Box Score
WAYNESBURG, Pa. (Feb. 20) – The Waynesburg University women’s basketball team ended the regular season on the highest possible note as they blew out visiting Geneva 76-52 on senior night.
With the win, the Yellow Jackets improved to 9-16 on the season, while the Golden Tornadoes dropped to 8-17 overall. The victory was even sweeter for the home team as it avenged a 75-55 loss at the hands of Geneva earlier this season.
After honoring senior guards Johnna Deco and Kristen Lucci before tip-off, the Jackets jumped out to a 6-0 lead and never trailed their opponents. Over the first 20 minutes of action, Waynesburg opened up leads as large as 16 points (36-20). The Yellow Jackets were able to take a 36-23 lead into the locker room at halftime. A big reason for the advantage was Waynesburg’s bench, which out-scored Geneva 17-4 in the first period.
Things stayed the same in the second half as the home team scored the first nine points after the halftime break to make the score 45-23 after roughly two minutes of play. Waynesburg’s domination continued throughout the evening, as they opened up advantages as large as 29 points on several occasions.
Deco had a tremendous final performance in front of her home crowd as she set game highs in scoring and rebounding during a double-double effort. She poured in 15 points and yanked down 11 rebounds. She was one of four different Jackets who scored at least 12 points on the night. Joining her were junior forward Elisha Jones (14 points) and freshmen reserves Emilee Wagner and Paige Pearce, who chipped in 12 points a piece to the winning effort.
Freshman forward Brittany Spencer added 10 rebounds on the night, while sophomore guard Hannah Hunter dished out a game-high six assists.
Geneva was led by junior guard Rachel Barry, who tallied a team-high 13 points in the loss.
After a successful end to their regular season, the Jacket women will prepare for the Presidents’ Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship Tournament. They begin their run towards a conference title on Tuesday, Feb. 23, with a road trip to Westminster. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.