Box Score
 
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Dec. 19) – The Waynesburg University women's basketball team came out on top of Hiram College in a physical, intense matchup at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse on Monday night. The Yellow Jackets slugged it out for 40 minutes with the Terriers before finally securing a 58-54 victory.
 
The win was Waynesburg's sixth in a row, which improved the Jackets' overall mark to 8-2. The loss was Hiram's third-straight, but it was the first time that the Terriers have lost to a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) team this season. Prior to Monday night, Hiram was 3-0 against PAC squads.
 
Neither team was able to take control of their opponent during the early minutes of play. However, with Hiram up 6-5 after 7:30 of play, Waynesburg went on a 12-2 run to take a 17-8 advantage with 7:21 remaining in the first half. The Terriers fired back with a quick 8-1 surge to whittle the home team's lead down to just two points (18-16) with 3:41 to go until the halftime break. The two teams traded points down the stretch of the first period and the Jackets went into the locker room with a 22-20 edge.
 
Things started out well for Waynesburg during the first five minutes of the second half as the Jackets rebuilt an eight-point lead (34-26). However, the Terriers weren't ready to give up the fight just yet as a 10-1 run put together in just over two minutes gave the visitors the lead at 36-35.
 
Hiram never led by more than a single point for the rest of the game and eventually gave the lead back to their hosts. With just under a minute left to play, the Jackets were clinging to a two-point advantage. However, the home team connected on three of its final five free throws to clinch up the four-point win.
 
Junior forward Paige Pearce led the way for the Waynesburg win with solid statistics and a tough, gritty showing on the court. The Elizabeth, Pa. native tied for the game lead in scoring with 15 points and added eight rebounds, two blocks and two steals to her team's winning effort. Senior point guard Hannah Hunter also racked up 15 points, while junior guard Brittany Spencer contributed 10 points and game-high totals in steals (4) and assists (3).
 
Waynesburg will try to carry its momentum over to its next game, which is 11 days away on Dec. 30. The Yellow Jackets will play their final game in 2011 at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse against Wooster. Tip-off is scheduled for 5 p.m.