LATROBE, Pa. (Jan. 7) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team used a balanced offensive attack and smothering defensive pressure to roll past Franciscan University, 76-33, Wednesday evening at the Robert S. Carey Center.
The Bearcats improve to 8-4 overall and 3-0 in Presidents' Athletic Conference play, while the Barons fall to 3-9 and 0-3 in league action.
Saint Vincent set the tone early, opening the game with a 20-12 first-quarter lead and steadily extending its advantage. The Bearcats shot 46.4 percent from the field (32-of-69) and connected on 7-of-13 from three-point range, while controlling the pace on both ends of the floor.
The Bearcats' defense was the story throughout the night, highlighted by a dominant third quarter in which Saint Vincent held Franciscan scoreless. That defensive stand allowed the Bearcats to turn a comfortable halftime cushion into a commanding lead, as pressure defense and disciplined rotations completely shut down the Barons' offense.
Offensively, Saint Vincent received contributions from across the lineup.
Camdon Bashor led the way with 13 points on 6-of-8 shooting, while
Danielle Pontius added 12 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
Makenna Maier chipped in 10 points and eight rebounds, and
Brooke Evans scored eight with strong finishes inside.
Emerson Peffer,
Carmella McDole, and
Reese Gadsby all added six points, as the Bearcats continued to showcase their depth.
Franciscan was limited to just 24.5 percent shooting (12-of-49) for the game and forced into 23 turnovers. Abbigail Jannuzi paced the Barons with 12 points, while Hannah Johnson added seven, but Saint Vincent never allowed sustained momentum at any point.
The Bearcats continued to pull away in the fourth quarter, closing out one of their most complete performances of the season on both ends of the floor.
Saint Vincent will look to carry its momentum forward as conference play continues in their next matchup at Westminster on Saturday, January 9. Tip-off in New Wilmington is scheduled for 1 p.m.
