BOX SCORE

MEADVILLE, Pa. (Dec. 18) - The Saint Vincent women's basketball team erased a nine-point halftime deficit, but was unable to hold a late leading, dropping an 89-85 decision at Allegheny in non-conference action.

The win drops the Bearcats to 5-3 on the season and they will now be off until taking on DeSales (Pa.) in the opening game of the Juniata Holiday Tournament on Sunday, Dec. 29.

Senior forward Taylor Mathers posted a double-double, including a career-high 26 points and 15 rebounds (one shy of her career high). She also added five blocks in the loss. Junior guard Elle Collins chipped in 17 points.

SVC scored the first two points of the game on a Mathers layup nine seconds into the game. After Allegheny responded with five points, the two teams traded baskets for more than five minutes, 17-15, with 13:11 left in the first half.

The Gators answered with a 7-0 run to stretch the lead to 24-15, but an 8-0 SVC run with baskets by Mara Benvenuti, Jillian Kegg, Mathers and Jasmine Weems put SVC within one, 24-23, at 8:45.

Allegheny went on a few more spurts in the half, with a fastbreak layup by Kayla Stockenus and a triple by Weems cutting the margin to one point, 38-37, with 2:26 left in the first half. However, the Gators closed the half on an 8-0 run to take a 46-37 lead into the locker room.

SVC shot just 32.6 percent (15-of-46) from the field in the first half and 11.8 percent (2-of-17) from beyond-the-arc in the first 20 minutes. The Gators, however, knocked down 60 percent (9-of-15) triples in the game's first 20 minutes.

Mathers sparked a run to start the second half, scoring SVC's first nine points of the half and putting together a personal 9-3 run, before leaving the game briefly at the 16:53 mark following a hard foul on a layup. Kegg converted the free throw and SVC trailed by two, 49-47.

The two teams traded baskets for a while before a three-pointer by Drew Meeker tied the game, 59-59, with 14:34 to play. SVC took their first lead since early in the game at 14:01 on a jumper in the paint by Ally Schmidt. The lead was brief as Allegheny re-took the advantage 18 seconds later.

Another Schmidt layup and a free throw by Collins put SVC ahead, 64-62, with 12:35 to play. The game was back-and-forth for the next couple of minutes with SVC opening up a lead of as many as four points on a Collins three-pointer at 3:44 (80-76).

After two free throws by Mathers at 3:07 put SVC back up by three points, 82-79, the hosts closed the game on a 10-3 run, with SVC's lone points coming on a Weems three-pointer with 39.1 seconds remaining to cut the margin to two points, 87-85.

The Bearcats shot much better in the second half, finishing four-of-seven (57.1 percent) from beyond-the-arc and 55.2 percent (16-of-29) from the floor.

Aside from Mathers and Collins, Schmidt and Weems each posted double figures with 10 points. Weems added a game-high five steals.

Makenzie Zidek came off the bench for Allegheny to lead all players with 29 points, including tying the school record with seven three-pointers.