LATROBE, Pa. (Jan. 18)- The Saint Vincent College women's basketball team stretched its winning streak to eight games, riding a fast start to a 62-52 victory over visiting Grove City to secure second place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference standings. 

Madison Weber led the way for the Bearcats, scoring 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds. Weber was very efficient from the field going 9-11 and 4-6 from the free throw line. Ella Marconi had a strong performance as well, finishing with a 10-point, 13-rebound double-double, while Emily Thompson as a third Bearcat to score in double figures, posting 10 points with nine rebounds. 

Emily Cavacini scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in the win, while off the bench, Lizzie Bender tallied six points, shooting 3-5 from the field.
 
It was all Bearcats from the opening tip in the first quarter. The Bearcats were strong on both the offensive and defensive ends in the opening quarter, holding the Wolverines scoreless for the first 6:30 while opening up a 12-0 lead on a Bender jumper. 

The Wolverines were finally able to get on the board at the 2:55 mark of the first quarter, but the Bearcats closed the quarter out on a 4-0 run on baskets from Marconi and Reese Gadsby to take a 17-4 lead at the end quarter.
 
It was a much higher scoring second quarter. Over the first four minutes of play, SVC opened their lead up to 16 after one of Weber's seven field goals, pushing the score to 31-15. For the next five minutes of play, the Saint Vincent lead hovered between the 15–16-point range, before two late free throws from Marconi gave SVC a 38-20 lead at the break. 
 
The Bearcats opened the third quarter the same way they ended the half, quickly scoring the first four points of the quarter on layups from Marconi and Weber to increase their lead to their largest of the game at 42-20. Grove City then started to chip into the Bearcats lead over the next several minutes, going on a 22-6 run to cut the SVC lead to just six points, 48-42, in the final minute. Thompson closed the quarter out on a strong note for Saint Vincent, nailing a three-pointer with seven seconds left in the quarter, giving SVC a 51-42 lead heading into the final quarter.

In the opening stages of the fourth quarter, the SVC lead would hover between eight and 10 points, with the Bearcats holding a 56-46 advantage with just over four minutes left in regulation. The Wolverines then made a late push, going on a quick 6-0 run to cut the Saint Vincent lead to four at 56-52 with 1:18 remaining. SVC took control over the final 1:18, closing the game out on a 6-0 run of their own as Weber, Cavacini, and Marconi hit clutch free throws to seal the 62-52 win for Saint Vincent.
 
As a team Saint Vincent shot 43.4 percent from the field (23-53), while also scoring 10 second chance points. The Bearcats were strong in the paint as well, scoring 28 points from point blank range. SVC was strong from the line going 12-16, a 75 percent clip.
 
Saint Vincent returns to action with another big PAC matchup, traveling to New Wilmington, Pa. to take on Westminster. Tip off is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Westminster.