MEADVILLE, Pa. - The sixth-ranked Washington and Lee University women's basketball team kicked off the 2025-26 season with a 78-77 win over Allegheny College at the Women Leaders Tip Off Tournament.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- The Generals (1-0) took a 12-4 lead in the first quarter after Quinn McGuinness and Mary Schleusner combined for eight points. Throughout the second quarter, the Blue and White built up a 14-point lead thanks to a triple and four free throws from Schleusner. Zou Raine added a jumper during the run as well.
- Back-and-forth action through the second frame sent the game to half with a score of 33-29 in favor of the Generals. The third quarter saw both teams trading baskets until the Gators (0-1) got points from Isabella Antonacci and Sarah Santicola to take a 44-41 lead. After a McGuinness triple gave W&L a four-point lead with a minute to go in the third, Allegheny had Antonacci and Jess Bickart knock down a pair of three-pointers to take a 54-52 lead heading into the fourth.
- The Gators took their momentum into the fourth as they built a nine-point lead following a pair of field goals from Antonacci and Leach, as well as a triple from Bickart. The Generals shaved down the lead, knotting the game at 67 following an and-one from Raine. Caroline Shimp knocked down a jumper with 27 seconds left to take a 77-75 lead before a pair of free throws from Antonacci tied the game once again. Schleusner went to the charity stripe and knocked down one to give W&L a 78-77 lead before forcing a turnover to end the game.
TOP PERFORMERS:
- Isabella Antonacci of Allegheny led all scores with 36 points on a 12-of-24 performance from the field. She knocked down four threes while shooting 8-of-11 at the charity stripe. Sarah Santicola (12), Kate Leach (12) and Jess Bickart (11) each reached double-digit points.
- Mary Schleusner led the Generals with 35 points and 26 boards, adding five steals, two blocks and six assists. She was 14-of-33 from the field while knocking down six of her ten free throws. Zou Raine and Quinn McGuinness added double figure totals with Raine scoring 12 and McQuinness tallying ten.
TEAM STATS:
- W&L ended the game shooting 35% from the field (29-of-82), including a game-high 48% performance in the fourth quarter. As a team, they went 16-of-22 (73%) from the free throw line. The Generals scored 38 of their 78 points in the paint while adding 10 points off the Gators' turnovers.
- The Blue and White grabbed a game-high 56 rebounds, including 23 offensive and 33 defensive boards. They registered eight steals while dishing out 14 assists.
- Allegheny shot 40% (29-of-73) from the field while knocking down 12 of their 15 (80%) three-point attempts. The Gators scored 24 points in the paint, added four on fast breaks, and 12 off turnovers.
- The Gators collected 40 rebounds this afternoon, with 11 offensive and 29 defensive. They dished out a game-high 20 assists while recording three steals and three blocks.
UP NEXT:
- The sixth-ranked Generals are back in action tomorrow as they take on Chatham University at 1 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.
