WASHINGTON, Pa. -- The Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team earned its 15th win of the season Wednesday when they rolled to a 79-28 win over visiting Franciscan University of Steubenville in a Presidents' Athletic Conference game at Salvitti Family Gymnasium. 

The win improves to the first place Presidents to 12-1 in PAC play and 15-4 overall. The victory is the ninth straight at home for W&J, who is 10-2 overall at Salvitti Gym this season. The loss keeps Franciscan winless at 0-16 overall and 0-10 in the conference. 

The 28 points matches a season-low total by a W&J opponent. Franciscan converted just 16.1 percent from the field (9-of-56), made just 1-of-14 attempts from three-point range and committed 25 turnovers in the loss. 

Freshman guard/forward Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) posted her sixth double-double of her rookie campaign to pace the Presidents. Dryburgh finished with 10 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, two assists and two blocks in 20 minutes. Senior guard Piper Morningstar (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Allegheny) led all players with 16 points and five assists. Freshman guard Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) added 10 points and four steals off the bench. 

Four different Presidents converted the first four field goals as W&J build an early 8-2 lead. Holding a 10-6 lead with 2:37 to play in the first quarter, W&J closed the frame with nine straight points. Bezjak converted a three-point play then sophomore forward Nautica Burwell (Pittsburgh, Pa./Taylor Allderdice) and senior guard Aleena McDaniel(Morgantown, W.Va./Morgantown) followed with field goals to give W&J a 19-6 edge after 10 minutes. 

Dryburgh fueled a 12-0 run to start the second quarter, as the freshman accounted for six quick points as W&J swelled its lead to 31-6 with 8:08 to play before halftime. Consecutive three-point field goals by junior forward Victoria Koeck (Sidman, Pa./Forest Hills) extended the lead to 40-9 at the 2:37 mark. W&J carried a 42-12 advantage into halftime. 

W&J continued to pour it on in the third quarter, as the Red and Black converted 8-of-11 field goals in the frame (72.7 percent) during a 23-point third quarter. Consecutive free throws by Dryburgh and junior forward Maddi Gutierrez(Bridgeville, Pa./South Fayette) pushed the W&J lead to 58-13 lead less than three minutes left in the third. 

A late three-pointer by Bezjak extended the lead to 50 points before a Franciscan three made the score 65-18 W&J after 30 minutes. Freshman Sydney Snyder (Loudonville, Ohio/Loudonville), senior Tori Boalton (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown Area), freshman Samantha Maurer (Washington, Pa./Washington) and freshman Skylar Bibbee(Fairfax, Va. / Chantilly) all found the scoring column during the fourth quarter. W&J outscored Franciscan by a 14-10 margin in the fourth to close out the 51-point win. 

W&J held advantages in points off turnovers (35-7), points in the paint (42-12), bench points (36-14) and rebounding (52-38). 

The victory gives W&J its 15th of the season. The Presidents have reached at least 15 wins in each full season since since 2012-13. 

W&J travels to Thiel for another league game on Saturday, Feb. 5. Tip off from Beeghly Gymnasium is scheduled for 1 p.m.