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The Saint Vincent Bearcats utilized 16 blocked shots, including six each from Ryan Dutton and Tom Kromka, holding Thiel to just 60 points in a 70-60 win at the Carey Center.
 
Mike Simmons set the tone early for the Bearcats, hitting a three on the first possession of the game. Thiel followed with a putback a minute into play, then took a 4-3 lead at the 17:20 mark.
 
SVC took a 6-4 lead on a steal and fast break layup by David Stephen, but the Tomcats quickly retook command, eventually taking an 11-8 lead near the 14-minute mark.  
 
After a timeout, SVC took control, starting with a Shemar Bennett layup. Dutton then put the Bearcats in front with a putback, followed by 4 straight points from Josh Duda on a three and a free throws, giving SVC a 16-11 lead.

Thiel answered with a three, but the Bearcats then reeled off 9 consecutive points in a 2 ½ minute span, including scores from Kromka and Kyle Pope, punctuated by a three from Simmons that resulted in a Thiel time out.
 
After that, the tempo slowed, with Thiel adding two points and SVC kept off the board for more than three minutes.  Simmons then hit a three, followed by a Duda layup on a fast break.  Duda later added another three that made the score 33-18 with three minutes left in the half.  
 
Bennett added a runner in the final minute, pushing the SVC lead to 35-21 at the half.  Simmons and Duda led the scoresheet with 9 first half points each.
 
Stephen started strong for the Bearcats in the second half, scoring on a runner to open play.  Andrew Reed followed with a three.  Ryan Dutton was tough in the paint, blocking three Thiel shots in a three minute span.  At the 13:50 mark, Kyle Pope hit a baseline jumper to put SVC in front 51-34.
 
Later, Duda hit another three and Bennett followed with a drive along the baseline, giving Saint Vincent is 24-point lead, 65-41, at the 7:22 mark.  
 
Thiel responded with an 14-1 run, cutting the gap to 11 with under two minutes to go, 66-55.
 
SVC continued to struggle offensively, but the Tomcats ran out of time and were forced to foul in the final minute, as SVC held on for a 70-60 win.
 
Offensively, SVC was led by a trio of guards with 12 points each – Stephen, Simmons and Duda.  Kromka led the team in rebounds with 7, while Dutton had 6 and Bennett added 5.  Stephen recorded 7 assists and 3 steals.  
 
Saint Vincent is now 8-1 on the season overall, 3-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.  Thiel drops to 2-7, 0-2 in the PAC.

SVC will return to action on December 14-15 in the York College Invitational, in Jamaica, New York.