LATROBE, Pa. (Jan. 14)- The Saint Vincent women's basketball team earned an important 56-51 home victory against Chatham on Wednesday night in the Robert S. Carey Center.
 
It was a strong defensive effort for the Bearcats (10-4, 5-0 PAC) who limited the Cougars (9-5, 2-3 PAC) to shoot just 31% from the field in the game.
 
Nine different Bearcats scored points in the win. Makenna Maier led Saint Vincent with nine points, while Brooke Evans totaled eight points and nine rebounds. Camdon Bashor added eight points and 12 rebounds and Reese Gadsby scored eight points as well.
 
Emerson Peffer also scored eight and grabbed four rebounds.
 
It was an opening quarter that the Bearcats mostly controlled the pace of play. Chatham held a 4-3 lead, but a quick 6-0 jolted Saint Vincent ahead of the Cougars by a 9-5 margin.
 
Chatham scored the next four points, however SVC answered with a 5-0 spurt to regain the lead at 14-9. A late two pointer cut the Cougars lead to 14-11 at the end of the first quarter. Bashor led Saint Vincent with five points and four rebounds in the quarter.
 
The Bearcats controlled much of the second quarter as well, increasing their lead to ten (23-13). However, the Cougars answered with an 11-4 run over the remaining few minutes of quarter, SVC still led 27-24 at the half.
 
Both the Bearcats and Cougars shot 39% from the field in the first half. Saint Vincent forced nine turnovers, while committing seven of their own in the opening half. Bashor scored seven of her points in the first half.
 
In the third quarter, it was evenly played. Saint Vincent slightly outscored Chatham 15-14 and still held the lead at 42-38 to begin the fourth quarter.
 
It was a big defensive quarter that helped close out the win for Saint Vincent in the fourth. The Bearcats held a 52-44 lead with 45 seconds to play. The SVC defense held Chatham scoreless for over four minutes of play in the second half.
 
A Cougars three-pointer that cut the lead to 52-47 with 40.2 seconds left was the Cougars first made field goal over that five-minute time span. Chatham hit another three after a Saint Vincent offensive foul that cut the lead to 52-50 with 25.3 seconds remaining.
 
On the ensuing offensive possession, Saint Vincent buried two free throws to increase their lead back to four (54-50) and got a big defensive stop on the other end, allowing Brooke Evans to make two free throws (56-50).
 
Chatham converted on a late free throw, but SVC held on in the final seconds for an important 56-51 victory.
 
Saint Vincent shot 40% from the field throughout the game, while forcing 13 Chatham turnovers.
 
The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, January 17 with a home PAC matchup against Allegeny. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center.