PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Dec. 7) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team traveled to Chatham University and picked up a 65-61 victory in a back-and-forth Presidents' Athletic Conference matchup.
 
The teams traded the lead four times over the final quarter, before a three-pointer by Emily Cavacini with 3:44 left in regulation capped off an 8-0 run and gave Saint Vincent the lead for good, as the Bearcats improved to 5-3 overall and 4-2 in the PAC.
 
Cavacini bucketed a season-high 20 points to lead three SVC scorers in double figures, with Lizzie Bender adding 15 points and Camdon Bashor coming off the bench to score 12. Madison Weber, who sealed the victory with two free throws over the final seven seconds, chipped in nine points while also notching team-highs of nine rebounds, five assists and five blocked shots.
 
Behind six points apiece by Cavacini and Bender, the Bearcats jumped out to a 12-5 lead at the end of the first quarter, as the SVC defense limited the Cougars to just a 2-for-15 showing.
 
The tide turned in the second quarter. Chatham scored seven unanswered points in the first two minutes to tie the game at 12-all, before taking their first lead of the night, 15-14, with just over seven minutes left. The Cougar lead would eventually stretch to 23-19 with 3:32 left, before SVC took the momentum heading into the break. A free throw and a jumper from Bashor pulled SVC to within 23-22 with 2:05 to go, before a three-pointer by Jillian Mannarino tied the game at 25 with 30 seconds left. Cavacini would then close the half with a jumper with five seconds to go to give SVC a 27-25 lead at the intermission.
 
Over the first 20 minutes, SVC shot 43 percent (12-for-28) from the field compared to a 32 percent mark (10-for-31) from Chatham, but the Cougars connected on four three-pointers compared to just one by the Bearcats.
 
A jumper from Emily Thompson and a three from Cavacini opened up a 32-27 SVC advantage in the opening minute of the third quarter, but the Cougars would again answer back, using a 9-3 run to take a 36-35 lead with 6:26 left in the quarter. Weber and Bashor scored four points apiece over a 90-second span to give SVC a 48-42 lead with 3:14 to go, but the Cougars countered with a 7-2 run to close the quarter, cutting the gap to 50-49 heading into the fourth.
 
The Cougars' run continued to open up the final quarter, as they outscored the Bearcats 8-3 in the opening four minutes of the frame to take a 57-53 lead with 6:15 left in regulation. A jumper from Thompson halted the Cougar surge, before a Weber basket off of a Bashor steal put SVC back in front, 58-57, with 4:30 left in regulation. Forty-seven seconds later, Cavacini buried a long three-pointer to give the Bearcats a 61-57 lead with 3:44 to go. Chatham cut the lead to 63-61 with 1:42 left, but the SVC defense clamped down, holding the hosts scoreless over their final three possessions before Weber's two free throws with seven seconds left sealed the win.
 
Along with Weber's nine rebounds, Cavacini and Bender grabbed eight boards apiece, as SVC out-rebounded Chatham 43-40 for the game. The Bearcats forced 20 Chatham turnovers, with Cavacini recording three of her team's nine steals.
 
The Cougars (5-3, 3-2 PAC) were led by Alyssa Laukas, who scored 17 points and grabbed seven rebounds. Hannah Chenault came off the bench to score 12 points, on the strength of a 4-for-6 mark from behind the arc.
 
Saint Vincent will return to action on Saturday, Dec. 10, welcoming new PAC foe Allegheny College to the Carey Center for a 2 p.m. battle on Faculty Appreciation Day.