NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Tuesday night's early-season Presidents' Athletic Conference contest was late starting. However once visiting Washington & Jefferson College settled in from their transportation troubles, the visiting Presidents were right on time.
Defending PAC champion W&J women's basketball team connected on 45% of its floor shots – including 11 of 31 from beyond the arc – en route to a 75-37 win over Westminster College.
On Ron Galbreath Court inside Buzz Ridl Gymnasium, the host Titans took a 12-point lead with 4:36 remaining in the first frame. From that juncture, though, the Presidents profited from the 3-point line.
With 2 minutes remaining to intermission W&J's Adalynn Cherry chucked in a triple, providing the Presidents with their first lead (22-20). Skylar Bibbee, off the bench, bucketed another pair of treys extending the visitors' margin at intermission to 28-20.
Westminster was unable to recover, owing to 13 second-half turnovers.
Washington & Jefferson (3-0 PAC, 5-1 overall) was led in scoring by Cherry and Meghan Dryburgh, with 14 and 13 points, respectively, while Bryn Bezjak bucketed 9 and was credited with 6 steals. Also Victoria Koeck snared 7 rebounds – one more than Dryburgh. Cherry and Dryburgh evenly divided 10 dimes, also, while Cherry was credited with 5 steals.
Coach Jina DeRubbo's Presidents produced 31-for-69 (45%) shooting from the field. Led by Cherry's 4-for-7 marksmanship, W&J connected on 35.5% of its attempts from the 3-point line. Those compared with Westminster's respective totals of 15 for 45 (33%) and 2 for 16 (12.5%).
Additionally, Westminster was outrebounded 38-28 and was guilty of 24 miscues. The latter resulted in a 36-9 scoring differential for W&J, which committed only 10 turnovers.
Westminster (2-1, 4-1) was led in scoring by senior Lindsay Bell's game-high 18-point performance. Bell (Youngstown, Ohio/Ursuline High) brokered an 8-for-12 shooting effort, including a triple.
Also for Coach Rosanne Scott's Titans junior forward Katie Fitzpatrick (Cumberland Center, Me./Greely High) hauled down a half-dozen rebounds, and senior guard Camden Hergenrother (Salem, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney High) contributed 6 assists, 5 rebounds and 5 steals.
Westminster welcomes Pitt-Greensburg in a non-conference contest, Tuesday, Nov. 29, beginning at 6 p.m.
