BOX SCORE

PHOTO GALLERY

by Charlie Russo, Sports Information Student Assistant

The SVC women's basketball team lost to #1-ranked Thomas More College by a final score of 91-59 on Senior Day in the Carey Center to finish the regular season.

Senior Taylor Mathers scored 14 points while the Bearcats fought hard on senior night, but couldn't overcome Thomas More's powerful offense.  Sydney Moss led Thomas More with 40 points and 11 rebounds.  
 
Both teams started strong defensively, as the Bearcats scored first off a Shalia Williams jumper at the 18:06 mark.  Sophomore Mara Benvenuti then scored off an Ally Schmidt assist; followed by a Mathers jumper to give SVC a 6-3 lead with 16:43 left in the first half.
 
Thomas More began to find their groove, going on a 16-0 run that lasted a little over six minutes.  The Saints run was halted at the 10:47 mark when Williams scored on a lay in off a Hannah Carroll assist to make the score 22-8 Thomas More.  Carroll would then hit a deep three to cut the deficit to 11.  On the next possession, junior guard Drew Meeker sank a trey of her own to make the score 22-14 Saints.
 
Both teams continued to battle, as Carroll sunk two more first-half threes, cutting the Thomas More lead to 10.  The Saints would go on an 8-0 run to give themselves a comfortable 18-point lead with over two minutes left in the first half.  Jill Kegg scored for the Bearcats with 41 seconds left and the Thomas More Saints would head into the locker room leading the Bearcats 50-30 at the half.
 
For the Bearcats, Carroll had 9 points and Schmidt dished a game high 9 first-half assists.  For the Saints, Moss scored 21 points, shooting 7-8 from the field during the first 20 minutes.
 
The Bearcats scored first in the second half, with Benvenuti hitting a floater down the lane, making the score 52-32 Thomas More.  Mathers found the basket at the 17:25 mark, scoring on a layup to cut the Saint's lead to 19.  The Bearcats would than go on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a pair of free throws from Mathers and senior Jessica Welch, making the score 57-43 Thomas More.
 
The Saints then went on a run of their own, scoring 9 straight points while gaining a 72-45 lead.  SVC would continue to fight, as Meeker hit a three, followed by a jumper two possessions later, making the score 76-52 Thomas More. 
 
The Saints would finish strong, gaining a 32-point lead and sealing a 91-59 victory. 
 
Mathers scored 14 points to lead the Bearcats in scoring.  Schmidt dished a career-high 11 assists while scoring 7 points of her own, and adding a career-best 9 steals.
 
For the Saints, Moss was followed on the scoresheet by Abby Owings, who tallied 20.

Saint Vincent finishes the regular season with a 15-3 conference record, 21-4 overall.  Thomas More ends at 25-0, 18-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.  

Both Saint Vincent and Thomas More receive byes in the PAC Tournament and move right to the semifinals on Friday night (February 27) in Crestview Hills, KY.  SVC is seeded #2 and will await an opponent to be determined, while Thomas More is seeded #1.  The Bearcats will play at 6PM, while Thomas More hosts the 8PM game that evening.