GREENVILLE, Pa. (Feb. 19) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team dropped its 2021-22 regular season finale, 56-55, at Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Thiel College.
A strong Thiel defense held the Saint Vincent offense in check, as the Bearcats shot just 39.7 percent from the field (23-for-58), including an 5-for-13 mark on three-point attempts. The Bearcats were also hamstrung by 24 turnovers that led to 20 Thiel points
Taylor Geer scored a team-high 13 points and grabbed 10 boards for SVC, while Emily Cavacini and Ella Marconi each scored 11 points.
Saint Vincent held a commanding 45-38 edge in rebounding, with 33 defensive rebounds leading to nine second-chance points. Along with Geer's 10-rebound performance, Marconi grabbed seven and Emily Thompson six.
The Bearcats looked to be in control early, jumping out to a 13-5 lead seven minutes into the opening quarter. Thiel responded by scoring the final seven points of the frame to make it a one-point game after 10 minutes, before the Tomcats outcored the Bearcats 14-11 in the second half to take a 26-24 lead at the intermission.
After buckets by Greer and Marconi, SVC grabbed a three-point lead, 31-28, midway through the third quarter, before Thiel again came back with a 6-3 run to go up 35-34 with three minutes left in the quarter. Over the final two minutes of the quarter, three-pointers by Cavacini and Diana Mosten put the Bearcats up 40-37, but the Tomcats would tie the game at 40 heading into the fourth.
The Tomcats kept the momentum to open up the final frame, using a 10-2 run to take their largest lead, 50-42, with 5:50 left to play. SVC answered with a 7-1 run to pull to within two, 51-49, on a Thompson jumper with 2:09 left, but the Tomcats would put the game away at the foul line, sinking five free throws over the final 90 seconds, making a last-second three-pointer from Cavacini a moot point.
Destiny Johnson led the Tomcats with 18 points, while Colleen Trainer added 13.
The Bearcats will return to action on Tuesday, Feb. 22, opening the 2022 PAC Championship Tournament. The #6 seed Beracats will travel to #3 seed Grove City