VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. - The sixth-ranked Washington and Lee University women's basketball team kicked off the TowneBank Tip-Off Tournament with a dominant 86-46 win over Washington College (Md.) on Saturday evening.
HOW IT HAPPENED
- W&L jumped out to an early 8-4 lead in the first quarter following buckets from Zou Raine, Mary Schleusner, and Quinn McGuinness, before the Shorewomen leveled the scoring at eight with a pair of layups. The Generals responded with a commanding 20-6 run to close out the quarter, taking a 28-14 lead into the second frame.
- The Blue and White carried their momentum into the second quarter, extending their advantage to 25 points after Riley Bryant knocked down a three-pointer and a layup on back-to-back possessions. The run gave W&L a commanding 48-23 lead at halftime.
- The third quarter featured an even more impressive display, as the Generals stormed out on a 26-3 run to push their lead to 46 points, the largest of the game. Although the Shorewomen battled back with a pair of three-pointers, W&L closed the game on a 10-3 run with Sam Collins, Arden Alvarez, Kate Kennedy, Emily Straughn, and Bri Shuttlewood each registering a two-point field goal in the closing minutes to secure the 86-46 win.
TOP PERFORMERS
- The Blue and White had three players with double-digit points this afternoon. Mary Schleusner led the game with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting, adding 11 rebounds and five assists. Riley Bryant posted a career-high 15 points on 4-of-7 shooting from the field and a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line. Quinn McGuinness was the final General to reach double figures, shooting 5-of-9 from the floor and 2-of-3 from beyond the arc for 12 points while dishing out a pair of assists.
- Ellie Carter-Soriano led the Shorewomen with 11 points on a 4-of-11 performance from the field while knocking down one three-pointer. Emma Robinson grabbed a game-high 17 rebounds, including nine offensive and eight defensive boards.
TEAM STATS
- The Generals won their fourth-straight game of the season, marking the third consecutive season that they have won their first four contests. W&L made 32 of their 63 shots (51%) from the field while knocking down a season-best nine three-pointers. They also shot 13-of-14 (93%) at the charity stripe.
- The Blue and White scored 34 points in the paint while adding 29 off of the Shorewomen's 16 turnovers. They received 32 points off the bench with 16 points on the fast break. Defensively, the Generals limited WAC to 26% from the field (17-of-64) while allowing only three buckets from beyond the arc.
- All 12 Generals who touched the floor this evening registered points, while each of them played at least 11 minutes in the win.
NOTEWORTHY POINTS
- Mary Schleusner moved up to No. 3 all-time for career free throws, surpassing Ansley Miller '00 with 345. She also moved up to seventh all-time in the program's career assists top ten list, moving past Jessica Morton '00 with 231.
UP NEXT
- The sixth-ranked Generals will square off with Virginia Wesleyan University in a non-conference match up in the championship at 3 p.m. in the TowneBank Arena.
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.
