LATROBE, Pa. (Jan. 30) - Babette Sanmartin scored a career-high 22 points and pulled down 10 rebounds to lead the Saint Vincent women's basketball team to a 71-57 victory over Geneva College in Presidents' Athletic Conference action at the Carey Center. 

The Bearcats featured a highly efficient offensive attack throughout the first half as well as sound defense holding the Tornadoes to only 24 first-half points. SVC gained a 12-2 lead early into the first quarter sparked by freshman Maria Morgan, who completed an and one opportunity with 8:40 left in the quarter. After Geneva netted their first points of the afternoon, Morgan found Susie Ellis for a baseline three. Morgan netted a trey of her own on the following possession, followed by a three-point play by Babette Sanmartin with 6:19 left in the period.
 
Sanmartin scored in the post off of a Morgan find to extend the Bearcat lead to 11 before the Golden Tornadoes capitalized on two straight possessions making it 16-9 with three minutes left in the quarter. Sanmartin answered with another and one conversion and Mara Benvenuti found her way into the scoring column hitting a floater and netting a buzzer beater giving the Bearcats a 23-13 advantage after one.
 
Hannah Carroll started off the second with a deep three, followed by a Benvenuti drive resulting in a foul. She converted her foul shot and the three-point play, extending the SVC lead to 12 with 7:30 left in the half. SVC continued to push the pace, closing out the first half on an 8-0 run. Sanmartin scored the first four, followed by Lucy Bujdos, who scored under the basket. Morgan continued to score, finishing a baseline drive and two free throws to send the Bearcats into the locker room leading the Tornadoes by a score of 43-24.
 
Sanmartin scored 14 first-half points for Saint Vincent and Morgan added 10. Callie Ford had 9 points for Geneva.
 
Geneva battled back in the third, cutting a 19-point lead to just 11. The Tornadoes started off the second half scoring 7 straight before Benvenuti drove off a pick and banked in a floater. SVC continued pushing the ball, as Ellis drove to the rim connecting on a layup. Bujdos netted two free throws and Carroll found her in the post for an easy basket sending SVC into the final period with a 51-39 advantage.
 
The Bearcats again found their scoring rhythm in the final quarter, scoring 20 points from a very balanced offensive attack. Benvenuti beat the shot clock on the first SVC possession followed by a smooth Carroll cut to the hoop and finish. Sanmartin connected on a putback with 6:56 left to play, making the score 58-42 Bearcats.

Sanmartin continued to find her way to the charity strike, hitting a pair of free throws preceded by back-to-back trey balls from Carroll and Ellis to give SVC a 20-point lead with 4 minutes left in the contest. Geneva fought back, scoring seven straight but that wasn't enough to topple the Bearcats, as Saint Vincent avenged an earlier loss to Geneva to split the season series.
 
SVC shot 45 percent from the field and had four players score in double figures. The Bearcats converted 12-of-16 (75 percent) at the free throw line. SVC put together one of their best defensive efforts of the season, limiting Geneva to just 27.9 percent from the field (19-of-68) and 27.6 percent from three-point range (8-of-29). SVC held a 46-40 edge on the glass.

Sanmartin scored a career-high 22 points while grabbing 10 rebounds. The double-double effort was the first for Sanmartin, who also chipped in a career-best four blocks. Morgan tallied 12 points and a career-best eight assists. Benvenuti (11) and Carroll (10) also finished in double figures.

SVC improves to 9-10 overall and 4-8 in the PAC, while Geneva remains in fourth place at 6-6 in the league and 9-10 overall.

Saint Vincent returns to action when they host Waynesburg University (9-10 Overall, 7-5 in the PAC) on Wednesday, Feb. 3. Tip-off at the Carey Center is slated for 5:30 p.m.