BOX SCORE

by Geo Muzika, Sports Information Assistant

Saint Vincent improved its record to 11-2, 3-0 in conference play, with a 76-69 victory over the Thiel Tomcats in the Carey Center.
 
The game was a story of two halves as the Bearcats took a 47-28 lead into the break, but the Tomcats came out firing on all cylinders in the second half to bring the game to within single digits. 
 
Saint Vincent opened the contest up on an 11-3 run, seven of those points coming from senior guard Isaac Turner.  Two possessions later, sophomore JC Howard nailed a deep three-pointer to put the Bearcats up nine (14-5), and after a quick Tomcat bucket, Turner responded with a trey of his own to extend the lead to ten (17-7).
 
The hosts went on a 7-0 run starting at the 12:23 mark with consecutive buckets from senior Dillon Stith, and a three-pointer from sophomore Geoff FuQuay. 
 
Thiel responded with a 6-0 run that brought the Tomcats to within eleven (29-18), but the give consecutive points from the hosts extended their lead to 34-18. 
 
To end the first half, the Bearcats went on a 14-6 run and took a 47-28 lead into the break. 
 
The second half showcased a different Thiel squad that gave the Bearcats trouble.  The visitors scored the first four points of the second half, but the combination of Turner and Stith retaliated with four points of their own to extend the lead to 19, (51-32). 
 
Again, the two teams traded buckets until the 9:21 mark in the second half when sophomore Ben Klimchock hit a three to put Saint Vincent up 60-42.  That bucket was the last one Saint Vincent would make for nearly four minutes.
 
The Tomcats opened up a 13-0 run that brought the visitors to within five (60-55), but the run was halted by a Sean Kett free throw and a Howard two-handed slam.
 
Thiel got to within three (63-60), but six trips to the free throw line was enough to help Saint Vincent seal the deal.
 
Saint Vincent's starters combined for 70 of the teams 76 points.  Turner led all scorers with 25 points, going 2-3 from beyond the arc and a perfect 3-3 from the charity stripe.  Stith added 14 points and nine rebounds, while Howard and Klimchock added 12 each and Kett tallied seven.
 
The Bearcats bench points came via two three pointers.  One from FuQuay, the other from sophomore guard Pat Jones.
 
Saint Vincent returns to action on Saturday in West Virginia, facing Bethany College, which will carry a 5-0 conference record into the game.