BEAVER FALLS, Pa. (Jan. 31) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team delivered one of its most efficient offensive performances of the season Saturday afternoon, rolling to an 82-58 Presidents' Athletic Conference victory over Geneva College at Metheny Fieldhouse.
The Bearcats improve to 14-5 overall and 9-1 in PAC play, while the Golden Tornadoes move to 6-13 and 3-7 in league action.
Saint Vincent jumped out to an early 23-12 advantage in the first quarter and never relinquished control, building a lead that stretched into double digits each period.
The Bearcats shot 47.4 percent from the field (27-of-57) and knocked down 7-of-13 from three-point range (53.8%), while also winning the free-throw battle at 21-of-32 (65.6 percent). SVC's defense limited Geneva to 32.8 percent shooting (21-of-64) and held the Tornadoes to just eight points in the second quarter, setting the tone for the decisive win.
Senior standout
Makenna Maier paced the Bearcats with 19 points, going 8-of-14 from the floor and connecting on 3-of-5 from downtown to fuel SVC's early offensive punch.
Emerson Peffer added 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting, while
Brooke Evans contributed 10 and
Reese Gadsby chipped in seven as part of a balanced scoring effort.
Olivia Yancy and
Janay Rissmiller each scored eight, and
Avina Norman added six as Saint Vincent's depth showcased itself in a complete team outing.
Saint Vincent's bench provided a significant boost with 37 points, helping sustain the lead through multiple lineups and maintain pressure on both ends. The Bearcats also dominated in transition, outscoring Geneva in fast-break points and converting turnovers into easy scoring opportunities.
For Geneva, Destanie McCullough led all scorers with 15 points, while Emily Garvin added nine and Anna Ulmer contributed two, but the Tornadoes struggled to find consistent offense against SVC's length and activity on defense. Geneva managed only one tie in the entire contest, as Saint Vincent's early surge proved too much to overcome.
Saint Vincent returns to action on Wednesday, February 4 with a home PAC matchup against Waynesburg. Tip-off is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in the Carey Center on Wednesday night.
