LATROBE, Pa. (Feb. 26) – The Saint Vincent women's basketball team is headed to the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship game for the eighth time, rolling past Bethany College 78-60 Thursday night in the PAC Tournament semifinals.
The Bearcats improved to 21-6 overall while the Bison end their season with a 17-10 overall record.
Saint Vincent set the tone immediately with a dominant opening quarter, outscoring Bethany 24-11 while shooting 10-of-18 from the field in the period.
The Bearcats maintained control throughout, pushing the lead to 36-29 at halftime before delivering a decisive third quarter, outscoring the Bison 22-14 to open separation heading into the final 10 minutes.
Saint Vincent finished the night shooting 49.2% (31-of-63) overall and 36.8% (7-of-19) from three-point range, while also converting 9-of-12 at the foul line. SVC's defense created offense all night, forcing 15 Bethany turnovers and turning them into a 22-7 advantage in points off turnovers.
SVC also controlled the interior, holding a 40-24 edge in points in the paint, and got valuable production from the bench with a 20-4 advantage in bench points.
Individually,
Camdon Bashor led Saint Vincent with 15 points on 7-of-11 shooting and added seven rebounds, continuing her strong play in the postseason.
Olivia Yancy followed with 13 points, knocking down three three-pointers, while
Makenna Maier added 12 points on 4-of-8 shooting with a pair of triples.
Brooke Evans chipped in 10 points and five rebounds, and
Danielle Pontius added eight points while pacing the Bearcats with four assists. Off the bench,
Emerson Peffer supplied eight points and five rebounds,
Avina Norman scored six, and
Janay Rissmiller added four as Saint Vincent's depth helped keep pressure on Bethany throughout.
Bethany was led by Ella Simpson's 24 points and Lindsey Garrison's 19, but Saint Vincent's early surge and ability to answer every Bethany run prevented the Bison from cutting the margin to single digits in the second half.
Saint Vincent will now go for their fourth championship in eight years as they take on Washington and Jefferson at home on Saturday, February 28 in the PAC Championship game. Tip-off is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Saturday in the Robert S. Carey Center.
