W&L Women Fall In Second Round Of NCAAs
The Washington and Lee University women’s basketball team earned a 65-63 win over the United States Merchant Marine Academy in the first round of the NCAA Division III tournament on Friday before concluding its season with a 75-71 loss to Baldwin Wallace in the second round on Saturday. Both games took place in Berea, Ohio.
In the first round, the 19th-ranked Generals (25-5) raced to a 10-2 lead and led 36-26 at halftime.
The Mariners (24-3) battled back in the second half, but the Generals sealed the win with a big 3-pointer from Elka Prechel and a jumper from Mary Schleusner in the closing moments of the game.
Merchant led W&L with 14 points, 16 rebounds and three assists, and she also had four blocks and two steals. Quinn McGuinness added 13 points for the Generals, and Sarah Zimmmer scored 10 points, grabbed five rebounds, and made two steals. Zou Raine and Riley Bryant made strong defensive contributions with two steals and two blocks each, along with a combined nine rebounds.
On Saturday, despite a late W&L rally and getting as close as two points down, a 25-2 run by No. 9 Baldwin Wallace from the second to third quarter proved to be the difference as Baldwin Wallace dealt the Generals a 75-71 season-ending loss.
W&L started the game well and led 34-22 with 4:36 left in the first half, but the Yellow Jackets (28-1) chipped away at the lead, scoring the final seven points of the half to cut the Generals’ advantage to 34-29.
In the third quarter, Baldwin Wallace went on a 16-0 run, and the Yellow Jackets took a 55-45 lead into the fourth quarter. W&L trimmed the lead in the fourth quarter, but Baldwin Wallace held on for the win.
Schleusner led all players with 30 points and 17 rebounds in what was her sixth 30-point game of the season. She also blocked four shots and dished out three assists, while Icy Keneah scored 10 points. Chipping in eight points each for W&L were Zimmerman, McGuinness and Prechel.
Irwin led Baldwin Wallace with 20 points, making three 3-pointers, Bella Vaillant added 13 points and 17 rebounds, and Laura McCoy chipped in 12 points.
The Generals, under the direction of first-year head coach Brittney Kemp, went 14-2 in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference this year and were runnersup to Randolph-Macon in the ODAC tournament.
For more on this game and W&L women’s basketball, visit www.generalssports. com.
