DELAWARE, Ohio – Senior Bryn Bezjak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) scored a team-high 18 points, including the game-tying basket at the regulation buzzer, to power the Washington & Jefferson College women's basketball team to a 76-72 overtime victory over Messiah University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Women's Basketball Tournament.

The all-time winningest class in program history made more history in Friday's win. The victory is the first in the NCAA Tournament for the W&J women's basketball program, who is making its ninth tournament appearance. The 2025 senior class has compiled 94 wins over the past four seasons.

The victory moves W&J to 24-4 overall. The 24 wins matches the most in a single season in program history for the Presidents. Messiah's season ends at 25-3.

"I am so happy to finally win an NCAA game with this senior class," said veteran W&J head coach Jina DeRubbo. "The seniors stepped up and refused to lose when their backs were against the wall.  I could not be prouder of the fight in them tonight."

Five Presidents finished in double figures scoring. Along with Bezjak's game-saving efforts, Senior Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) finished with 16 points, nine rebounds and five assists in just 24 minutes. Graduate student Riley DeRubbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) tacked on 13 points and a game-high five steals. Sophomore Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa./Indiana Area) and senior Adalynn Cherry (Altoona, Pa./Altoona Area) recorded 11 points and 10 points, respectively.

Trailing by four points with nine seconds to play, Bezjak drained a three-point field goal to bring the Presidents within a single point. After a free throw split by the Falcons, Bezjak converted a driving layup just ahead of the buzzer, which allowed the Presidents to force overtime.

The Presidents secured the win in the overtime by converting seven-of-nine free throw attempts. Bezjak accounted for four free throws in the extra session. Her free throws at the 2:15 mark gave the Presidents the lead for good. DeRubbo tacked on a pair of layups down the stretch, as the Presidents outlasted the Falcons to move on in the NCAA Tournament.

In a game that featured nine ties and 10 lead changes, it was Messiah who used a 20-8 advantage in the second quarter to take a healthy 34-24 lead into the halftime break. Facing one of the top defensive units in Division III women's basketball, the Presidents responded by shooting 57.1 percent in the second half. The Presidents converted 16-of-28 attempts from the field over the final 20 minutes, which helped them erase the double-digit halftime deficit.

Dryburgh, who played just five minutes in the first half due to foul trouble, led the comeback efforts. Dryburgh scored 14 points in the second half. Her layup at the 3:50 mark of the third quarter gave W&J a 41-40 advantage. The two teams grinded through a back-and-forth battle for the remainder of the game. Dryburgh canned a three-point field goal to even the score at 53 all with 5:54 left in the fourth quarter.

W&J faced tough odds down the stretch, as Dryburgh committed her fifth foul with 1:03 remaining in the fourth. Messiah extended its lead to four in the final seconds before Bezjak's late heroics forced overtime.

The Presidents put together a strong advantage in the paint, outscoring Messiah by a 46-30 margin in the paint. The Presidents outrebounded the Falcons by a 35-29 margin.

After making history with its first NCAA win Friday, the Presidents will take aim at more history Saturday in the NCAA Second Round. The Presidents will face Ohio Wesleyan, who defeated Immaculata 87-42 in the other first-round game Friday night. Tip off on Saturday is at 6:30 p.m. in Delaware, Ohio, with the winner moving onto the Sweet Sixteen.

Story and photo contributed by W&J Athletic Communications