SALEM, Va. – Senior guard Joy Sanders (Baltimore, Md./Cristo Rey Jesuit) snapped a 54-54 tie with a four-point play with 2:23 remaining in the fourth quarter to highlight a 21-point and 12-rebound performance, both career-bests, as Washington College got past New Jersey City University, 62-59, on Thursday night at the Cregger Center in non-conference women's basketball action in the opening round of the 2022 Susan Dunagan Holiday Classic hosted by Roanoke.  The Shorewomen, who will play host Roanoke in the final tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m., are 7-2 on the season, while the Gothic Knights fall to 2-7.

Washington College 62 NJCU 59

How It Happened
- The Shorewomen raced out to a 7-2 lead with 5:33 to go in the first quarter on a Joy Sanders jumper.
- NJCU would answer with a 9-4 run to end the first quarter as Damaris Rodriguez made a bucket with two ticks left to level the game at 11-11 after one.
- In the second quarter, Washington used a 10-4 run to grab a 30-24 lead with 1:20 left on a Sanders score.  The Gothic Knights though would score the final four points of the second to cut the lead to 30-28 at halftime as Rodriguez netted a basket with two seconds left before the buzzer.
- WC scored seven of the first nine points of the third quarter to lead 39-32 with 1:32 remaining on a Kiersten Rose layup.  NJCU would counter by scoring six unanswered to cut the lead to 39-38 with 50 seconds left in the third on a Janari Newsome three.  Sanders netted a jumper with 30 ticks left to give the Shorewomen a 41-38 lead heading into the fourth.
- Knotted at 54-54, Sanders drained a three from the left corner and was fouled.  She netted the free throw to cap the four-point play and give WC a 58-54 lead.
- NJCU's Jimmirah Johnson cut the lead to 58-56 with 1:05 to go before the Shorewomen's Karry Kelliher made three-of-four from the foul line to make it 61-56 with 27 ticks left. 
- Each team made a free throw before Rodrgiuez made a lay-in with two seconds left to provide the final margin.  

For The Shorewomen (7-2)
- Sanders (team-high 21 points and game-best 12 rebounds to set personal-highs in both), Andrea Prestianne (12 points and three steals), Kaitlyn Boggs (10 points)
- WC shot 38% from the floor (18-for-48), 31% from three-point range (4-for-13) and 63% (22-for-35) from the foul line in the game.
- The Shorewomen turned it over 19 times, while hauling down 44 rebounds.
- Washington outscored NJCU in transition points, 11-2.

For New Jersey City University (2-7)
- Taylor Hehnly (26 points and five steals to lead all players), Jasmine Reese (nine boards)
- The Gothic Knights shot 33% from the floor (22-for-67), 23% from three-point land (5-for-22) and 53% from the foul stripe (10-for-19).
- NJCU outscored Washington, 10-9, in points off turnovers, 21-17, in bench points, 14-4, in second chance points and 20-18 in points in the paint in the game.
- New Jersey City University also grabbed 44 rebounds, while turning it over 17 times.

Notes
- In the other opening round game, host Roanoke topped Eastern, 66-46.
- Sanders tallied her third career double-double in the win as she now has two on the season.  The senior had 19 points and 10 rebounds in a win over Marymount on November 15.
- It was the first ever meeting between the two programs.

Up Next
12/30 @ Roanoke – 7:00 p.m. (Non-Conference Game)
- Championship Game of the 2022 Susan Dunagan Holiday Classic and first all-time meeting between the Shorewomen and the Maroons.