BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (Feb. 24) – The Saint Vincent men's basketball team was defeated 83-63 by a hot-shooting Geneva College squad in the 2024 Presidents' Athletic Conference championship game.
 
The Bearcats (23-4), who were seeded No. 2 in the PAC Championship Tournament, were unable to recover from a nearly 8-minute scoreless drought midway through the first half, before the hosts pulled away down the stretch for the victory and their first PAC title in program history.
 
The Golden Tornadoes (24-3) shot a strong 64 percent from the field (32-50) in the win, including a 7-12 performance from behind the arc, along with a 12-13 mark from the foul line. Conversely, the Bearcats were limited to just 37 percent from the field (23-62).
 
Dev Ostrowski led three SVC scorers in double figures with 21 points, while seniors Osyon Jones and Tayler McNeal each scored 13. Mike Iuzzolino added eight points, while Ostrowski grabbed a team-high nine rebounds.
 
Along with out-shooting Saint Vincent, Geneva held a 32-30 advantage in rebounding and owned a 44-34 margin in points in the paint.
 
Over the game's first two minutes, the Bearcats received baskets from Jones, Ostrowski and McNeal to jump out to a quick 6-0 lead.
 
The team would then go ice cold, as the tide turned in favor of the hosts, with Geneva rattling off an 18-2 run over the next eight minutes to take a commanding 20-8 lead with just over eight minutes left in the half.
 
The Bearcats chipped away at the deficit over the next several minutes. Three-pointers from Iuzzolino and Ostrowski cut the gap to 27-20 with 4:40 remaining, before Ostrowski cashed in on a traditional three-point play and McNeal drilled a long three from the left wing to pull SVC to within 34-30 with 1:20 to go.

Geneva then stole the momentum going into the locker room, closing the frame on a 7-0 run and forcing turnovers on SVC's final two trips of the half to take a 41-30 lead into the break.
 
Over the first 20 minutes, the Golden Tornadoes shot a blazing 67 percent (14-21) from the field, including a 3-5 mark from behind the arc, while going 10-11 from the foul line. Conversely, due to the lengthy scoring drought midway through the frame, the Bearcats shot just 34 percent (11-32) from the field.
 
Ostrowski had 12 first half points and McNeal 11, while Geneva's Jonathan Bertovich was a perfect 5-5 from the field and 3-3 from the beyond the arc for a game-high 13 first-half points.
 
The Bearcats chipped away at the deficit to open the second half, with a Jones driving layup and a left wing three from Iuzzolino closing the margin to 45-37 at the under-16 media timeout, but Geneva again countered with another run, outscoring SVC 14-6 over the next five minutes to open a 16-point margin, 59-43.
 
The teams traded baskets over the next several minutes, before the Bearcats cut the deficit to 12 when free throws from Dillon Hod, Jones and Ostrowski made the score 65-53 with 5:15 remaining.
 
The Bearcats would get no closer, however, as the Golden Tornadoes answered with a 15-6 run to take an 80-59 lead with two minutes left, and cruised down the stretch.
 
Geneva had five players score in double figures, led by 20 points from Bertovich and 18 from Mark Rachic.  
 
Saint Vincent was making its first appearance in the PAC title game since 2017, and sixth all-time, all under head coach D.P. Harris. The Bearcats are now 4-2 in the PAC championship game.
 
With the victory, Geneva earns the PAC's automatic berth into the NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament.
 
The Bearcats hope to see their season continue, as selections to the ECAC Championship Tournament will be announced on Monday.