Jan 05, 2013
Despite three players scoring 12 points each, the Bethany College women's basketball team shot just 28 percent from the floor for the game and suffered a 58-46 loss at Saint Vincent Saturday in a PAC match-up.
The Bison (4-9, 2-4) got off to a quick start with the initial seven points of the game. Junior Taylor Verrico had five of those and senior Carly Garneau hit a lay-up to give BC its largest lead of the day two minutes into the game. It was still a seven-point spread at 11-4 when the Bearcats (9-4, 5-1) scored 10 straight to ignite a 20-5 spurt that gave SVC a 24-16 lead with five minutes left in the period.
Bethany answered back with threes from senior Kayla Taormina and Garneau, but Saint Vincent used a trey from Elle Collins in the closing seconds of the half to take a 31-25 lead into the break. Verrico had 10 at halftime, but BC was hampered by 10 turnovers and 28 percent shooting.
The second half opened with quick bursts from both sides. The Bearcats scored the first two buckets of the season half, but BC answered with a score by freshman Brianna Nuzum and a triple by Garneau to slice the deficit down to 35-30. After six straight points from the home team, lay-ins from sophomore Monica Westerheide and Taormina had the Green and White within seven at 41-34 with 12:45 to play.
The Bison comeback efforts would not be able to bring them any closer after that. A 13-4 run by Saint Vincent extended their advantage to 16 points with five minutes left and the Bearcats went on to close out their fifth win in the last six games. Cold shooting did in Bethany again in the second half, as the Bison made only 1-of-10 from the arc as part of 29 percent shooting (8-28) after halftime.
Headlining the three Bethany players with a dozen points each was Taormina, as she also chipped in nine rebounds and four assists. Taormina came up just short of a career milestone, as she now has 998 career points and needs just two more to become the 16th women's player in school history to reach 1,000. Garneau also posted 12 points and nine rebounds and Verrico totaled 12 markers, six boards and a pair of steals.
For Saint Vincent, Devin McGrath was the lone player in double digits, but she registered game-highs of 19 points and 13 rebounds.
In addition to Bethany trying to snap its four-game losing streak, Taormina will try to reach her milestone in the Bison's next game Wednesday night at Chatham. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.