The Saint Vincent women's basketball team won a non-conference home matchup over La Roche College by a score of 72-64.  Kayla Slovenec led the way with 16 points, while Babette Sanmartin added 13 for the Bearcats. 

The game was close throughout much of the first quarter.  The Redhawks took a four-point lead (10-6) at the 4:39 mark, but Slovenec scored four straight points to tie the game.  Near the end of the first quarter, a steal and fast break by Slovenec put SVC in front, 13-12.
 
Carlee Kilgus got on the board early in the second to increase the SVC lead to five, 17-12, before the visitors tallied five straight points to tie the game.
 
However, the Bearcats then went on a 10-point run, started by a Kiara Arnold bucket.  Erin Giancola later hit a turnaround jumper, followed by another steal and fast break layup by Slovenec, making the score 27-17. 
 
A pair of three pointers later helped La Roche cut the gap to just four, 31-27, but SVC received a pair of threes late in the quarter from Slovenec and Maria Morgan and took a 38-29 lead into the half.
 
La Roche came out of the locker room ready to play in the second half, scoring on a three in the opening seconds, then capitalizing on a turnover with a pair of free throws to make it a 38-34 game just over 30 seconds into the third quarter.  Another Redhawk score near the 8-minute mark reduced the margin to just two, 38-36.
 
After a Sanmartin free throw gave SVC a three-point edge, La Roche's Darrian Johnson hit a long three as the shot clock expired to tie the game, 39-39, near the 7-minute mark. 
 
The game then became more physical, with both teams scoring several points at the free throw line.  A three by Morgan put SVC in front 47-44 with 4:15 left in the third, then a basket by Slovenec made it a 5-point game.  Once again, the teams each scored several points on free throws, with SVC holding a narrow 53-51 lead at the end of the third. 
 
Bri Van Volkenburg scored to start the fourth quarter for Saint Vincent, but another three by Johnson later made it a 58-57 game.  After a pair of Sanmartin free throws, Johnson hit yet another long three, tying the game at 60-60 with 6:40 remaining. 
 
At the 5:05 mark, Paige Montrose drove through the lane for a score, then Sanmartin followed with a  turnaround jumper a little over a minute later, giving SVC a 64-60 lead.  Neither team scored for nearly two minutes, but Sanmartin added a score at the 2:33 mark to make it a 6-point Bearcat lead.  After a La Roche score, Mara Benvenuti hit a shot to give SVC a 68-62 advantage with just over two minutes remaining.
 
From there, the Bearcats hit late free throws to seal the win.
 
La Roche's Johnson tied Slovenec for top scoring honors on the day with 16.  Sanmartin had seven rebounds, while Kilgus tallied 7 assists on the afternoon for Saint Vincent. 

SVC returns to action on Wednesday (November 29) traveling to Washington & Jefferson for a Presidents' Athletic Conference matchup at 6PM.