WAYNESBURG, Pa. (March 13) – The Waynesburg University women's basketball team played host to Thiel on Saturday for a first-round matchup in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) tournament. Though it took overtime to accomplish, the Yellow Jackets advanced into the quarterfinals of the playoffs with a 72-67 victory over the Tomcats.
With the win, its third-straight, Waynesburg (3-7) punched its ticket for a showdown against undefeated, top-seeded Saint Vincent (7-0) on Monday, March 15.
Things started well for the Jackets, who held a 16-12 lead after the first quarter. The Tomcats (1-8) closed an already narrow gap by outscoring the host team 16-15 in quarter number two. Waynesburg held a slim 31-28 advantage at halftime.
Waynesburg regained control of the contest by besting Thiel 16-9 in period number three and by the time the fourth quarter got underway, the Orange and Black was ahead 47-37. However, the Tomcats refused to go away and found their offensive stride in the fourth.
Thiel poured in 26 points over the final 10 minutes of play, but still trailed by three in the final few seconds of regulation. A desperation three-pointer attempt by the Cats missed the mark, but a foul was called on sophomore point guard
Anika Dansby (Massilon, Ohio / Washington). Thiel's Rachel Breckenridge connected on all three ensuing free throws and the game was sent into overtime.
Freshman guard
Marley Wolf (Ellwood City, Pa. / Riverside) got things rolling in extra time for Waynesburg by tallying the first five points of the period and putting her team up 68-63. That handful of points proved to be the difference as the remainder of the five-minute period was an evenly played stretch that ultimately ended with a five-point Yellow Jacket victory.
As she did throughout the regular season, senior
Andrea Orlosky (Shelocta, Pa. / West Shamokin) led the charge for the Jackets. She tallied 18 points on six-of-11 shooting from the field and made all of six of her free throws for a team-high 18 points. She also grabbed seven rebounds in the victory.
Speaking for rebounds, junior forward
Brooke Fuller (Allison Park, Pa. / Hampton) pulled down a squad-best 10 of them and added 11 points for a double-double. Fuller was also a defensive force in the paint with three blocked shots.
Wolf contributed 16 points to the winning effort and knocked down a squad-best three three-pointers in five attempts. Despite the late foul, Dansby had an impressive all-around day for the victors. Over 31 minutes off the bench, she filled up the stats sheet with eight points, nine rebounds, a game-high six steals and a team-high four assists.
A major advantage at the free throw line played a prominent role in the Waynesburg win. The Jackets connected on 15-of-20 tries from the charity stripe, while Thiel was successful on six-of-eight attempts.
The Jackets quarterfinal game at Saint Vincent is slated to tip off at 6 p.m.
