W&J Blows Past Immaculata In Second Half During Bahamas Opener
NASSAU, Bahamas – The Washington & Jefferson College women’s basketball team opened its Bahamas trip with a 73-51 victory over Immaculata during the first day of action in the two-day Bahamas Sunshine Shootout in Nassau.
The Presidents (4-5, 1-3 PAC) shot 47 percent (27-57) overall and ended their three-game losing streak. Immaculata (6-4, 4-0 CSAC) was held to just 31 percent (19-61) shooting during the teams’ first-ever meeting.
The Mighty Macs, who are in first place in the Colonial States Athletic Conference, took an early 18-11 lead before W&J put together a quick 7-0 spurt to tie the game. Freshman guard Alexa DelGreco (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle) found senior forward Ashley Kirkpatrick (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) open under the net for an easy layup to jump start the run. After a basket by senior Kayla Strimel (Morgantown, W.Va./University), DelGreco then set up senior forward Blair Cotton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) for the game-tying three pointer.
Senior guard Emily Abraham (Canfield, Ohio/Boardman) sank a three-point basket just under three minutes later to give W&J its first lead (22-21) since the opening minutes of the game. The Presidents’ lead would increase to eight points at halftime.
Cotton made a pair of baskets to open the second stanza, giving W&J a 12-point advantage. After the Mighty Macs got to within eight at 50-42, the Presidents widened the margin with an 11-0 run, capped off by Abraham’s third three-pointer of the game. W&J never looked back after that, extending the lead to as large as 24.
Abraham made four three-pointers on the day and led all scorers with a season-high 16 points. She also contributed six rebounds, four assists and two steals. Cotton scored 12 points, while Kirkpatrick tallied 14 and both contributed seven rebounds. Kirkpatrick also posted four steals and three assists for the Presidents, who overcame 22 turnovers by holding a 46-36 edge on the glass.
Chrissy Esbensen led Immaculata with 14 points, three steals and two assists.
W&J will be right back in action tomorrow afternoon when it faces Goucher at 4:00 pm during its second and final game of the Bahamas Sunshine Shootout.
