Presidents Top OWU 71-66; Apke and Seamon Named All-Tournament
DELAWARE, Ohio -- Junior forward Chelsea Apke (Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon) posted her second-straight double-double with 22 points and 11 rebounds to power Washington & Jefferson past host Ohio Wesleyan 71-66 Sunday afternoon at the Hoops For Hope Women's Basketball Classic at Branch Rickey Arena.
Apke and junior guard Kara Seamon (Morgantown, W.Va./University) were both named to the All-Tournament Team. Seamon added 12 points, six assists and four rebounds for the Presidents, who won both games of the classic tournament format.
The game was close throughout as Ohio Wesleyan's 31-23 lead at the 7:05 mark of the first half was the largest by either team. W&J responded with a 12-4 run behind five points each from Apke and Seamon, but the Battling Bishops (1-11) took a 37-35 edge into halftime after Kristin Henning's basket with 36 seconds remaining.
OWU scored the first four points of the second half; however, W&J roared back to claim a 49-45 advantage at the 12:46 mark after junior guard Alexa Burzese's (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) lay-up. The next 10 minutes saw four lead changes and three ties until W&J finally took command after Seamon's bucket with 2:46 left. The Presidents never trailed from that point and made eight free throws in the final 2:16 to secure their eighth win.
Apke shot 8-of-11 from the field and added 6-of-8 shooting from the free throw line. She also contributed three steals and two assists. Sophomore center Valerie Dunlap (Hostetter, Pa./Latrobe) also notched a double-double with 13 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks, while senior guard Emily Abraham (Canfield, Ohio/Boardman) knocked down a trio of three-pointers and produced 12 points and four assists.
W&J shot 53 percent overall (24-of-45), including 7-of-15 from three-point range. The Presidents also used a 34-25 rebounding edge on the Battling Bishops, who shot 45 percent (27-of-60). Sarah McQuade led OWU with 14 points, five steals, four rebounds and four assists.
Washington & Jefferson returns to conference play on Wednesday when hosting Waynesburg at the Henry Memorial Center at 8:00 pm in the second game of a doubleheader.
