BETHANY, W.V. (Jan. 8)- The Saint Vincent women's basketball team earned an 86-79 Presidents Athletic Conference win on the road at Bethany on Wednesday night.
 
Saint Vincent (7-6, 6-2 PAC) led by just five (39-34) at the half, but the Bearcats were fueled by a 19-11 spurt in the third quarter, before holding off a late Bethany (7-6, 4-4 PAC) run in the fourth quarter to hand on for the seven-point win on the road.
 
The Bearcats were led by Makenna Maier who recorded her second consecutive double-double, scoring a career-high 27 points, while also grabbing 12 rebounds. Maier was an efficient 10-14 from the field, including 4-7 from the arc.
 
Emily Thompson and Reese Gadsby both scored in double figures as well. Thompson scored 17 points, while also grabbing six rebounds. She was a perfect 8-8 from the foul line in the win. Gadsby scored 11 points on 4-8 shooting, while also grabbing two boards as well.
 
Camdon Bashor added nine points, and nine rebounds and Jillian Mannarino scored eight points and dished out two assists. Freshman, Brooke Evans also added seven points coming off the bench.
 
It was a fast start for the Bearcats offensively as the Bearcats quickly opened up to a 6-0 lead after a layup from Maier off the tip-off, followed by back-to-back layups by Thompson. However, Bethany responded with a quick 8-0 run as the Bearcats found themselves trailing 8-6 halfway through the opening quarter.
 
The Bearcats responded in the final four minutes of the quarter as they outscored the Bison 17-8 over that span to take a 23-16 lead at the end of the opening quarter. Maier and Thompson had nine and eight points respectively in the opening quarter.
 
After a high scoring opening ten minutes, the second quarter was a defensive led quarter by both teams. Both teams traded baskets back-and-forth for the majority of the quarter as the Bison slightly outscored the Bearcats 18-16 in the quarter to cut the Saint Vincent lead to five (39-34) at the half.
 
Maier just missed a first half double-double, scoring 16 points, while grabbing eight rebounds in the opening half. SVC shot 45% (13-29) in the first half, while limiting Bethany to shoot just 38% (11-29). The Saint Vincent defense forced eight first half turnovers, scoring eight points off of those Bison turnovers.
 
The Bearcats got off to a quick 11-4 spurt in the first five minutes and change of the second half, opening their lead up to double digits (50-38). Maier continued her big night, scoring six of those 11 Saint Vincent points to open the half.
 
That run for SVC continued over the entirety of the third quarter as they outscored the Bison 19-11 in that third quarter. Gadsby hit a big three for the Bearcats just before the horn sounded at the end of the quarter to give Saint Vincent a 58-45 lead.
 
It was a very high scoring and back-and-forth fourth quarter. The Saint Vincent lead held strong in double digits for the majority of the quarter. Bethany attempted a late run to cut the lead to single digits, but eight is the closest they'd get as the Bearcats held on for the win. The Bison outscored Saint Vincent 34-28 in the fourth quarter.
 
Saint Vincent shot an efficient 46% (26-57) from the field, while holding Bethany to shoot just 40% in the win. SVC was also 7-15 from beyond the arc as well. The Bearcats also scored 32 points in the paint and 17 points off of 13 Bison turnovers.
 
The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, January 11, playing host to Allegheny in another PAC matchup. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center.