WASHINGTON, Pa. – Junior guard Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) recorded a game-high 20 points behind a strong shooting performance that helped the Washington & Jefferson College women's basketball team coast to a 77-50 victory over visiting Westminster College Wednesday at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
Bezjak made five-of-seven field goal attempts including a pair of three-point attempts. Bezjak also converted all eight of her free throw attempts. Strong contributions from junior guard Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) and freshman forward Jaden Wan (Newtown, Pa. / Council Rock) backed Bezjak's effort. Cherry registered her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Wan continued to impress with 12 points and five rebounds in just 18 minutes of action.
The game was the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener for both teams. W&J improves to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in league play. Westminster drops to 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference contests.
W&J opened with the game's first five points behind a three-pointer by Bezjak and a layup by Cherry. Westminster countered with eight of the next 11 points to draw even at 8-8. Wan drained a three on the next possession to help W&J regain the lead. A layup by Wan with 23 seconds left in the quarter helped W&J take an 18-11 lead after the opening 10 minutes of play.
The Presidents took control with a strong second quarter on both ends. Four straight points by Bezjak and a three-point field goal by Cherry swelled the lead to 30-14 at the 3:49 mark. A layup by senior center Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) pushed the lead to 35-18 at halftime.
W&J put together its best offensive effort of the night in the third quarter. The Presidents made nine of 17 field goals including 4-of-8 from behind the three-point line in the third. Bezjak hit a triple at the 6:06 mark to make it 43-25. Late in the quarter, junior guard Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) and freshman guard Halena Hill (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) got into the act from downtown. Hill's triple made the score 59-33 in favor of the Presidents after three quarters.
Sophomore guard Ally Fisher (New Kensington, Pa. / Burrell) netted five points in the fourth quarter.
Five freshmen, Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa. / Indiana Area), Jacey Mullen (New Springfield, Ohio Springfield Local), Marina Grado (Monroeville, Pa. / Gateway) and Shannon Conley (West Mifflin, Pa. / West Mifflin), all tallied their first collegiate points during the game.
W&J shot 44.1 percent from the field. The Presidents compiled a sweltering 52.6 percent clip from behind the arc, as they made 10-of-19 attempts. The Red and Black also controlled the glass with a lopsided 51-29 advantage in rebounding.
Kovalchick and Berardelli both finished with four assists to lead W&J.
The Presidents head to Pittsburgh, Pa. to face the Chatham University Cougars in the Athletics & Fitness Center on Saturday, Nov. 18. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 p.m.