WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College women's basketball team trailed Thiel College by one point after the first quarter, but a 15-0 second quarter run sparked a 73-46 victory for the Presidents in the Salvitti Family Gymnasium on Wednesday evening.
 
Thiel scored the game's first seven points and established an early 10-2 advantage in the game's first four minutes. The Presidents trimmed the deficit to one possession several times in the first quarter, but the Tomcats remained one step ahead, never relinquishing the lead and carrying a 17-16 edge into the second quarter.
 
Courtney Harriman's three extended Thiel's lead to 20-16 with 7:51 left on the second quarter, however the Presidents scored the next 15 points over a five-minute span and never trailed again.
 
Maria Lawhorne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) connected on a jumper and secured a steal that led to Piper Morningstar (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) laying in the game-tying bucket with 6:15 to go in the half.
 
Lawhorne added back-to-back layups and Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills) knocked in a three to push the Presidents ahead 27-20 with 2:43 left in the quarter. Koeck also notched three blocks during the 15-point President spurt.

Alie Seto (Allison, Pa./Brownsville) concluded the run with back-to-back layups, putting the Presidents ahead 31-20 with two minutes to play in the second quarter. Seto added another layup with a 1:01 left to hand W&J a 33-22 halftime lead.
 
The third quarter saw W&J outscore Thiel 21-10. The Presidents registered eight steals in the quarter, including five by Hannah Johnston (East Freedom, Pa./Central). Johnston's final steal and basket of the quarter pushed the Red and Black ahead 54-32.
 
Maddie Gutierrez (Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) scored all nine of her points in the fourth quarter. Catherine Martin (Blairsville, Pa./Blairsville) and Tori Boalton (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area) each got on the score sheet as well in the frame.
 
W&J outrebounded Thiel 51-30 and owned a 26-10 turnover advantage. The Presidents recorded 30 second chance points and 34 points off turnovers.
 
The Presidents established new season-highs with 28 offensive rebounds, 21 steals and eight blocks.
 
Seto finished with 14 points, seven rebounds and three blocks. Lawhorne finished with a dozen points, 10 rebounds and three steals in her second double-double performance of the season.
 
Morningstar poured in 11 points and had five rebounds. Lauren Gilbert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) notched nine points while Johnston had eight points, nine rebounds and five steals.
 
Koeck finished with five points, nine rebounds, five assists, four blocks and a pair of steals.
 
The Presidents travel to Waynesburg for PAC matchup on Saturday, Jan. 11 at 1:30 p.m.