It took over 70 fouls and two hours to finish, but by 8:15 p.m. Tuesday night, Washington had outlasted Ayden-Grifton, 49-34, to pick up its first win of the season and the first for head coach Jon Scharpenberg.

“It wasn’t pretty, but I thought we did a good job,” Scharpenberg said. “I told the girls at the beginning of the season it was going to be a work in progress. Tonight was the first step and we’re happy to get a win. We have a long way to go, but I’m excited.”

Leading the way for the Pam Pack was senior Abby Walker, who was head coach Allison Jones’ go-to scorer in the paint last season. Walker was hesitant to pull the trigger on occasion, but was a force down low, finishing with a team-high 15 points and 22 rebounds.

“That’s what I love about Abby, she gives us whatever I ask her to,” Scharpenberg said. “She’s a fantastic rebounder and is unselfish. If anything, I got to get her to take over the offense.”

Washington maintained a full court press throughout the night, which kept the opposing guards in a constant state of discomfort. The tight defense forced turnovers early and had Ayden-Grifton fouling relentlessly to catch up.

Led by the scoring ability of Walker, Erica Hopkins and Timia Ebron, the Pam Pack jumped out to an 11-0 lead to start the game and was up 13-1 at the end of the first.

In a second quarter that lasted almost 40 minutes, the Chargers forced the Washington guards to convert from the foul line. From end-to-end, both teams exchanged free throws, while sophomore guard Jasmine Johnson began to catch fire for the opposition. Eva Mackey hit four of her five free throws in the second quarter, as the Pam Pack took a 25-8 lead into the break, an impressive defensive showing for the first 16 minutes of the season.

“One of our goals this season is to play great defense,” Scharpenberg said. “Hopefully we’ll get out and run a little bit more. You see glimpses of greatness, but it’s just not consistent yet.”

Johnson’s nine third quarter points, along with a newfound defensive intensity, kept the Chargers in the game. Sloppy play from both sides, however, brought the game back to its original form — a free throw contest.

Neither team was able to build any kind of momentum, but with the play of Walker, Hopkins and Jada Woolard through the final eight minutes, the Pam Pack kept the Chargers at bay.

On top of Walker’s performance for Washington, Hopkins finished with 11 points and 10 rebounds, while Ebron notched 10 points. Ayden-Grifton’s Johnson led all scorers with 22 points.

“Moving forward, we need to make sure the post touches the ball every time, make sure we’re spacing the floor better, but other than that I’m excited. The fans were great tonight,” Scharpenberg said.

Washington hosts the Northside Panthers tomorrow.