NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 9) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team saw its four-game winning streak snapped, falling 74-60 on the road to Presidents' Athletic Conference foe Westminster College.
The Titans (14-7, 11-4 PAC) broke open a tight game by out-scoring the Bearcats (6-12, 5-9 PAC) 22-11 over the second quarter, and the Bearcats were unable to post a second-half comeback.
Emily Cavacini led Saint Vincent in the defeat with a career-high 23 points, going 9-for-15 from the field and 3-for-6 from long range, while teammate Ella Marconi recorded her fourth straight double-double, scoring 14 points and grabbing a team-best 11 rebounds. Cavacini also added a team-best four assists, while Marconi blocked three shots.
The teams traded baskets over the early stages of the first quarter, with Marconi scoring five points, as the Titans took a 10-9 lead with 4:47 left. Westminster countered with six straight points, eventually opening up a 22-14 advantage to end the first quarter.
Saint Vincent chipped away at the deficit to open up the second frame, with Cavacini hitting a three and Lauren Gamble a long two in the first 30 seconds of the quarter to cut the gap to 22-19.
Saint Vincent chipped away at the deficit to open up the second frame, with a three from Cavacini and a long two from Lauren Gamble cutting the gap to 22-19. The fortunes would then turn, as the Bearcats were limited to just two field goals over the final nine minutes of the half. Conversely, the Titans got hot, ending the quarter on a 22-5 run to take a 44-25 lead into the intermission.
Behind two points from Marconi and five from Cavacini, Saint Vincent pulled to within 48-34 with 7:08 left in the quarter, before a Cavacini floater and a Taylor Geer layup closed the deficit to 12, 52-40, with four minutes to go. The Titans, however, used another run to end the frame, outscoring SVC 7-3 over the final 3:30 to take a 59-43 lead into the final stanza.
Cavacini and Marconi each scored in the opening 90 seconds of the fourth quarter to again make it a 12-point deficit, but it was promptly answered with a 9-0 run from Westminster that gave the Titans their largest lead of the night, 68-47, to essentially put the game away with 3:45 left in regulation. The Bearcats outscored the Titans 11-6 over the final three minutes, but it was too little, too late
While both teams posted similar field goal percentages, with Westminster shooting 44 percent and SVC 43 percent, the Titans took 13 more field goal attempts thanks to 14 offensive rebounds which led to 17 second-chance points. Westminster also scored 17 points off of 16 SVC turnovers.
Camden Hergenrother led Westminster with 26 points, while teammate Lindsey Bell posted a 10-point, 14-rebound double-double.
The Bearcats will be back in action on Saturday, Feb. 12, welcoming PAC foe Franciscan University to the Robert S. Carey Center for a 1 p.m. matchup. Masking will be required for all in attendance at the Bearcats' final home game of the regular season.
