Jina DeRubbo Earns 300th Career Victory
WASHINGTON, Pa. -- Head Women’s Basketball Coach Jina DeRubbo won the 300th game of her 16-year career Wednesday night as Washington & Jefferson College downed Grove City College 69-50 at the Henry Memorial Center.
A total of 169 of DeRubbo’s victories have come during her nine seasons leading the Presidents. She has led W&J to six 20-win seasons and six postseason appearances, including four bids to the NCAA Division III Tournament. Prior to arriving in Washington, DeRubbo spent seven seasons at Bethany where she became the Bison’s all-time coaching wins leader with 131. Overall, DeRubbo owns a 300-133 (.693) career record.
W&J junior guard Alexa Burzese (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) drained five three-pointers and led all scorers with 17 points, while sophomore center Valerie Dunlap (Hostetter, Pa./Latrobe) produced a 16-point, 13-rebound double-double along with six blocked shots.
Burzese helped W&J jump out to a 13-6 lead by connecting on a trio of triples during the first six minutes.
Grove City battled back, tying the game at 25, but W&J closed the first half on a 15-4 run, capped by Dunlap’s jumper as time expired, to take a 40-29 halftime lead.
The Presidents extended the lead to 17 when junior forward Chelsea Apke (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mount Lebanon) sank a layup at the 14:55 mark; however, GCC charged back by scoring 13 of the game’s next 15 points to make the score 52-46.
Burzese provided the response for W&J by draining a three-pointer that began an 11-0 Presidents’ run over the next three minutes, helping secure the milestone victory for DeRubbo.
Apke netted 14 points, while senior guard Emily Abraham (Canfield, Ohio/Boardman) was the fourth President to reach double figures with 12 points. W&J shot 46.7 percent (28-60) from the field and recorded 19 assists on 28 baskets, led by junior point guard Kara Seamon’s (Morgantown, W. Va./University) career-best eight helpers.
Annie Wells led the Wolverines (7-12, 6-9) with 13 points on 5-of-10 shooting, while Mary McDonald sank 5-of-6 free throws and finished with 11 points. Grove City was limited to 33 percent (19-57) shooting and committed 16 turnovers.
W&J (15-7, 10-5) travels to Pittsburgh on Saturday to face Chatham at 2:00 pm.
