W&J Eliminated In PAC Quarterfinals By Saint Vincent
LATROBE, Pa. – The seventh-seeded Washington & Jefferson College women’s basketball team was downed by second-seeded Saint Vincent 70-64 in Presidents’ Athletic Conference Tournament quarterfinal action from the Carey Center on Tuesday night.
The Presidents season came to a conclusion as they finished the year with a 12-14 record (7-11 PAC). The Bearcats advance to play an opponent still to be determined in the Waynesburg in the tournament semifinals on Friday, hosted by top-seeded Thomas More.
SVC jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead, but W&J responded with eight-straight points to go ahead 8-6 during the opening five minutes. Brittany Sedlock helped the Bearcats regain control during the next 15 minutes, scoring 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting, as Saint Vincent’s lead grew as large as nine.
The Presidents’ seniors helped them stay within striking distance of the Bearcats. Point guard Vanessa Rivera (Reading, Pa./Wilson) dished out seven assists during the first half, while classmate Blair Cotton (Pittsburgh, Pa./Oakland Catholic) netted a jumper just before the halftime buzzer and W&J went into the locker room down 39-34 after 20 minutes.
Sedlock continued her hot play in the second half by draining four baskets, including a pair of three-pointers, as SVC opened up an 18-point advantage midway through the half.
However, the Presidents again battled back. Freshman Valerie Dunlap (Hostetter, Pa./Latrobe) sank a layup and then converted a three-point play, cutting the Bearcat lead to single digits. Sophomore Kara Seamon (Morgantown, W. Va./University) drilled a triple and Dunlap netted another basket to make the score 67-60 with 2:30 remaining.
The Bearcats ran down the shot clock on their ensuing possession, missing a long three-pointer just before the clock expired; however, Melissa Mansur grabbed the long rebound and dished the ball to Sedlock. Sedlock came up clutch again, nailing a triple to give Saint Vincent a 10-point lead with 60 seconds remaining to seal the game.
Sedlock finished with a career-high 30 points on 9-of-12 shooting and 13 rebounds. Devon McGrath added nine points, 13 rebounds and six blocks, while Emily Fenton poured in 14 points.
Senior forward Ashley Kirkpatrick (Sharon, Pa./Kennedy Catholic) led a balanced Presidents’ scoring attack with 12 points. She also grabbed nine rebounds, while Dunlap came off the bench to score 11 points. Eight Presidents scored at least four points in the game. Rivera dished out nine assists, while adding four points and five rebounds. She finished her career fourth all-time at W&J with 395 assists.
