NEW WILMINGTON, PA– It was not the end that head women’s basketball coach, Sam Jones wanted for this season. His squad lost to third-seeded Westminster 76-60 Wednesday evening at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium. The loss was due in large part to a rough first half that ended with the Jackets [8-19] down 39-20. 

“I think we were a little timid, a little scared, and just tentative,”  Jones said.

Waynesburg didn’t go down without a fight. The team came out firing to start the second half, and cut Westminster’s [20-6] lead to just four points.

“We picked up more energy and then we made a couple shots and fed off of that,” said Jones. “We got some stops. We did some things differently defensively from the first half.”

Unfortunately, those efforts weren’t enough.

Fouls were an issue for the team. Freshman point guard  Anika Dansby fouled out with 7:34 left. Senior Erin Joyce also had to sit out more than usual because of her four fouls.

In her final game in the black and orange uniform, Senior Alli DeLaney scored 15 points, tying junior Andrea Orlosky for the team-high. Sophomore Brooke Fuller notched her 11th double-double of the season with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Sophomore Magen Polczynski’s led all scorers with 20 points, and freshman Camden Hergenrother wasn’t far behind with 18. 

Jones is proud of the improvement his team showed during the course of the season.

“Every one of our girls was a better player tonight than they were in October, so I think that’s a testament to their work ethic,” Jones said.

Even though a Presidents’ Athletic Conference Championship will not come to Waynesburg, Jones didn’t see the season as a waste. 

“I think we had a really strong finish and I think we have a good platform to jump off of heading into next year,” Jones said.

Waynesburg has one of the smallest rosters in the PAC. The Yellow Jackets are a young team and will return all but two members of its team next season.

“We have some talented kids,” said Jones.

With the win, Westminster moves on to semi-finals, as it will play Grove City Friday at Saint Vincent College.