BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

The Saint Vincent women's basketball team built an 18-point lead in the second half, and held on for a 68-65 win over previously unbeaten conference leader Thomas More College.

SVC broke open a close game in the first half when Jessica Welch hit a three, followed by a Brittany Sedlock score that put the hosts up by eight, 20-12, with 8:55 remaining.

With 4:04 left, a three by the Saints' Allison Long made it a five-point game, 28-23, before Sedlock scored six straight points to run the lead to twelve, 35-23, at the 2:20 mark.  SVC was able to maintain the same advantage at the half, 37-25.

Thanks to a six-point run to start the second half the lead grew to 18 points, 43-25, before the Saints started working their way back into the game.  With 8:21 to go, a score by Jill Brunsman cut the gap to eleven, 50-39, but the next six points belonged to Saint Vincent -- two by Sedlock and four by Devin McGrath -- making it a 17-point game with 7:25 remaining.

At the 3:22 mark, the lead dropped back to ten, 59-49, then a three-point play by Katie Kitchen cut the gap to just seven, 59-52, with 2:56 on the clock.  However, at the two minute mark, McGrath scored and drew a foul, and her conventional three-point play once again made it a double-digit lead.

Still, the Saints, who entered the game 7-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference, refused to give up, hitting four three-pointers in the closing two minutes -- three by Long -- but it wasn't enough, as SVC shot well from the free throw line to secure the victory.

Sedlock led the Bearcats on the scoresheet with 24 points, including a 12-for-16 showing at the free throw line.  McGrath added 22 points, which included hitting 12 of 14 free throws.  McGrath also led all players with 11 rebounds, and blocked six shots, just one shy of the school's single-game record.  Elle Collins added 10 points.

Long led all scorers in the game, tallying 26 for Thomas More, including eight three-pointers.  Kitchen added 12 points.

Saint Vincent, Thomas More and Waynesburg are now in a three-way tie atop the PAC standings at 7-1. 

Overall, SVC is now 12-3, while Thomas More falls to 11-4.  Up next for Saint Vincent is a trip to West Virginia on Wednesday night to face Bethany College at 6PM.