WAYNESBURG – Three players finished in double figures to lead the W&J women's basketball team to a hard fought 81-74 road win over Waynesburg University in Presidents' Athletic Conference play at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
Senior forward Danielle Parker (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) filled the stat sheet with 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and four steals. Sophomore forward Alie Seto (Allison, Pa./Brownsville) contributed 19 poinnts, six rebounds and three steals in another efficient offensive performance.
Freshman point guard Kylie McKennen (Triadelphia, W.Va./Wheeling Park) scored a season-best 16 points, including a 10-for-15 night at the free throw line. McKennen tacked on a game-high 10 assists to record her first double-double.
Both teams exchanged several made baskets to open up the contest. A layup by Seto gave W&J a 6-5 edge at the 7:45 mark of the first. Freshman guard Carlee Stelter (Wampum, Pa./Mohawk) then followed with a three-point basket to make the score 9-5.
After a pair of free throws by Waynesburg, Seto tacked on the next five points to push the W&J edge to 14-7 with 5:58 left in the quarter. The teams continued to trade scores on the offensive end before sophomore Hannah Johnston (East Freedom, Pa./Central) connected on a jumper to make the score 27-19 with 1:31 remaining. Waynesburg closed out the scoring with a triple to bring the score to 27-22 after 10 minutes.
Following a strong offensive quarter to open the game, the two defenses locked in over the next 10 minutes of play. After another triple helped Waynesburg trim the deficit to two points (27-25), W&J responded with an 8-2 run to strengthen the lead to 35-27 after a triple by Parker.
The Presidents were able to take a 39-32 advantage into halftime after converting 50 percent (16-of-32) field goals during the first half.
Early in the third quarter, the host Yellow Jackets cut the deficit to five points until multiple occasions before another layup by Seto pushed the lead to 49-40 at the 5:59 mark. A little later another layup by Seto made the score 53-44 with 3:27 to play in the quarter.
Waynesburg would work themselves back into the thick of things, cutting the W&J lead to 53-49 late in the third. However, Parker drained a three from straight on to give the Presidents a six-point lead (57-51) after 30 minutes.
The Presidents did a nice job keeping the Jackets at a distance throughout the fourth. Two free throws by McKennen stretched the lead into double figures at 67-57 with 4:33 to play. Waynesburg kept battling but McKennen converted six more free throws to put the game away.
W&J did damage at the free throw line, converting 24-of-34 attempts (73.9 percent). The Presidents committed a season-low nine turnovers while forcing the Jackets to cough up the ball 16 times.
The Presidents return to action with a non-conference contest against Kenyon College on Saturday, Feb. 9. Start time is scheduled for 1 p.m. in the Henry Memorial Center.