By Jensyn Hartzell
Sports Editor
The Washington College women’s basketball team competed in their first Centennial Conference game of the 2021-2022 season against the Franklin & Marshall College Diplomats on Nov. 20.
The Shorewomen travelled to Lancaster, Pa. where they took down the Diplomats with an ending score of 50–42. According to the WC Athletics website, this was the first time the Shorewomen defeated the Diplomats at their home gym since 2014.
The Diplomats took the lead in the start of the first quarter, but the Shorewomen responded with an 11-point run, finalized by junior Joy Sanders.
In the second quarter, the Diplomats attempted to take the lead, but were cut short by another run by the Shorewomen. The score was 20–15 entering the second half, capped by sophomore Kaleigh White.
Junior Lizzie Hudock put the Shorewomen’s lead in double-digits for the first time in the game after making two free-throws in the third quarter at 29–19.
The fourth quarter saw the Diplomats come back within six points of the Shorewomen twice, but were never able to gain the lead. The score was finalized at a narrow 50–42 win for WC.
Junior Andrea Prestianne led the team by scoring an overall of 12 points. Senior Crystal Jones followed closely behind her with 11 points and three steals. Senior Madeline Williams had a game-high of three assists and sophomore Serena Pluta had a game-high of seven rebounds.
The Shorewomen shot 29% from the floor with a 15% from the three-point range and 64% from the foul line.
On Nov. 23, the Shorewomen played the Haverford College Fords in the Cain Gymnasium, their second Conference game of the season.
The Shorewomen kicked off the game by scoring the first seven points of the first quarter with shots by White, Hudock, and Prestianne. The Fords responded with a 10-point scoring run, but were answered with another run by the Shorewomen that finalized their lead entering the second quarter.
Jones made the first shot of the second quarter to bring her team up to a 17–11 lead. The Fords took the lead back entering halftime.
The third quarter saw Willams, Jones, and White add to a nine-point run that gave the lead back to the Shorewomen. This was once again stolen by the Fords; the score ended at 33–30 with the final quarter left.
The lead continued to go back and forth between the two competitors, but Prestianne made a three-point shot that set the score at 35–35. The game was forced into overtime.
The score was 46–47 with nine seconds left in overtime when Sanders stole the ball for a Shorewomen possession that led to Jones being fouled. Jones made both free throws, finalizing the Shorewomen’s win at 49–47.
Prestianne once again led the team with 12 points, along with six rebounds and three blocks. Jones had 10 points and four assists. Both Jones and Williams earned a game-high of nine rebounds.
The Shorewomen shot an overall of 32% on the court.
Their current record stands at 5–1 overall and 2-0 in the Conference. The next game for the Shorewomen will be on Thursday, Dec. 2, at 7 p.m. against Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.
Photo by Grace Hazlehurst