Senior Austin Ford scored a career-high 21 points to lead the Bearcats to a 74-65 victory over Bethany College, advancing Saint Vincent into the Presidents' Athletic Conference Championship game against Thomas More College.

The first half indicated that it would be no easy feat for the Bearcats as they looked to extend their 13-game home winning streak in the playoffs against Bethany College. It was an energetic start for SVC in the opening minutes after conceding the tip and the first points, they went on an 8-2 run. Matt D'Amico broke through scoring the first bucket for the Bearcats off of a contested layup.

A couple of Bison turnovers led to quick scores while an Austin Dedert block transitioned into four consecutive points by Austin Ford, giving SVC an 8-5 edge at 14:35.

Bethany would not be deterred as a 3-pointer from the corner tied the game at 8-8.  The Bison would go on to score the next 6 points of the game and cap off a 9-0 run to give the visitors a 14-8 lead at the 11:09 mark.

However, the Bearcats responded with an 8-2 run of their own. Following a Dedert finish in the paint, Mike Simmons drilled an open 3-pointer to bring them to within a point. A pair of made free-throws from Ford led to the second tie of the game at 16-16 with 7:23 remaining in the first half.

After trading a couple of baskets and foul shots, Bethany was able to convert an old fashioned 3-point play to increase their lead 26-22. A pair of free-throws netted by D'Amico brought SVC back to within 2 points with 1:43 left to play. Yet the Bison benefited from another successful 3-point play and an untimely foul by the Bearcats on a Bethany 3-point attempt towards the end sent them into the break down 34-28.

The Bearcats managed to open the scoring in the second half with a pair of free-throws knocked down by Dedert. A great play on defense by Coy Patterson Jr. resulted in a fast break layup for him as he took it coast-to-coast to make it 34-32, Bethany. The ensuing trip down the court for the Bison resulted in another trip to the line where they converted on a 3-point opportunity to increase their lead at the 18:34 mark.

Nevertheless, the Bearcats continued to grind and their efforts paid off. Over the next four minutes of play, they put together a 20-5 run. Succeeding a Dedert 3-point play, D'Amico locked the game up at 42-42. D'Amico then knocked down a jumper to give the Bearcats their first lead since the 9:00 mark in the first half. Paramount defensive stances for SVC helped them garner a bigger lead. Turnovers by the Bison, including a gritty steal by Jason Capco, culminated into a 52-42 advantage for the Bearcats with 10:27 left in the second half.

A Bison free-throw ended their five-and-a-half-minute scoring drought and reduced SVC's lead to 9 points until Capco dropped in a pair of 3-pointers on back-to-back trips on the offensive end to make it 58-45 with a little over 8 minutes remaining. After consecutive buckets from Bethany made it an 8-point game, Patterson stepped into a baseline jumper and beat the shot-clock and made it 66-56 with 1:31 left to play.

Bethany responded with yet another 3-point play to bring them within 7 points, but that was as close as it got for the visitors as the Bearcats sustained their lead until the end. Capco put the finishing touches on a 74-65 victory over the Bison as Saint Vincent advances to the championship round of the PAC playoffs in search of becoming the first team to ever win 5 straight PAC titles.

Following Ford on the scoresheet was Capco, who followed suit with a new career-high 14 points. Patterson scored 13 and set a career-high with 7 assists and D'Amico netted 12. Ford and Tom Kromka tied for the team-high with 7 rebounds.

Bethany's leading performers were Calique Jones with 19 points and 8 boards, Chaice Truex who scored 14 and grabbed 7 boards, and Antonio Rudolph who netted 12 to go along with his 8 rebounds.   
  
#1-seeded Saint Vincent College will host #2 Thomas More College in the Championship on Saturday night (February 25) at 7:30PM in the Carey Center.  Thomas More advanced to the title game with a 20-point victory over #3 Thiel.