CHESTERTOWN — Washington pulled back the curtain on its 2023-24 women’s basketball season Saturday with an 83-53 victory at home against Notre Dame of Maryland, scoring the first seven points and never trailing.
The locals boasted four players in double-digit scoring, led by junior Karry Kelliher with a game- and career-high 19 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor.
The 5-foot-10 Kelliher also totaled eight assists and seven steals in 33 minutes.
Her jump shot 2 minutes, 32 seconds in gave Washington its 7-0 lead.
After Notre Dame (1-2) closed to 11-4, Washington scored 10 of the next 14 points to increase its lead to 21-8 at the end of the first frame.
Senior Kaleigh White gave Washington its first double-digit lead at 15-4 on a jump shot with 4 minutes, 42 seconds remaining in the opening quarter.
The Shore ladies’ largest lead of the half was 22 points, 37-15, on a Serena Pluta bucket with 3:33 to play.
The spread was 45-26 at intermission and 60-40 after three quarters.
Washington distributed its scoring among nine players.
Starters Emma Robinson (career-high 15 points), Abby Meredith (13 points) and Pluta (10 points) joined Kelliher in double figures.
White came off the bench to contribute nine points.
Washington led 21-17 in bench points; 44-8 in points in the paint; 18-6 points off turnovers; 18-8 in second-chance points; and 10-0 in transition points.
The Shore ladies held a 42-34 rebounding advantage, led by 5-foot-9 sophomore Robinson and 5-11 junior Kiersten Rose with eight and seven boards, respectively.
Freshman Amani Watts led the Gators with 12 points and eight rebounds.
NOTE: The Shore ladies are on the road for the next three games, at Immaculata, Marymount and Swarthmore, before returning home Nov. 30.