WASHINGTON, Pa. – Junior guard Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and senior center Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) both registered double-double efforts to guide the Washington & Jefferson College women's basketball team to a 70-60 win over visiting Carnegie Mellon University in the Presidents' season opener Friday evening.

Dryburgh, the reigning Presidents' Athletic Conference Player of the Year, finished with 16 points and 18 rebounds to record yet another double-double. Berardelli had an efficient night with 11 points and 10 rebounds.

Sophomore guard Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) added 16 points which was keyed by a four-of-five effort from behind the three-point line. Loutsion recorded a game-high five steals defensively.

W&J made just four field goals in the opening quarter and trailed 17-9 after 10 minutes of play.

A pair of triples by junior Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) and Loutsion trimmed the deficit to 19-17 at the 7:07 mark. A few minutes later, sophomore guard Hannah Archer (Lowell, Ohio / Fort Frye) pushed W&J in front with three-point field goals on back-to-back possessions. The second triple made it 23-22 with 5:17 to play before halftime.

CMU responded and regained the lead before freshman forward Jaden Wan (Newtown, Pa. / Council Rock) made consecutive baskets off assists from Cherry to even the score at 27. After a jumper by Loutsion late in the half, CMU beat the buzzer with a three-pointer to take a 30-29 lead into halftime.

A quick start in the third quarter allowed W&J to right the ship in the second half. The Presidents ripped off seven-straight points behind a pair of buckets by Dryburgh which sandwiched a Loutsion triple. The second Dryburgh field goal of the run made it 36-30 Presidents. CMU countered with nine of the next 11 points to regain a slim 39-38 advantage on a three-pointer by Catherine Or.

W&J was able to take the lead for good with nine-consecutive points. Archer nailed her third three-pointer to make it 41-39 W&J. Berardelli, Wan and Dryburgh added field goals to swell the lead to 47-39 with 2:36 left in the third. Three-point field goals late in the quarter by Dryburgh and Bezjak allowed W&J to take a 53-45 lead into the fourth.

The Presidents stretched the lead to as many as 14 points during the fourth quarter. A jumper by Loutsion made it 63-49 with 5:11 to play. W&J was able to maintain a comfortable lead for the remainder of the game.

Aside from the three W&J players who finished in double figures scoring, the Presidents got valuable contributions from a variety of others. Archer posted nine points in her W&J debut while Wan finished with six points.

Cherry recorded a career-high seven assists while Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) tallied five assists.

Catherine Or finished with a game-high 19 points while adding nine rebounds. Savannah Gibbs added 17 markers and eight rebounds.

W&J concludes the Hampton Inn By Hilton Women's Basketball Tip-off Saturday when they face Ohio Wesleyan University. The marquee non-conference matchup will feature W&J, who finished last year 24-3 overall, and an OWU squad that won the North Coast Athletic Conference Tournament title en route to an NCAA appearance in 2022-23. Tipoff is scheduled for 3 p.m. Saturday.