Frontcourt Duo Lifts Presidents To Hoops For Hope Classic Victory
DELAWARE, Ohio -- Junior forward Chelsea Apke (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) and sophomore center Valerie Dunlap (Hostetter, Pa./Latrobe) combined for 33 points and 19 rebounds to help Washington & Jefferson earn a 68-60 women's basketball triumph over Westminster (Missouri) on Saturday evening at Ohio Wesleyan's Hoops For Hope Classic at Branch Rickey Arena.
Apke finished with 16-point, 12-rebound double-double, while Dunlap contributed 17 points and six boards. The Presidents (7-3) never trailed, while snapping a two-game losing streak and will now face Ohio Wesleyan (1-10) tomorrow at 3:00 pm. The host Battling Bishops (1-10) lost to Case Western Reserve 55-51 in the first game of the pre-determined matchup format.
W&J scored the first eight points of the game and did not allow a field goal until Kristen Carney's basket at the 13:19 mark which cut the Presidents' lead to 14-6. The Blue Jays (2-9) scored the next four points to trim the deficit to 14-10, but W&J answered with seven-straight points and took a 29-21 lead into halftime after a pair of late free throws by junior guard Alexa Burzese (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley).
Washington & Jefferson extended its lead to 21 points (51-30) with a 13-2 run early in the second half. Junior guard Kara Seamon (Morgantown, W.Va./University) had five points during the spurt, including a key three-pointer.
The Presidents then held off a furious Blue Jay rally to hold on for the victory. Four three-pointers during a five-minute span brought Westminster to within 62-57 with 75 seconds remaining before W&J iced the win at the free throw line.
W&J shot 42 percent overall (22-53), while forcing the Blue Jays into 33 percent shooting (21-65). The Presidents also owned a 46-38 rebounding advantage and overcame 19 turnovers. Freshman forward Beka Bellhy (McDonald, Pa./Fort Cherry) added 10 points and four assists for the Presidents, while Hannah Kloster led Westminster with 14 points.
