PHOTO GALLERY

The Saint Vincent women's basketball team grabbed early control of the road contest against Bethany College and won 79-58. With the win, SVC improves to 9-5 overall, 5-0 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference while the Bison fall to 3-11 and 2-3 in the PAC.
 
After winning the opening tip, Saint Vincent opened the scoring as Paige Montrose made a put back layup. Both teams traded the next couple possessions until Madison Kollar drove the left lane and was fouled. Kollar went 1-2 from the line to give SVC a 3-0 lead.
 
Bethany tied the game with the contest's first three pointer at the 8:15 mark. Montrose gave the lead back to the Bearcats with layup in the right lane.  After setting up a screen, Kollar rolled to the left block and made a layup as she was fouled. She completed the three-point play to give Saint Vincent an 8-4 edge with 7:04 to go in the first.
 
Carlee Kilgus kept the offense going for SVC as she blocked a Bison shot and began the transition offense and went coast-to-coast while completing an and-one opportunity. Saint Vincent extended its lead to nine, 15-6. The offenses for both teams began to heat up as both exchanged makes with Stephanie Vaughn nailing a three from the right wing to keep a nine-point lead with 2:02 to go in the opening period. The Bearcats closed the first period on an 8-2 run and led 27-15 after one.
 
Erin Giancola kept the scoring going for SVC as she made back-to-back jumpers in the paint. A few plays later, Bethany hit a three pointer but Saint Vincent responded as Bri Van Volkenburg laid in a floater followed by a free throw shot. Giancola extend the run to 11-2 with a layup, forcing a Bethany timeout at the 7:24 mark. With a 37-18 lead, Van Volkenburg made two free throws to give her team its biggest lead of the game (21). 
 
Bethany and Saint Vincent went a couple minutes without a make but after a Bethany jumper, Kollar scored seven-straight points to give the Bearcats a 46-22 lead. Kayla Slovenec added a three-point play of her own to increase the lead to 27 with 1:17 to go in the half. Bethany hit a three 20 seconds later to make the score 49-25. The score remained this way as both teams headed to the locker room.
 
A 1:41 into the third, Bethany made the first basket of the half with a three pointer. Just a minute later, Kilgus answered with a three of her followed by a Kollar layup in transition. Lafko stole the ball at midcourt and had an uncontested layup to force a Bethany timeout as SVC led 56-28 with 6:38 on the clock.
 
After a missed shot by the Bison, Slovenec drove the right lane for a layup. She kept the momentum going as stole the ball and went coast-to-coast. Bethany ceased the Bearcats 11-3 run with another three pointer but Saint Vincent still held the lead, 60-31 at the 5:31 mark.
 
The Bison scored the next four points but Taylor Boring got on the scoresheet with a three-point make from the top of the arch. After two minutes, Bethany scored the next basket along with a free throw but SVC still led 63-38 with 1:50 to in the third. Giancola converted two free throws with the Bison made a layup with 50 seconds on the clock. The Bearcats led 65-40 as the game headed into the final period of regulation.
 
Bethany began the fourth by scoring the first five points. Saint Vincent responded as Giancola made two free throws followed by a Kilgus three in the left corner to led 70-48 with 6:28 to go. The Bison scored three of the next five points until Madison Weber grabbed a rebound and converted the put back. Boring followed with a three from the top of the arch with a 77-49 lead. 
 
Bethany responded by scoring nine of the final 11 points but Saint Vincent went on to win 79-58. Kollar paced all scorers with 17 points as Kilgus added 15. The Bearcats forced 24 turnovers with 11 steals. The bench for SVC contributed 33 points as the team scored 22 points off the fast break.
 
Saint Vincent returns to the Robert S. Carey Center on Wednesday, Jan. 15 against Waynesburg University. Start time is 5:30 p.m.