Box Score

WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 2) – At times, the intensity level both on the court and in the stands at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse seemed to rival that of an NCAA Division I playoff game. While there weren't two big time national powerhouses going at it on Wednesday night, the Waynesburg and Moravian women's basketball team fought tooth-and-nail for 40 exciting minutes in the quarterfinals of the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference (ECAC) South women's basketball tournament.

After falling behind at halftime, the top-seeded Yellow Jackets heated up in the second half and were finally able to pass and eventually defeat the number-eight seed Greyhounds 68-62 to advance to the semifinal round. The Jackets (19-9) will host that game on Saturday, but at times, it looked like their first run in an ECAC tournament would be a short one.

Moravian (14-13) jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead after just 1:17 of action before the host team responded with a 6-2 run to trim the deficit to a single point (7-6). The visitors responded with another 5-0 surge to take a 12-6 advantage after five minutes of play. The Hounds never trailed for the rest of the first period and built up leads as large as 14 points (32-18). However, Waynesburg managed to build up a little momentum before halftime and cut the deficit down to 33-24 before heading into the locker room.

After the break, the Jackets were able to carry their momentum from the closing seconds of the first period into the opening of the second half. Waynesburg out-scored Moravian 13-4 over the first six-plus minutes of play to tie the game up at 37-37 before a pair of Greyhound free throws gave them another two-point advantage.

With the game tied at 41-41, Moravian went on a 6-0 run to grab a 47-41 lead eight minutes into the period. The Hounds were able to stretch that advantage to nine points (54-45) with 8:17 showing on the clock. Unlike the first half, however, the Jackets didn't allow the game to get out of hand and went to work on whittling the lead back down.

Waynesburg found its offensive groove and exploded for a 17-2 run that not only got them out of the hole they were in for the vast majority of the game, but it also moved the home team ahead 62-56 with 2:25 left to play. The Jackets never led by fewer than four points down the stretch of the contest and went ahead by eight (68-60) with just 11 seconds showing on the clock.

Whether in the lead or playing from behind, one constant was an aggressive defensive effort from the Jacket defense, which produced 25 Moravian turnovers and 17 steals. Waynesburg on the other hand, coughed the ball up just 14 times. The Yellow Jackets were also able to find their shooting stroke in the second period after struggling from the floor during the first 20 minutes of play. After hitting on just 24 percent of its tries in the first half, Waynesburg rebounded by knocking down 48 percent of its shots in the second period.

After a bit of a slow start that mirrored the entire team's offensive efforts, senior forward Elisha Jones found her touch and led Waynesburg to the win. The veteran star went for game highs in both points (24) and rebounds (12), including 17 points and seven rebounds in the second half. It was her seventh double-double of the year.

Junior point guard Hannah Hunter added 16 points, a game-high five assists and four steals to the winning effort, while her backcourt mate, sophomore Jessi Drayer, chipped in 15 points and seven steals. Drayers' seven swipes equaled Moravian's total for the night.

After winning its first-ever game in an ECAC tournament, Waynesburg has secured hosting rights throughout the remainder of the event, which continues on Saturday, March 5. The Yellow Jackets will open up a doubleheader on their home court with a 3 p.m. tip-off against fourth-seeded Penn State Erie, the Behrend College. The Lions downed fifth-seeded Marywood 68-65 on Wednesday. The 6 p.m. late game pits second-seeded Catholic University against number-six Alvernia. Catholic defeated number-seven Wesley 73-55, while Alvernia upset third-seeded Gwynedd-Mercy 58-45.

The championship game of the tournament will be held at the Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 6, regardless of whether or not Waynesburg makes it to the finals.