WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson College women's basketball team posted a convincing 72-53 victory over Westminster in a battle of 2-0 teams on Saturday afternoon at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
The Presidents and Titans entered the matchup tied atop the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) standings along with Saint Vincent. After not trailing in after the first quarter in either of its first two games, W&J found itself behind 27-24 with just over four minutes remaining the first half.
The Presidents closed the first half with a 10-2 run and opened the second half with a 14-4 spurt, as W&J outscored Westminster 24-6 over a nine-and-a-half-minute stretch to take control of the game.
Westminster used an 11-3 run to take its first and largest lead of the game at 27-24 with 4:17 left in the first half.
After a full timeout from coach Jina DeRubbo, W&J responded with a Hannah Johnston (East Freedom, Pa./Central) jumper. After a Westminster basket, the Presidents closed the quarter on an 8-0 run. Maria Lawhorne (Pittsburgh, Pa./Plum) had a layup to bring the Presidents back within one before Piper Morningstar (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) converted a pair of layups to put W&J ahead 34-29 at the half. Alie Seto (Allison, Pa./Brownsville) added a layup as W&J scored 10 points in just over two minutes of game time.
After neither team led by more than five points in the first half, W&J surged ahead early in the second half. Alie Seto converted a pair of jumpers and a three-point play. Lauren Gilbert (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) made a pair of free throws, Johnston connected on a jumper and Lawhorne added three points as the Presidents outscored Westminster 14-4 in the first 5:10 of the third quarter and took a 48-33 lead.
The Titans scored the next five points to pull back within 10, but W&J would not allow Westminster to get back within 10 for the rest of the afternoon. Johnston scored four-straight points and Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills) knocked down a three to close the third quarter with a 55-40 advantage.
After four minutes of fourth-quarter action without a field goal for either team, W&J pushed the game out of reach with a 12-2 run with five points from Seto, four from Lawhorne and a Kamryn Lach (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) three as W&J led 68-45 with 3:33 left in regulation.
Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) scored to push the Presidents' lead to a game-high 25 (72-47) with two minutes remaining. went on to win 72-53.
Lawhorne led the way with a season-high 19 points and eight rebounds. Seto scored 13 of her 17 points in the second half and grabbed 10 rebounds. Gilbert connected on three three-pointers on her way to 11 points. Johnston finished a game-high plus-28 in 33 minutes to go with eight points and five rebounds.
The Presidents dished 21 assists on 28 made field goals and outscored Westminster 40-24 in the paint.
W&J outscored Westminster 8-3 over the first 4:27 of the game as Lawhorne notched a three-point play and another layup. Gilbert's three gave the Presidents a five-point first quarter lead. However Westminster scored the next five points to tie the game at eight with four minutes to play in the opening quarter.
Gilbert drained another three, Seto had a layup and Lach made a jumper as W&J worked ahead to a 15-10 lead in the final minute of the quarter. A late Titan basket made it 15-12 Presidents through 10 minutes.
Gilbert and Koeck connected on threes early in the second quarter to push W&J ahead 21-16, but Westminster's 11-3 run to lead 27-24 with 4:17 left in the first half. DeRubbo called a timeout and the Presidents embarked on their 24-6 run over the next 10 minutes of game time.
W&J improves to 3-0. They have outscored the opposiition by 26.3 points in those contests.