Bellhy helps W&J advance to ECAC semifinals
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WAYNESBURG – Beka Bellhy saved a memorable peformance for when Washington & Jefferson needed it the most.
Bellhy and Valerie Dunlap combined for 43 points as Washington & Jefferson defeated PAC rival Waynesburg, 83-61, in the quarterfinals of the ECAC South Tournament at Rudy Marisa Fieldhouse Wednesday night.
The Presidents, who earned their first win of the season over the Yellow Jackets, advance to the semifinals where they will face second-seeded Lebanon Valley (19-9), which defeated Delaware Valley in another quarterfinal game, Saturday at Albright College in Reading, Pa. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m.
Bellhy, a Fort Cherry High School graduate, scored her 1,000th career point, becoming the 15th player in program history to accomplish the feat, and finished with 21. She also grabbed nine rebounds. Dunlap led the Presidents (21-7) with 22 points and 13 rebounds. W&J held a 49-33 advantage at halftime and by as many as 28 points during the second half. Danni Medovich had 10 points for W&J.
Katie Gehlmann’s layup with 14:46 remaining in the first half drew the Yellow Jackets to within one point, but the Presidents answered with an 8-0 run behind a strong shooting performance and their work at the free throw line. W&J made 23 of 29 free throws in the first half and shot 41.9 percent from the field. They followed that with 14 more free throws in the second half to pull away for the win.
Waynesburg was outrebounded, 58-35, and was marred by foul trouble as four players finished the game with four personal fouls. The Yellow Jackets (15-11) struggled offensively, shooting just 25 percent from the field, including 8 of 36 in the second half, and they missed 24 three-point attempts. Hayden Giuliani had a team-high 11 points for Waynesburg and Gehlmann chipped in 10.
Washington & Jefferson used its strong inside game to defeat Waynesburg for the first time this season. The Presidents scored 40 points in the paint and complimented its inside presence with a strong defensive effort,turning 17 turnovers into 16 points.