LATROBE, Pa (Nov. 12)- The Saint Vincent College men's basketball team played host to Carlow on Saturday night in the Robert S. Carey Student Center, where the Bearcats pulled away late with a 69-56 victory. The win for Saint Vincent is their third in a row to open up the season.
 
Four of the five Saint Vincent starters finished in double figures. Freshman, Jaden Gales led the way for the Bearcats. Gales was one rebound short of his first career collegiate double/double, finishing with 22 points and nine rebounds. Tayler McNeal added 17 points, four rebounds, and three assists.
 
Shemar Bennett had a strong night as well. Bennett finished with a double/double, scoring 14 points, while grabbing 12 rebound and also recording two assists. Andrew Reed added 10 points and two rebounds for SVC. Coming off of the bench, Logan Karvoski recorded five points and two rebounds.
 
It was a quick start offensively for the Bearcats. Saint Vincent held an 8-2 lead just four minutes into the opening half. In the next eight minutes of the half, Carlow controlled the pace of the game, cutting into the Saint Vincent lead as the score had moved to 16-14, still in favor of Saint Vincent with 8:12 remaining in the half.
 
The Bearcats took full control from that point on Saint Vincent went on a 12-0 run that spanned over three minutes of the game clock, as SVC increased their lead to 14 at 28-14. The Celtics cut into the Saint Vincent lead with an 11-4 run, cutting the lead to 32-25 with just over a minute remaining in the half. With 19 seconds to go in the half, Bennett took advantage of a Carlow turnover and slammed in a dunk on a face break, giving the Bearcats a 34-25 lead heading into the halftime break.
 
In the second half, the Bearcats continued to hold a steady lead throughout the first ten minutes of the half. The Bearcats led by 12 at 51-39 with 9:19 to go in the game. Over the next five minutes of play, the Celtics went on a 15-5 to cut the Bearcats lead to just two at 56-54 with just over four minutes remaining in the game.
 
Saint Vincent responded with a 13-2 run of their own to close out the game and secure the win to stay unbeaten on the early portion of the season.
 
The Bearcats shot 24-52 from the field, including 15-31 in the second half. Saint Vincent was also a strong 14-17 (82.35%) from the free throw line on the night. The Bearcats outscored the Celtics in the paint by a 42-38 clip and had eight fast break points, compared to the Celtics five.
 
Saint Vincent returns to action on Wednesday, November 16, traveling to Steubenville, Ohio to take on Franciscan in their first President's Athletic Conference matchup of the year. Tip off is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Steubenville High School.