LATROBE, Pa. (Feb. 24) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team used a balanced offensive attack and a resilient second-half defensive effort to earn a 61-57 Presidents' Athletic Conference quarterfinal victory over Westminster Tuesday night inside the Robert S. Carey Center.
With the win, the Bearcats advance in the PAC Tournament while improving their overall record to 20-6 and 14-2 in PAC play, while Westminster finished its season at 9-17 overall and 6-10 in conference competition.
Saint Vincent came out strong in the first quarter, jumping ahead 18-16 behind aggressive interior play and early perimeter pressure. However, Westminster outscored SVC 16-13 in the second quarter to hold a one-point lead (32-31) at the half.
In the second half, Saint Vincent continued to share the scoring load while tightening up on the defensive end. The Bearcats cut down on turnovers and limited Westminster's transition opportunities, forcing contested shots and controlling the pace on both ends of the floor.
SVC held a slim lead entering the fourth quarter but never relinquished it, responding to every Westminster rally with timely baskets and strong rebounding that kept the home crowd engaged throughout the final minutes.
Offensively,
Emerson Peffer led all scorers with 17 points thanks to efficient shooting (6-of-12) and aggressive drives into the paint that drew contact and helped Saint Vincent control momentum. She also added 13 rebounds to secure a double-double.
Danielle Pontius paced the Bearcats scoring 10 points, knocking down key baskets in crucial moments and adding stability as the offense searched for consistent looks.
Camdon Bashor also contributed 10 points, while
Avina Norman scored five, and
Olivia Yancy added five points with several defensive plays that sparked transition opportunities.
Makenna Maier scored five and provided veteran leadership in late-game possessions, and
Janay Rissmiller put up 3 in a steady performance across multiple rotations.
Carmella McDole scored six points for the Bearcats as well.
Saint Vincent shot 37.3 percent from the field (22-of-59) and 25.0 percent from three-point range (5-20) on the night, while connecting on 80.0 percent of its free throws (12-of-15) to help maintain separation at key junctures. The Bearcats also edged Westminster in rebounding 35-31 and produced 13 bench points, giving SVC balanced production across its lineup.
Saint Vincent's victory sets up continued PAC Tournament action as the Bearcats move on to the PAC semifinals on Thursday, February 24 hosting third seeded Bethany. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Robert S. Carey Center on Thursday night.
