Women’s Basketball comes back to defeat W&J 79-73

Steve Janik, Assistant Sports Information Director

WASHINGTON, Pa. - Jan. 11 - The Bethany women's Basketball team used a fourth quarter comeback to defeat Washington and Jefferson 79-73 in a Presidents Athletic Conference matchup on Wednesday.

With the win, Bethany improves to 7-7 (5-2, PAC) while Washington and Jefferson falls to 9-5 (6-1, PAC). Next up for Bethany, they travel to Grove City on Saturday for a PAC contest set to start at 1:00p.m.

Junior forward Kelsea Daugherty (Newport, Ohio/Frontier) became the 17th Bison to join the 1,000 point club when she hit a jumper early in the first quarter. She finished the contest with a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Sophomore guard Sammie Weiss (Avella, Pa./McGuffey) led all scorers with 23 points along with six rebounds, while Hayley Holenka (Shadyside, Ohio/Shadyside) chipped in 20 points.

Trailing 69-65 with just over three minutes to play in the game, Daugherty hit a layup and-one to make it 69-68. A Holenka layup two possessions later gave the Bison the 70-69 lead. Following a W&J basket, Weiss hit a trey to regain the two point advantage before hitting another three to take the 76-71 lead with 1:11 left to play. the hosts hit a pair of free throws to bring it within three in the final minute but the Bison closed out the game from the charity stripe for their fourth-consecutive victory. 

The Green and White took got back-to-back baskets to start the fourth quarter to tie it up at 53 apiece. The Bisons' next time down the floor, Holenka dropped a three to take the 56-53 advantage. That was their first lead since early in the second quarter.

Daugherty started the game by scoring the first six points for Bethany, highlighted by her milestone jumper, giving them the 6-4 advantage. After the Presidents tied it at six, Weiss hit a three to regain the lead 9-6. A Maclaine Murad (Bridgeport, Ohio/Bridgeport) layup gave them an eight point lead before W&J hit a basket to to end the first quarter. Bethany led 21-15 after one quarter.

The hosts opened the second quarter with a 12-0 run before Ashley Duthie hit a trey with just under five minutes left in the half to make the score 27-24 in favor of the Presidents. W&J gained a nine point advantage into the half with the score 37-28.

Weiss started the second half with consecutive layups layups to bring the Bison back within five at 39-32. After the hosts had re-established their lead at nine, around the three minute mark in the third quarter, Bethany found themselves down 46-44 after a Holenka layup. Despite a three by Abby McDonald (Uniontown, Pa./Laurel Highlands), the Presidents took a 53-49 into the final quarter of action.