PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Feb. 21) – Needing one more win to lock up the Presidents' Athletic Conference regular-season championship and home court throughout the PAC playoffs, the Saint Vincent women's basketball team delivered its best quarter of the season at the perfect time, rallying past Chatham University 56-52 Saturday afternoon in Pittsburgh.
 
The comeback victory moved the Bearcats to 19-6 overall and 14-2 in PAC play, while Chatham slipped to 17-8 overall and 10-6 in the conference.
 
Saint Vincent trailed for much of the afternoon and entered the fourth quarter down 47-36, but the Bearcats flipped the game with suffocating defense, holding Chatham to just five points in the final 10 minutes while pouring in 20 of their own to complete the comeback.
 
After a low-scoring first quarter (SVC led 10-8), Chatham grabbed momentum in the second and third periods, using an 18-point second quarter and a 21-point third to build its advantage.
 
Saint Vincent found answers late behind a balanced effort and timely perimeter shooting, finishing the day at 39.2% from the field (20-of-51), 36.8% from three (7-of-19), and a sharp 9-of-10 at the foul line.
 
Olivia Yancy sparked the Bearcats offensively, knocking down four threes and leading Saint Vincent with 14 points. Emerson Peffer provided a huge lift off the bench with 12 points and five rebounds, helping steady the Bearcats during the push to close the gap.
 
Camdon Bashor added eight points and a team-high six rebounds, while Makenna Maier chipped in seven points and five boards. Running the offense, Danielle Pontius finished with six assists, and the Bearcats' bench accounted for 20 points in the win.
 
Chatham was led by Maria Barela and Alyssa Laukus, who scored 16 points apiece, with Laukus going a perfect 8-for-8 at the line. Hannah Chenault did work on the glass with 10 rebounds as the Cougars went 15-of-17 from the stripe, but Chatham went cold in the fourth quarter (1-of-13 shooting) as Saint Vincent closed the game with key stops and timely buckets.
 
With the win, Saint Vincent secured the No. 1 seed in the South Division, earning the right to host a PAC quarterfinal matchup next week.
 
The Bearcats will now host Westminster, who earned the fourth seed in the North Division. The game will be played on Tuesday, February 24 at 7 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center.