DELAWARE, Ohio (pacathletics.org) – A historic season for the Washington & Jefferson College women's basketball team came to a close with a 78-65 loss to 18th-ranked Ohio Wesleyan University Saturday evening in the Second Round of the NCAA Division III Championship Tournament at OWU's Branch Rickey Arena.

The Presidents finish the season with a 24-5 overall record. The loss concludes a fantastic four-year run for the Presidents' senior class. The group wraps up as W&J's all-time winningest class with 94 wins. The group helped W&J achieve history on Friday evening when the Red and Black downed 23rd-ranked Messiah University by a 76-72 score in overtime. The victory was the first for the program in the NCAA Tournament. The 24 wins also equals the single-season high for the program.

The Battling Bishops improve to 25-3 overall and advance into the NCAA Sweet 16 where they will face seventh-ranked Baldwin Wallace at a site to be determined on March 14.

Graduate student Riley DeRubbo (Washington, Pa./Trinity) poured in a team-high 19 points, pulled down six rebounds and added four steals in the loss. Senior guard Meghan Dryburgh (Pittsburgh, Pa./Baldwin) finished out her stellar career in the Red and Black with 15 points, a game-high 14 rebounds, four assists and three steals. Senior guard Bryn Bejzak (Uniontown, Pa./Albert Gallatin) and sophomore center Katie Kovalchick (Shelocta, Pa./Indiana Area) finished with 10 points apiece.

By reaching double figures Saturday, Bezjak was able to eclipse the 1,000-point mark for her career. Bezjak finishes her four-year run with the Presidents with 1,005 points and became the 21st player in program history to reach the milestone.

Ohio Wesleyan jumped out to an early lead and never trailed in the victory. The Battling Bishops scored the opening seven points. W&J was quick to counter with a 7-2 run to trim the deficit to 9-7. A three-point field goal by junior guard Stellanie Loutsion (Canonsburg, Pa./Canon-McMillan) and a layup by Bezjak allowed W&J to cut into the deficit. After a basket by the Bishops, Kovalchick knocked down a triple to bring the Presidents within a point at 11-10 near the first media timeout.

The Battling Bishops stretched the lead back to eight points with another 7-0 run. A triple by Dryburgh and a pair of free throws by DeRubbo brought the Presidents back within one possession at 18-15 late in the first quarter. Sophomore forward Jacey Mullen (New Springfield, Ohio/Springfield Local) closed the first quarter scoring with a layup that cut the OWU lead to 23-19 after 10 minutes.

Ohio Wesleyan added onto its lead in the second quarter. The Battling Bishops outscored the Presidents by a 20-8 margin in the frame. Fueled by a trio of three-point field goals, the Bishops opened the quarter on a 14-2 run. That swelled the OWU lead to 37-21 at the midway point of the second. The Presidents were able to cut the deficit to 38-27 following back-to-back baskets by Dryburgh. However, the Battling Bishops closed the half with five-straight points to take a 43-27 lead into halftime.

The Battling Bishops continued to hold a double-digit lead throughout the third quarter. The Presidents put together a 7-2 run late in the third to trim the deficit to 56-44. DeRubbo accounted for all seven points, which included a triple. The Presidents had multiple possessions to trim the deficit further but could not do so, which allowed the Battling Bishops to extend the lead to 60-44 entering the fourth.

DeRubbo knocked down two more three-point field goals coupled with a Bezjak layup that allowed the Presidents to trim the deficit to 62-52 with 6:41 to play. OWU pushed the lead back up to 15 points with 4:03 remaining. However, the Presidents ripped off nine unanswered points, including a layup by Dryburgh with 1:51 to play, trimming the deficit to 67-61. The run was aided by four-straight free throws after a flagrant foul by OWU left Bezjak's mouth bloodied. Ultimately, the Presidents were unable to draw any closer down the stretch, as the Bishops were able to salt the game away at the free throw line.

Both teams shot the ball well from the floor. Fueled by a 33-point effort by Kasey Schipfer, the Battling Bishops shot 48.3 percent from the floor. Ohio Wesleyan was exceptional from three-point range, knocking down eight of 12 attempts from behind the line. W&J finished 41.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from three-point range (6-of-14). The two teams combined to commit 39 turnovers in the game.

Photo contributed by Zoie Fisher / Story contributed by W&J Athletic Communications