WAYNESBURG, Pa. (January 25) – The Waynesburg University women's basketball team earned a 83-71 victory over Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Geneva in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.
The Jackets even the season series with the Golden Tornadoes and rise to 10-8 on the season and 5-8 in PAC play. The Golden Tornadoes fall to 9-8, 6-6 PAC. Waynesburg now sits 1.5 games behind Geneva and Bethany for sixth place in the conference standings.
The contest featured a dozen ties and neither team led by more than two possessions until the Jackets pulled away in the game's final minutes. The score was tied at 21 after the first quarter and Geneva held a 39-38 lead heading into halftime.
Kalista Friday (Woodsfield, Ohio / Monroe Central) scored seven points in a 7-2 Waynesburg spurt that put the Jackets ahead 51-47 four minutes into the third quarter. A pair of three-pointers by Macie Justice (Washington, Pa. / Trinity) pushed the Waynesburg lead to 59-54 with less than two minutes to go in the period. Geneva rallied back to tie the score at 60 before Tori Wesolowski's (Canonsburg, Pa. / Canon-McMillan) basket in the final 30 seconds gave Waynesburg a two-point edge going into the fourth.
Geneva took a 66-64 lead on a three-pointer with 6:51 to play. Justice responded with a three of her own to put the Jackets back in front. The game's final tie score came with 5:24 left in regulation. Waynesburg shot 8-for-10 from the foul line as the Jackets outscored Geneva 14-2 over the final five minutes of play to earn another key PAC win in the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse.
Waynesburg had five scorers in double figures, led by Friday with 20 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Kara McFadden (Painesville, Ohio / Fairport Harding) added 15 points. Julz Mohrbacher (Freedom, Pa. / Freedom) had 14 points, eight rebounds, four assists, five steals and two blocks and finished 12-of-18 from the foul line. Justice reset her career-high for the third time in the last two weeks with 13 points. Wesolowski recorded 10 points and five rebounds.
Geneva's Emily Garvin was the game's leading scorer and rebounder as she finished with 33 points, 16 from the charity stripe, and 15 rebounds.
Despite being outrebounded 57-53, the Jackets had a 26-11 edge in second chance points. The Waynesburg bench outscored its Geneva counterpart 34-12.
Waynesburg sank nine threes at 26.5 percent and set season-highs in free throw attempted and made as the Jackets went 28-for-37 at the foul line.
The Jackets host Chatham on Wednesday evening.