since 2010.
 
SCOUTING THE BISON: Bethany College is led by Mikalya Lopez, who is in her fourth year as head coach. The 2025–26 campaign marks the program's most successful season during Lopez's tenure. The Bison opened the year 2–5 but responded with four consecutive victories after the slow start. Since then, Bethany has suffered just three additional losses and put together an impressive nine-game winning streak. That run was snapped by Waynesburg University, and the Bison followed with another setback against Westminster College. Graduate student Lindsey Garrison has been a key contributor for Bethany, averaging 14.6 points per game while shooting 45.2 percent from the field.
 
WHAT HAPPENED LAST TIME AGAINST THE BISON?: W&J was able to pull off a 64-50 victory over the Bison in January of this year at Bethany. Neither team shot well from the field, with W&J converting just 37 percent of its field goal attempts, and Bethany cashing in on just 34 percent of its field goal attempts. Furthermore, the Bison were able to make just one three-point field goal on the day, shooting under 10 percent from beyond the arc.
 
NOTABLE NUMBERS FROM THE MATHCUP:

• Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) reached 1,000 career points in the victory, becoming the 22nd player in program history to do so.
• Raegan Kadlecik (McKees Rocks, Pa./Montour) posted her first, and only, career double-double on the day, racking up 10 points and pulling down 10 rebounds.
• Jaden Wan (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock) tallied 11 points off the bench, making 3 of4 shots from the field, and 5 of 5 attempts from the charity stripe.
• W&J held all but two of Bethany's scorers to six or less points.

 
THE HOME STRETCH: With just two games remaining in the regular season, W&J finds itself tied with Saint Vincent College for the top spot in the PAC South Division. Because Saint Vincent swept W&J in the season series, the Presidents must finish the final two games with a better record than the Bearcats to claim the division title. A victory over Bethany would lock up a first-round home game for W&J in the PAC Tournament.
 
THE STANDARD: Since the 2013-14 season, W&J boasts an impressive 185-35 record against PAC opponents. In the last four seasons alone, the Presidents are 82-7 in league play, and have been crowned conference tournament champions twice.
 
2025-26 LEAGUE LEADERS: The following qualified Presidents rank within the top 10 of PAC statistics at for the 2025-26 season (through games 2/14/26):

- Points Per Game: (15.2) Riley DeRubbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) (5th), (14.8) Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa./Indiana Area) (6th)
- Field Goal Percentage: (.514) Kovalchick (5th)
- Free Throw Percentage: (.846) DeRubbo (2nd), (.800) Kovalchick (5th)
- 3-PT Field Goals Per Game: (2.0) DeRubbo (t-8th)
- Assists Per Game: (3.3) Marina Grado (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) (t-9th)
- Assist/Turnover Ratio: (1.46) Grado (t-3rd)
- Blocks Per Game: (1.1) Kovalchick (t-6th), (0.9) Loutsion (t-10th)
- Minutes Per Game: (31.8) DeRubbo (9th)                           
- Single-Game Points: (30 at Saint Vincent 2/11/26) Kovalchick (t-5th), (29 vs. Allegheny 1/24/26) Kovalchick (t-8th)
 
W&J VS. THE PAC:
Team                           Record                        Pct.
Allegheny                      24-17                        .585
Bethany                         71-34                        .676
Chatham                        43-4                         .915
Franciscan                     11-0                        1.000
Geneva                          36-8                         .818
Grove City                     66-27                        .710
Hiram                              8-5                          .615     
Saint Vincent                 28-21                        .571
Thiel                              69-20                        .775
Waynesburg                  58-18                        .763
Westminster                  43-19                        .694
Total                            457-173                      .725