Women's Basketball: Bison Battle with Presidents in PAC Quarterfinals

Washington, Pa.  – Bethany College women's basketball traveled across the border to Washington, Pa to face the Washington and Jefferson Presidents in the PAC quarterfinals Monday evening. It was a battle down to the wire with the Bison falling in a heartbreaking, 66-62 loss to the Presidents.

Freshman Makenzee Mason scored a team high 26 points and had seven rebounds and five assists. Mason's former high-school teammate, Nikki Bradbury added 20 points, hitting five threes.

The Bison conclude the season 5-6 (4-5 PAC).

GAME OVERVIEW

Both teams battled the entire game. Bethany was the first to strike, with Mason laying one in. A minutes later, the Presidents hit back-to-back layups to take the lead away from the Bison. The Green and White battle back to knot the game at 15-15 at the end of the first stanza.

The second quarter was no different, both teams answered their opponents' blows, with W&J taking a 22-18 advantage in the second quarter. The Presidents led 37-33 heading into the intermission.

After the break, the Bison strung together back-to-back buckets from Courtney Walker to cut the Presidents' lead to one, 38-37. Washington & Jefferson then strung together an 8-0 run to build their largest lead of the game.  A Nikki Bradbury three broke the Presidents' run. The Bison scored the final five points of the third to cut the deficit, 49-46.

The Bison continued to scrap to stay close to the Presidents. Mason and Bradbury accounted for 14 of Bethany's 16 fourth quarter points but wasn't enough to pull the Bison ahead. Mason hit a jumper to bring the Bison within three with eight seconds left in regulation, but W&J hit one of two free-throws to seal the win.

IN THE BOX SCORE

• Makenzee Mason – 26 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal, 11-for-13 FT, 7-for-15 FG
• Nikki Bradbury – 20 points, 5-for-10 from three
• Courtney Walker – 11 points, 5 rebounds
• Bella Skobel – 7 rebounds, 2 assists

RECORDS

Bethany College Bison – 5-6 (4-5 PAC)

Washington & Jefferson Presidents – 7-0 (6-0 PAC)