PHOTO GALLERY

The Bearcat women's basketball team closed the regular season with a 77-53 victory over Chatham University on Senior Day in the Carey Center. 
 
SVC concludes the regular season as the Presidents' Athletic Conference leaders with a record of 15-1 (21-4 overall).  Chatham finishes 8-8 in the PAC, 12-13 overall.  
 
The Cougars held the lead through the early portion of the first quarter, before Madison Kollar scored four straight points to give the hosts their first lead of the game, 8-7, at the 5:30 mark.
 
After the visitors took a 12-10 lead, Kollar again tied the game on a layup, and the Bearcats retook the lead on a putback by Bri Van Volkenburg near the 3-minute mark.
 
Close play continued through the rest of the quarter, with the Bearcats holding a 15-14 edge after 10 minutes of play.
 
A three by Taylor Boring helped SVC build a five-point edge, 22-17, at the six minute mark of the second, but a conventional three point play from Chatham's Brittani Smith cut the gap to just two, 24-22 a minute later.
 
Scores from Kollar and Lauren Gamble increased the lead to six, 28-22, and a three from the corner by Maria Morgan later made it a 10-point game, 33-23.  Back-to-back steals by Gamble and Lafko led to four straight points by Lafko, giving SVC a 37-23 lead with 1:44 remaining in the second. Another SVC steal, this one by Paige Montrose, led to an acrobatic layup by Morgan in the final minute, and it was Morgan again hitting a three at the buzzer as the Bearcats pulled away to a 44-23 lead at the half.  
 
Morgan's hot shooting continued in the third quarter, as she hit a three to run the lead to 27 (51-24). Chatham responded with six straight points near the six-minute mark, cutting the SVC lead to 51-30.  After a pair of Montrose free throws, it was Morgan once again hitting a three, as SVC took a 56-30 lead with 3:15 remaining in the third.  After three quarters, the hosts led 60-33.
 
Early fourth-quarter threes by Carlee Kilgus and Boring gave SVC a 69-39 lead.  Chatham later reeled off seven straight points to make it a 70-48 game, but the outcome was never in doubt as SVC won by 24.
 
Morgan and Kollar each scored 16 points to lead the Bearcats, while Van Volkenburg set a career high with 11 rebounds.  Boring added 10 points, while Montrose recorded 8 points, 5 rebounds, four steals and two blocks on the afternoon.   Slovenec and Kollar each grabbed 7 rebounds.

As the #1 seed entering the PAC post-season, the Bearcats will host the Final Four the weekend of February 22-23.  Game one will feature #2 seed Washington & Jefferson, beginning at 5:30PM on Friday, February 22.  The Bearcats will play in the second semifinal game that evening at 7:30.  Opponents will be determined via games played early in the week.  Tickets for Friday's games will go on sale on Monday (February 18) in the SVC Athletic Office.