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The Washington and Lee University women’s basketball team used a pair of lengthy runs, one in each half, to claim the program’s second Old Dominion Athletic Conference title by defeating seventh-seeded Shenandoah 73-57 on Sunday at the Salem Civic Center.
With the win, the topseeded Generals improved to 22-6 overall and clinched the ODAC’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III tournament. It will mark the program’s third all-time appearance in the NCAA Tournament, and it will be the second straight showing after earning an at-large bid last season.
The Generals had a sluggish start to the game, but only trailed by four with 3:42 remaining in the first quarter. W&L then shook off the rust by using a 14-0 run into the second quarter to move ahead, 24-14. The run was a team effort, as Hanna Malik, Kathryn Vandiver and Mary Schleusner each had four points in that span.
The Hornets (19-10) rebounded with a 12-4 spurt to cut it back to a 28-26 ball game with just under a minute to play in the half. Then, a free throw from Sofia Feigelson and a deep three banked in at the buzzer from Malik gave W&L a six-point halftime lead.
Still ahead by six points after the first minute of the third quarter, Schleusner and Vandiver dominated for the Blue and White, as they each scored eight points during an 18-0 run, which gave the Generals a 52-30 advantage at the 3:13 mark. That lead proved too much for the Hornets, as the smallest margin for the remainder of the game was the final difference of 16 points.
Schleusner, who was named the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, led the way for the Blue and White with 30 points, 19 rebounds and five blocks, while shooting 12-of-23 from the field. Schleusner’s 19 rebounds tied for the fifth-most in a game in program history, and that mark also ballooned her season total to a program-record 323. Additionally, Schleusner finished the three-game run to the title with 40 total rebounds, the fifth most in a single ODAC tournament.
Vandiver finished the day with a 14-point, 10-rebound double-double, to go along with five assists and three blocks. Malik contributed 12 points and added six boards and seven dimes. The duo of Vandiver and Malik was also announced as members of the All-Tournament team along with Schleusner.
On the way to the finals, W&L beat Ferrum 85-69 in the quarterfinals on Thursday before trouncing Salem 71-45 on Saturday.
For the Generals’ NCAA tournament schedule and updates, visit www.generalssports. com.
