WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team used a strong second half to claim a 66-54 win over visiting Capital University in a non-conference game Saturday afternoon at Salvitti Family Gymnasium.

Three Presidents hit double figures in points Saturday afternoon. Piper Morningstar (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) led W&J with a team-high 16 points. Kamryn Lach (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) added 13 points. Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) registered 12 points with seven rebounds and a career-high four blocks. Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) recorded game highs in both rebounds (11) and assists (6) to aid the Presidents efforts. 

W&J scored the game's first five points as Morningstar converted a jump shot and Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills) drained a three-pointer.

The Presidents led throughout the first quarter and held a five-point lead after the initial 10 minutes of play. Consecutive baskets by Aleena McDaniel (Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown) and Lach gave W&J a 19-14 advantage with 49 seconds to play in the frame. 

Capital outscored W&J by a 14-7 margin in the second quarter to take a arrow 28-26 lead ino halftime. The Presidents struggled shooting during the first half, as they converted just 11 of 40 attempts from the field. W&J made just two of 17 attempts from beyond the three-point line in the first two quarters. 

W&J took control in the early stages of the third quarter. After a three-point basket by Laney Murphy extended Capital's lead to six points (34-28) with 9:17 to play in the frame, the Presidents forged a 14-point run to pull ahead by eight points with 2:58 to play in the third. Berardelli accounted for six points during the run as W&J started to work the ball inside and convert its opportunities in the paint. Another layup by Berardelli made the score 44-38 with 1:16 to play in the quarter. McDaniel connected on a pair of free throws to allow W&J to take a 46-41 edge into the fourth. 

A three-pointer by Koeck and a layup by Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) gave W&J its first double-digit lead at 51-41 with 7:30 remaining. A little more than three minutes later, Morningstar sank a jumper to give W&J a 15-point advantage, its largest of the game. Cherry, Lach and Dryburgh combined to sink five free throws down the stretch. 

The win improves W&J to 3-2 overall while Capital falls to 1-4 in 2021-22. 

W&J opens conference play at Westminster on Wednesday, Dec. 1.  The Presidents and Titans tip off at 5:30 p.m.