WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson women's basketball team pulled away in the fourth quarter to record a 76-61 win over visiting Allegheny College in the regular season finale Saturday afternoon at Salvitti Family Gymnasium. The victory is the 14th straight for the Presidents, who secured the top seed in next week's Presidents' Atheltic Conference Championship Tournament with the win over the Gators. 
 
The win improves the Presidents to 23-2 overall and 19-1 in conference play. Allegheny drops to 13-12 and 12-8 in conference. The Gators will be the fourth seed in next week's PAC Tournament. 

Sarah Berardelli (Ambridge, Pa./North Catholic) finished with a season-high 17 points to lead the Presidents. Berardelli added eight rebounds and two blocks. Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) recorded 15 points, 16 rebounds and four assists to back Berardelli. Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) reached double figures with 14 points. Jaden Wan (Newtown, Pa. / Council Rock) tallied 13 points and eight rebounds. Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) filled the stat sheet with eight points, six rebounds and four assists. 
 
The Red & Black jumped out to an early 16-11 lead in the first quarter with field goals from Dryburgh, Berardelli, Bezjakand Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan), and four good free throws from Berardelli.
 
The Gators snapped back in the second quarter, using a 14-6 run to gain their first lead of the evening, a 25-22 advantage, at the 5:24 mark. A good jump shot by Bezjak and three-pointer by Dryburgh would push the Presidents ahead by a 27-25 score with 3:50 left in the first half. The Presidents would carry a 36-32 lead into halftime following good baskets by Bezjak, Berardelli and Loutsion coupled with a late triple by Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area). 
 
The first points of the second half would come in the form of two made free throws from Dryburgh. Berardelli would sink a free throw next before both teams would go scoreless for two-plus minutes. Loutsion would break the scoreless drought with a good layup, putting the Presidents ahead 41-34 at the 6:11 mark. 
 
Allegheny closed within two points after a pair of free throws at the 4:44 mark. Wan, who has stepped up in big moments throughout the season, delivered back-to-back field goals to stretch the lead back to six at 47-41. 

Following two Gator free throws, Hannah Archer (Lowell, Ohio / Fort Frye) knocked down a three and Cherry used a fastbreak layup and free throw to swell the lead to 53-43 late in the third. Allegheny was able to trim the deficit back to five by the end of the third quarter. The Presidents carried a 53-48 lead into the fourth. A layup by Wan extended the W&J lead to 63-51 at the 5:02 mark. W&J led by at least six points the rest of the way. A three-point play by Wan made the score 72-59 with 1:28 remaining. 
  
The Presidents outpaced Allegheny in bench points (30-8), points in the paint (32-24), fast break points (15-5), and second chance points (17-9). W&J out-rebounded the Gators by a 56-38 margin. Emily Lauer turned in 24 points to lead the Gators in the loss. 

W&J will await its semifinals opponent. Fourth-seeded Allegheny and fifth-seeded Geneva will face off next Tuesday, Feb. 20, in the PAC quarterfinals. The Presidents will play the winner of that matchup in the semi-finals on Thursday, Feb. 22, in Salvitti Family Gymnasium at 7 p.m.