Pledger Records Double-Double With 10 Points and Game-Best 12 Rebounds

WASHINGTON, DC – Sophomore forward/center Latisha Pledger (Chesapeake, VA/Indian River) totaled her eighth career double-double with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds as visiting Washington College topped host Catholic, 48-46, at the DuFour Center in the season opener for both teams in non-conference action.  The Shorewomen picked up their first over the Cardinals since a 67-54 win on November 27, 2000.

The Shorewomen and the Cardinals were tied 6-6 with 13:37 to go in the first half when the Washington (1-0) used a 10-0 run to take a 16-6 lead with 11:32 left in the opening half on a jumper by junior center Erin Kile (Benton, PA/Benton).  The 10-point lead was the biggest of the game by either squad.  However, Catholic turned the tables with a 17-2 run to grab a 23-18 lead with 6:19 to go in the first on a three-pointer by Rachel Ferri.  There was just three more points scored in the half between the two teams and the hosts took a 24-20 lead into halftime.

In the second half, Jill Woerner gave Catholic (0-1) its biggest lead of the game with 15:04 to go in the game on a jumper in the paint.  The Shorewomen would respond with a 9-1 lead in the next 3:44 to take a 33-31 lead on a free throw by senior guard/forward Sally O'Donnell (Cape May Court House, NJ/Wildwood Catholic) with 10:20 to go in the contest.  During the run, WC tied it at 30-30 with 11:53 left on a free throw by sophomore forward Erin Fitzgerald (Greensboro, NC/Bishop McGuiness) and took its first lead since 7:28 left in the first half on a Kile lay-in with 11:09 left at 32-31. 

With the Cardinals leading 37-35 with 9:02 left following a trifecta by Holly Janicki, the Shorewomen went on a 9-0 run to take a lead they would never relinquish.  Pledger would level the game at 37-37 on a pair of free throws with 7:34 to go and a fast-break layup by senior guard Meghan Tait (Oxford, PA/Oxford Area) to make it 39-37 on a pass from O'Donnell.  The run was capped on a three-point make by sophomore guard Kelly Mitchell (Laurel, MD/Academy of the Holy Cross) with 5:09 to go on a feed from Fitzgerald to put WC up 44-37. 

The Cardinals would not go away and cut it to 46-44 with 1:03 left on a Woerner layup.  With 28 ticks to go, Mitchell canned a pair of free throws to put the Shorewomen up four at 48-44.  After a missed layup by the Cardinals and two missed free throws by the Shorewomen, Woerner nailed a jumper with three seconds to cut it to 48-46.  Washington was able to in-bound the ball and run the clock out and pick up the victory.

Mitchell scored 13 points to lead the Shorewomen and drained all three of Washington's three-pointers in the win.  O'Donnell had three assists to lead the team, while Tait had two steals to top the guests.

Woerner had a game-high 16 points for the Cardinals, while Janicki had 10 points off the bench for the hosts.  Emily Grabiak and Janicki each handed out four assists to lead all players, while Woerner and Ferri totaled three steals for tops in the game.

The Shorewomen return to action one week from tonight with a 6:00 p.m. game at McDaniel in the Centennial Conference opener for the team.