MEADVILLE, Pa. – Chatham Women's Basketball (1-1, 0-0 PAC) dropped its second game of the Women Leaders Tip-Off Tournament on Sunday afternoon against #6 Washington and Lee (2-0, 0-0 ODAC) by a final score of 77-65.
 
The Cougars hung with the Generals in the opening quarter, taking a 9-6 lead from a Jordyn Jensen jump shot before Washington and Lee scored 9 consecutive points. A layup by Madison Nereu, who scored 6 points in the first quarter and 15 in the first half, got Chatham within 17-15 to close the frame. The Generals scored the first 5 points of the second quarter and led 25-17 after a Quinn McGuiness three-point basket. Washington and Lee would win the rest of the quarter 12-9, with Nereu netting all 9 points for the Cougars.
 
The Generals opened up a 43-26 advantage after scoring the first 6 points of the second half. Nereu would continue her record-setting performance by scoring 11 of Chatham's 15 third-quarter points, but the Cougars trailed 58-41 at the end of the frame after Mary Schleusner netted 11 of her own for Washington and Lee. Chatham began the fourth quarter on a 10-2 run to cut their deficit to 10.  The Cougars would remain in the game, making the score 69-63 on a Nereu layup with just under two minutes to go, but another 10 points from Schleusner in the quarter proved too much to handle.
 
Schleusner scored 24 points for the Generals on 10-14 shooting and had 17 rebounds, 6 blocks and 7 assists. Caroline Shimp also netted 13 points for Washington and Lee.
 
Nereu finished the game with multiple school records. The senior scored a career-high 37 points, topping the previous program record of 35. Additionally, the Cary, N.C. native made a Chatham-record 17 field goals on 31 attempts, becoming the second PAC player to make 17 field goals in a game since 2020. Previously, the most field goals made by a Cougar in a single game was 13.
 
Maria Barela contributed 9 points for Chatham. Alyssa Laukus was a major factor on the glass, pulling down 8 boards, dishing out 6 assists and scoring 6 points for the Cougars. Chatham connected on all 7 of their free throws in the contest.
 
The Cougars travel to Carlow on Tuesday for their next game, with a 7 p.m. opening tip.