LEXINGTON, Va. - The 15th-ranked Washington and Lee University women's basketball team earned the second largest margin of victory in program history as they cruised past the Virginia Wesleyan University Marlins 99-30 on Saturday evening inside Holekamp Gym.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Sophomore Mary Schleusner opened the scoring for the Generals (11-1, 6-0 ODAC) as she knocked down a three-pointer to kick start a 18-2 run in the first quarter. Icy Keneah, Riley Bryant, Zou Raine and Schleusner chipped in to score the Generals' final eight points in the opening frame to extend their lead to 25-7.
Cat Pettegrove scored two layups to kick off the second quarter, giving the Generals a 29-7 advantage with 7:58 left. 30 seconds later, Elka Prechel knocked down a three-pointer before Pettegrove scored her sixth point of the evening off an assist from Caroline Shimp. With 5:31 left, Schleusner was fouled on her next layup attempt and finished off a three-point play to make it 39-9. Emma Robertson and Sarah Zimmerman each scored to give the Generals a 33-point lead before Quinn McGuinness knocked down her first three pointer of the evening. Zimmerman scored her sixth point of the game as she drove the lane for a layup, sending the Blue and White into the break with a 53-15 lead.
After Hanna Malik forced a turnover, she found Schleusner for a wide open layup to kick off the scoring in the third quarter. Brianna Shuttlewood got on the board as she drained a triple with 2:33 left in the third frame. Katie Lawson and Malik each added layups towards the end of the quarter to give Washington and Lee a 69-23 lead.
Malik dished out her fourth assist of the game as Raine extended the lead to 47 at the start of the fourth quarter. Pettegrove started a 15-0 run for the Blue and White as she finished off a Malik assist with 8:49 remaining in the game.
TOP PERFORMERS:
Schleusner was 7-of-14 from the field and 2-of-2 behind the arc for a team-high 20 points; she has scored 20 or more points in nine games this season. Raine posted a season-high 11 points in 14 minutes of action as she was 5-of-8 from the field and knocked down one free throw.
Schleusner led the Generals with nine rebounds while Lauren Achter and Pettegrove each reeled in eight boards. Malik dished out a game-high five assists while Keneah recorded a season-high four assists.
Zimmerman matched a career-high as she swatted away four shots. Schleusner and Achter each recorded two blocks in the contest.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS:
The Generals' 69-point win marks the second-largest victory in program history, trailing only a 71-point victory (111-40) over Hollins on December 1, 2008.
W&L's 99 points scored are the most in a game since tallying 102 in a two-point, double-overtime loss against Christopher Newport on January 8 last season. It is the most points scored in regulation since a 109-67 win over the Marlins on March 6, 2021.
Defensively, the 30 points allowed to the Marlins on Saturday night are the fewest in a game by the Generals since surrendering just 29 points in a 47-point win over Mary Baldwin on November 15, 2016.
With her nine rebounds, Schleusner already has 500 boards in her career. She needs just 76 more to tie Kristen Krouchick '08 for 10th place in program history.
Prechel made two more three-point shots to boost her career total to 104. She needs one more to tie Kate Groninger '22 for ninth most in program history.
TEAM STATS:
W&L finished the game with a 51.4 shooting percentage (37-72) from the field, in addition to 75.0 percent (18-24) from the free throw line. Virginia Wesleyan was limited to 19.0 percent (11-58) from the floor and 61.5 percent from the free throw line.
The Blue and White outscored the Marlins by 69 points to extend their winning streak to seven, six of those wins by double digits.
UP NEXT:
The Blue and White return to Holekamp Gym on Wednesday, Jan. 3, as they take on the Maroons of Roanoke College at 4:30 p.m.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
