WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team returned from the holiday break in dominant fashion to cap off the 2022 calendar year with a 55-29 win over York College Thursday afternoon at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium. Freshman guard Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) finished with a season-high 17 points off the bench to lead the Presidents.
The win is the 10th straight for W&J, who improves to 11-1 overall and remains 7-0 in the PAC. York falls to 4-8 overall.
W&J opened the game with nine-straight points. Four of W&J's five starters scored during the game-opening run. York ended a six-plus minute scoring drought to open the game when Taylor Burda drained a triple at the 4:25 mark. A late three by Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills) gave W&J a 12-6 lead after 10 minutes of play.
Just as they did in the first quarter, W&J opened the second period with another lengthy run. The Presidents tallied the first eight points of the second quarter. Loutsion jump-started the offense in the second, as the first-year President drained back-to-back three-point field goals to extend the lead into double figures. Loutsion converted a layup to stretch the W&J lead to 22-7 at the 7:24 mark. The 15-point lead was the largest of the first half for the Presidents. York was able to slowly chip away at its deficit and cut the W&J lead to 27-17 at halftime.
Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa. / Forest Hills) nailed two shots from beyond the arc to give the Presidents offense some life in a relatively low-scoring third quarter. W&J led by a 36-21 margin after 30 minutes of play.
In the fourth quarter, the Presidents stepped on the gas and built their lead to as many as 28 points. Skylar Bibbee (Fairfax, Va. / Chantilly) banked in a three for W&J's first points of the quarter. Alyssa Pollice (Pittsburgh, Pa. / Bishop Canevin) finished off a gritty layup while Brianna Toal(Pittsburgh, Pa. / Moon Area) nailed an open three pointer from the top of the key during the quarter. Loutsion tallied nine points in the final frame to complete her strong efffort.
Dryburgh finished with 10 points and matched a career-high with 16 rebounds. The double-double effort is the sixth of the season and 14th of Dryburgh's collegiate career.
Koeck turned in a solid all-around efficient effort with nine points, nine rebounds and three blocks. Koeck sank three-of-four attempts from behind the three-point line. Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) filled the stat sheet with eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks.
W&J held York to 18.2% from the field (10-55) and 13 % from beyond the arc (3-23). W&J also out-rebounded York by a 55-34 margin.
The Presidents return to action on Thursday, Jan. 5 when they travel to Geneva College for a Presidents' Athletic Conference game at 6 p.m.