The Saint Vincent women's basketball team lost a home non-conference game to John Carroll University by a score of 67-57 in the Carey Center.

The game was close throughout the first quarter.  SVC took its first lead of the day when Mara Benvenuti scored at the 7:50 mark to go in front 4-2, but the game's next six points belonged to the Blue Streak.  Down four, the Bearcats went to work, scoring five consecutive points on a Hannah Carroll three and a layup by Babette Sanmartin. 
 
The see-saw battle continued until the final 15 seconds of the half, when Benvenuti hit a pull-up jumper to put SVC in front 17-15 at the end of the first.
 
John Carroll took control of the game in the second quarter.  After a Benvenuti score cut the SVC deficit to one-point, 25-24, the visitors went on a 7-point run to take a 32-24 lead, and eventually built the lead to nine, 35-26, at the break.

SVC trailed 39-32 at the 8:06 mark of the third quarter, when the team got back-to-back threes from Susie Ellis and Carroll, making it a one-point game, 39-38 at the 7:09 mark.    However, the Blue Streaks then called time out to regroup, and the strategy worked, as they extended the lead back to seven, 50-43, before a Saint Vincent time out with 2:03 remaining.  A Benvenuti pass to Ellis underneath the hoop led to a score at the 22-second mark, making it 57-41, but JCU would add another basket just before the end of the third quarter, taking a 53-47 lead.

Saint Vincent (2-2) got as close as five points after Benvenuti was set up for a score by Maria Morgan with 8:45 to go, making it 57-52, but the Blue Streak were able to pull away in the game's closing minutes.  

Benvenuti led the SVC offense with 18 points, while Sanmartin added 12.  Carroll had 9 points to go along with a team high 8 rebounds.  Benvenuti added 7 rebounds and 6 assists.  The teams combined for 50 turnovers in the game, 26 for SVC and 24 for JCU.  

For the Blue Streak (3-1), Sarah Cairnie had 19 points, while Katie Battaglia had 10 points and 16 rebounds off the bench.  

The Bearcats return to action on Saturday (November 28) in a non-conference home game, hosting Juniata College at 2PM in the Carey Center.