WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Catholic University women's basketball team moved to 8-1 on the season with a convincing victory over Gallaudet on Wednesday night.

Defense and diversity in scoring were the stories as Catholic doubled up the Bison, 72-36.

Senior and reigning Landmark Conference Athlete of the Week Rachel Bussanich led the way for Catholic with 16 points while junior Kaleigh Beirne dropped a career-high 14 points, with 10 coming in the second half.

The Cardinals were suffocating on defense, forcing a staggering 26 steals and 50 total turnovers. Six Catholic players had at least three steals while Sarah White forced four.

Catholic led 17-10 after the opening quarter and claimed three steals in the final minute to finish the opening stanza strongly. 

The Cardinals struggled to score at the beginning of the second quarter, missing their first five shots from the floor. However, a quickfire four from Bussanich sparked an emphatic 20-3 Catholic run, and the Cardinals would never look back.

Matt Donohue's squad shot better than 43 percent from the field and were dominant in the paint, outscoring the Bison 48-24 inside. Catholic also moved the ball well, registering an assist on 20 of its 31 made field goals.

Thirteen Cardinals scored a point in the victory as freshmen Tori Fernandez and Lauryn Redcross each registered their first collegiate points.

Catholic will look to continue its momentum when it welcomes Mary Washington to Franny Murray Court on Saturday. Tipoff against the Eagles is scheduled for 1 p.m. as both teams enter the contest with identical 8-1 records.