Outmanned Jefferson gave Washington all it wanted for three quarters Friday night at the J-Hawks' gym.

Playing without three starters, the J-Hawks scratched and clawed their way to within seven points of the No. 7 Warriors. But Washington used a 14-4 run to start the fourth quarter and pulled away for a 66-46 Mississippi Valley Conference girls basketball win.

Washington (10-5, 9-4) was led by Danielle Franklin's 17 points. Abby Herb and Jazz Royster had 11 points apiece and Brooke Foreman came off the bench to score 10.

Jefferson (6-10, 2-10) was led by Maddie Koolbeck's 17 points. Dani Stromert added 12.

Jefferson Coach Larry Niemeyer learned earlier Friday that his team would have to play the rest of the season without two more starters. Junior Taylor Jacobson already had been ruled out for the season with an ankle injury, but juniors Rachel Broghammer and Kaitlyn Davidson were added to the disabled list. Broghammer has a stress fracture in her lower leg and Davidson has a torn meniscus in her knee.

"I've never had anything like this," Niemeyer said of the rash of injuries.

Washington jumped out to a 15-2 lead against the jittery J-Hawks, playing with three juniors and two sophomores. The Warriors led 36-22 at halftime and appeared to have the game in hand.

But the J-Hawks pounded the ball low to sophomore Kieley Brathwaite for a pair of baskets to start the second half, and Stromert drained a bucket and a 3-pointer for a 9-2 run that pulled Jefferson within 38-31 and it was a ballgame.

"I give them all the credit in the world because I thought they played really hard," Washington Coach Frank Howell said of Jefferson's effort. "It would have been easy for their kids to lay down and die and they didn't do that at all. They got most of the loose balls and we got outhustled quite a bit."

But when the game was on the line, the Warriors went back to their bread and butter, working the ball inside to Herb, Royster and Franklin, who combined for 13 of Washington's 19 points in the fourth quarter.

Jefferson, down to eight players, ran out of gas.

"I thought we played really, really well," Niemeyer said. "I thought Maddie Koolbeck played an awfully good game for us at the post, but they just have so much size inside. And Dani Stromert, who plays harder?"

Niemeyer was especially pleased with the way the J-Hawks handled Washington's full-court pressure defense. The Warriors stymied the J-Hawks with that tactic in their first meeting, a 66-39 Washington win on Dec. 16.

The start of the game was delayed approximately 45 minutes because the officials were late. The game was the opener of a girl/boy doubleheader.

Washington hosts No. 9 Waukee Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Jefferson's next game is Saturday at Clinton.

WASHINGTON (66): Abby Herb 4 3-4 11, Madison Kramer 1 2-2 4, Jazz Royster 5 1-2 11, Tasha Roundtree 2 0-0 2, Danielle Franklin 6 4-5 17, Brooke Foreman 4 1-2 10, Colby Bjornsen 1 0-0 3, Callie Stone 0 0-0 0, Aleena Hobbs 2 2-4 6, Kelli Klaus 0 0-2 0, Shanay Gonder 0 0-0 0, Lauren Goodlove 0 0-0 0. Totals 25 13-21 66.

JEFFERSON (46): Alleigha Church-Green 1 2-2 4, Madison Blietz 2 0-2 4, Dani Stromert 3 5-10 12, Maddie Koolbeck 7 3-6 17, Kieley Brathwaite 4 1-5 9, Kylie Jonas 0 0-0 0, Hannah Towns 0 0-0 0, Molly Evans 0 0-0 0. Totals 17 11-25 46.

Halftime - Washington 36, Jefferson 22. 3-point goals - Washington 3 (Franklin, Foreman, Bjornsen), Jefferson 1 (Stromert). Fouls - Washington 22, Jefferson 18. Fouled out - Royster, Church-Green, Blietz.