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After a strong second half comeback by Grove City sent the game to overtime, the Bearcat women's basketball team pulled away to an 82-71 victory at the Carey Center.
 
The scoring pace was fast and furious in the early going.  SVC built a 9-4 lead on a three by Jenna Lafko at the 7:01 mark, and Madison Kollar followed shortly after with a three that made the score 12-6.
 
Later, solid play by the SVC defense led to a three by Taylor Boring and a layup by Erin Giancola that put SVC in front 19-11.

However, the Wolverines fought back with a pair of threes in the closing minute of the quarter to cut the gap to just three, 20-17.  Boring then scored on a driving layup, but Grove City drew a foul and hit one shot with less than a second remaining, making it 22-18 after 10 minutes of play.
 
Early in the second, Giancola scored on back-to-back possessions, to make it a 26-20 game.  Threes by Kollar and Lafko later built the lead to double-digits (34-24) with 3:41 remaining in the half.  A Kollar jumper ran the lead to 12, and Kayla Slovenec drew a foul and hit both shots to make it a 38-24 game at the 3:09 mark.  At the half, SVC was in front 40-28, with Kollar leading the scoresheet with 10 points.
 
In the third, a three by Grove City's Kate Balcom cut the gap to just nine (44-35), but Kollar answered with a three less than 20 seconds later to one again make it a 12-point game at the 6:41 mark.
 
Balcom followed with another three, and a Bearcat foul led to a pair of free throws to make the score 47-40, and Balcom's third long range shot in a two-minute span then reduced the margin to just four, 47-43 with 5:11 to go in the third.  After the visitors scored to make it a 49-47 game with 3:41 left, the Bearcats called a time out to regroup. 
 
The Bearcats battled back at the end of the quarter, as Bri Van Volkenburg and Giancola each scored to put SVC in front 55-49 after 30 minutes of play.
 
SVC carried the momentum into the fourth, with scores from Giancola and Paige Montrose running the lead to eight, just two minutes into the quarter.
 
Grove City added three points from the free throw line in the next two and a half minutes, but Van Volkenburg answered with a jumper from the baseline.  Later, a Lafko score kept SVC in front by seven, 63-56 with just over three minutes remaining.
 
With 2:23 on the clock, Grove City added a score to make it 65-60 and called a time out, then blocked a Bearcat shot on the next possession.  That led to a three by Jess Bowen, making the score 65-63 with 1:45 to go.  Balcom came up with a steal and drew a foul with 41 seconds left, hitting both shots to tie the game at 65-65.
 
SVC missed a shot but retook possession with 23 seconds to go, but the Bearcats were unable to get off a shot before the buzzer, sending the game into overtime.
After SVC scored on a free throw to start the overtime period, Grove City took its first lead of the afternoon on a jumper by Bowen near the four-minute mark.  SVC retook the lead on a Kollar basket with 3:45 to go, and Montrose followed with two free throws to extend the lead to three.  Slovenec then came up with a rebound and a three to make the score 73-67 in favor of the Bearcats with 2:27 remaining.  Grove City never recovered, and SVC went on to the victory.
 
Five Bearcats scored in double figures, led by Kollar with 22.  Lafko added 16, while Slovenec tallied 13.  Montrose and Giancola each scored 10.  Montrose was tops in rebounds with 6, while Kilgus had 8 assists and and Giancola blocked three shots.

Saint Vincent is now 5-1 overall, 2-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.  Grove City suffered its first loss of the season, now 7-1, 1-1 in the PAC.

SVC returns to action on Monday, December 16 at DeSales University in non-conference action.