LATROBE, Pa. (Nov. 7) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team opened its 2026-27 season with a tough test against the defending NCAA Division III national champions and top-ranked Denison University, falling 63-47 on Saturday evening inside the Robert S. Carey Student Center.
The Bearcats (0-1) battled the nation's top-ranked team throughout the opening three quarters, trailing by just five points heading into the final period, before Denison (1-0) pulled away down the stretch to secure the season-opening victory.
Danielle Pontius led the way offensively for Saint Vincent, scoring a team-high 12 points on 5-for-10 shooting from the field, including a pair of three-pointers. Emerson Peffer recorded a double-double for the Bearcats, totaling 11 points and a game-high 16 rebounds, while also adding three steals and two blocked shots.
Adyson Bond added six points off the bench, connecting on both of her three-point attempts, while Avina Norman chipped in five points. Anna Rafferty pulled down nine rebounds, including six on the offensive glass, for Saint Vincent.
The opening quarter was a back-and-forth affair, with both teams struggling to find their rhythm offensively. Denison held a slim 12-9 advantage after the first 10 minutes of play.
Saint Vincent responded with a strong second quarter, outscoring the Big Red 16-12 to take a 25-24 lead into the halftime break. Pontius sparked the Bearcats offensively in the period, knocking down two three-pointers, while Bond added a triple of her own.
The Bearcats shot an impressive 60 percent (6-for-10) from the field in the second quarter, including a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc, to carry the one-point advantage into the locker room.
Denison regained the lead early in the third quarter, but Saint Vincent continued to battle. After the Big Red took a 35-33 lead midway through the period, Bond knocked down a three-pointer to give the Bearcats a 36-35 advantage with just under five minutes remaining in the quarter.
The Big Red responded over the remainder of the third quarter, eventually taking a 45-40 lead into the final 10 minutes of play.
Saint Vincent cut the deficit to four points, 47-43, on a three-pointer from Janay Rissmiller with 8:23 remaining in regulation, but Denison answered with a scoring run to extend its advantage. The Bearcats were unable to close the gap over the final minutes, as the Big Red went on to secure the 16-point victory.
For the game, Saint Vincent shot 31 percent (18-for-58) from the field and 26.3 percent (5-for-19) from three-point range, while Denison connected on 30 percent (18-for-60) of its field goal attempts.
The Bearcats held a 47-42 advantage on the glass, including an 18-16 edge in offensive rebounds, while also outscoring the Big Red 14-12 in second-chance points.
Denison was led by Ada Taute, while the Big Red capitalized on 25 Saint Vincent turnovers, scoring 15 points off those miscues.
Abby Cooch led Denison with a game-high 15 points, while Molly Dorighi added 12 points and Ada Taute finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.
Saint Vincent will return to action on Wednesday, November 11, when the Bearcats travel to nationally ranked opponent, No. 12 Christopher Newport. Tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m in Newport News, Virginia.
