No. 19 Mount Union Cruises To 71-48 Triumph Over No. 24 Washington & Jefferson

March 5, 2010

Courtesy of Mount Union Athletics

(GRANTHAM, PA)–Rosa LaMattina (Westlake/Westlake) scored 11 points and Katie Crider (Brunswick/Brunswick) came of the bench with 10 as No. 19 ranked Mount Union ran past No. 24 ranked Washington & Jefferson (PA), 71-48 in the first round of the 2010 NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Championship Friday in Grantham, PA.

The Purple Raiders move to 25-4 on the season and await the winner of a first round matchup between regional host and No. 17 ranked Messiah (PA) and Neumann (PA).

Kennan Killeen had 11 and Maggie Gibson 10 to lead Washington and Jefferson as its season ends with a 23-5 record.t

The Presidents looked good early as they built an early 9-3 lead in the game’s opening six minutes.

Mount Union rallied to tie the game at 20 and stepped on the gas to finish the half on a 12-2 run and take a 32-25 lead at the half.

The Raiders then turned up their trademark press as they held W&J scoreless the first 7:16 of the second half and extended the lead to 13 points, 40-27 with 12:44 remaining. Mount Union kept the pressure on and pushed the lead to 24 points with 4:32 left and never looked back.

NOTES
Mount Union moves to 12-3 in NCAA Tournament games as the Raiders have never lost in the first round, while Washington and Jefferson is still winless in its seventh NCAA Tournament appearance.