Starting a season off 19-0 is no easy task for any team in any league.  Even for a squad that is loaded with talent and has multiple 1,000-point scorers to their credit, sometimes there are nights when the offense isn’t perfect and you have to search for other ways to win. On Wednesday night the University of Mary Washington Eagles proved that they can do just that. 

Head Coach Deena Applebury’s team used a suffocating half-court defense to defeat visiting Marymount (Va.) University 53-40 at the William M. Anderson Center.  Despite going only 3 for 12 from behind the three-point line, the Eagles pulled out the victory by forcing 22 Marymount (Va.) turnovers and consistently forcing the Saints into tough shots as the shot clock was expiring.  The victory keeps Mary Washington without a loss as they continue on their quest to go undefeated throughout the regular season.

The Eagles, ranked 9th in the most recent ESPN/USA Today Division III Coaches Poll, were led in scoring by their two 1,000-point senior guards Katie Wimmer and Jenna McRae. Wimmer was the leading scorer for the Eagles with 14 points, while McRae, last week’s Co-Conference Player of the Week, added 12 to go along with four rebounds and six assists. Freshman forward Aubrey Howland contributed 9 points for the Eagles as they remain atop the Capital Athletic Conference standings.

Marymount, who only used seven players in the game, was led by Katelyn Fischer’s 14 points and 10 rebounds. Forwards Jackie Bohenek and Julie Tomesheski both added eight points for the Marymount, as they fall to 4-6 in the CAC and 7-12 overall.

Marymount kept the score close throughout the first half and trailed only 22-20 heading into intermission.  The Eagles used an 18-6 run to begin the second half and then turned it over to their defense to pull away and coast to the victory. Two 3-pointers by Sam Spencer in the final minute, the only two of the game for the Saints, made the final score closer than it otherwise should have been.

The Eagles look to remain undefeated Saturday as they host St. Mary’s (Md.) at 2 PM in a key CAC match-up at the Anderson Center.