WASHINGTON, Pa. (Jan. 21) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team used a strong second half and balanced scoring to earn a 72–59 Presidents' Athletic Conference road victory over Washington & Jefferson College Wednesday evening at Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
The Bearcats improve to 12–4 overall and 7–0 in PAC play, while the Presidents fall to 11–5 and 6–1 in league action. The win for the Bearcats is their first again Washington and Jefferson since the 2022-23 season.
Saint Vincent trailed early, but a rebounding and defensive push helped the Bearcats seize momentum by halftime. Saint Vincent shot 51.9 percent from the field for the game, hitting 7 of 15 from beyond the arc (46.7%) and 11 of 16 at the free-throw line (68.8%), key factors in sustaining its advantage down the stretch.
The Bearcats also won the bench scoring battle with 27 points off the bench while outpacing W&J in points off turnovers (22).
Senior guard
Makenna Maier led the Bearcats with 15 points, connecting on 3 of 5 triples and adding eight rebounds.
Camdon Bashor delivered 14 points on efficient 7-of-9 shooting, and
Olivia Yancy scored nine with a trio of three-pointers.
Danielle Pontius and
Carmella McDole each added six points, and
Reese Gadsby provided six more as part of Saint Vincent's balanced attack.
Emerson Peffer chipped in six points and six rebounds, while
Avina Norman scored six in limited minutes.
Saint Vincent held a slight edge after the first half and then turned up defensive intensity in the third quarter, outscoring the Presidents 28–13 in the period to take control.
The Bearcats' ball pressure and rebounding helped limit W&J to 32.1 percent shooting overall and 20.0 percent from three (4-of-20). W&J made all of its free throws (19-of-19), but Saint Vincent's balanced inside-outside scoring and transition opportunities proved decisive.
Bench contributions, strong ball movement and defensive execution allowed Saint Vincent to maintain its advantage through the fourth quarter — the Bearcats outpaced the Presidents in points in the paint (30-28) and controlled tempo in the final minutes.
The Bearcats return to action on Saturday, January 24 with a home matchup against PAC opponent Grove City. Tip-off is scheduled for 12 noon in Latrobe.
