MARIETTA, Ohio (Nov. 8) – In a season-opening battle between two 2023 NCAA National Tournament teams, Saint Vincent was defeated by Marietta, 68-54.
 
Madison Weber recorded a 17-point, 13-rebound double-double, while teammate Emily Thompson netted 13 points, but the Bearcats (0-1) were unable to recover from a slow start and were limited to just 30 percent from the field by a stout Marietta (1-0) defense.
 
Marietta jumped out to a 13-4 lead midway through the first quarter, as the Bearcats were limited to just 2-for-8 from the field in the opening six minutes. A jumper by Makenna Maier with 3:37 left in the quarter temporarily halted the Marietta surge and trimmed the gap to 13-6, but the Pioneers would answer with a 9-4 run and eventually take a 22-12 lead after 10 minutes of play.
 
The teams combined to miss the first 13 shots of the second quarter, before Emily Cavicini's jumper in the paint trimmed the gap to 22-14 with 6:31 left in the half. After a jumper made by Weber, Camdon Bashor connected on two free throws to pull SVC to within six, 24-18, with 4:40 to go. The teams continued to trade baskets over the closing minutes of the first half, before a three from Kelly Levering on the Pioneers' final possession of the half gave the hosts a 33-22 lead at the break.
 
On the opening trip of the third quarter, another Marietta three upped their lead to 36-22, but the Bearcats would again chip away at the deficit. Weber scored four points in a three-minute span, before jumpers from Thompson and Bashor would again pull SVC to within single digits, 38-30, with 4:31 left in the quarter. Marietta would then take charge to close the quarter, taking advantage of a pair of SVC turnovers and cashing in on two more threes to end the frame on a 14-3 run and take a 52-35 lead heading into the final quarter.
 
The teams would trade scores over an evenly played fourth quarter, but the sizable deficit proved too much for the Bearcats to overcome, as they were handed the season-opening loss to the perennially strong Pioneers.
 
Bashor added six points, going 2-for-2 from the field and 2-for-2 from the foul line, while grabbing six rebounds and blocking two shots. Maier had five points, including the Bearcats' lone three-pointer of the night, as they went just 1-for-11 from deep. Alana Winkler, the reigning Presidents' Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year, led the Bearcats with three blocks, while also grabbing five rebounds.
 
Saint Vincent and Marietta were even on the glass for the evening, each grabbing 49 rebounds, with five different Bearcats grabbing five or more caroms. The Bearcats were also impressive from the foul line, connecting on 13 of 17 attempts, led by Weber's 7-for-8 performance.
 
While SVC's offense shot just 30.8 percent from the field, the Bearcats held the Pioneers to just a 33 percent mark, but the hosts scored 20 points off of 16 SVC turnovers.
 
The Bearcats will now have a two-day respite before returning to action on Saturday, Nov. 11, when they travel to Lebanon Valley College to take on Penn State-Schuylkill in the opening game of the Rinso Marquette Tip-off Classic.