LATROBE, Pa. (Jan. 24) – The Saint Vincent College men's basketball team opened Presidents' Athletic Conference play with a hard-fought 81-75 victory over Grove City College on Saturday inside the Robert S. Carey Center.
 
Saint Vincent (10-7, 5-3 PAC) used a strong third quarter surge to overcome an early deficit and seize control of the contest, outscoring the Wolverines 42-36 in the second half and holding on for the road victory. Grove City fell to 6-11 overall and 3-5 in PAC competition.
 
The Bearcats led by 12 (45-33) at the half, before the Wolverines outscored them 42-36 in a much more tightly contested second half.
 
Senior standout Mike Iuzzolino paced Saint Vincent with a team-high 21 points, connecting on 7 of 13 field goals and going 6 of 10 from the free-throw line. Jaden Gales added 20 points, leading the Bearcats in rebounding with seven boards and chipping in key baskets in the second half.
 
Dev Ostrowski supplied 17 points, while Jevontae Jones scored 12 and hauled in seven rebounds in support of the balanced effort.
 
Saint Vincent's offense was especially efficient from deep, connecting on 10 three-pointers, and the Bearcats finished the contest at 41.7 percent from beyond the arc. Meanwhile, clutch free-throw shooting down the stretch helped the Bearcats withstand late runs from Grove City and preserve the win.
 
The Bearcats return to action on Wednesday, January 28 with a home matchup against Bethany. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center.