The Bearcat women's basketball team watched a large fourth quarter lead drop to just six points, but pulled away to a 67-57 victory over Waynesburg University in the Carey Center.

Both teams struggled to find the basket throughout the first quarter with both squads committing costly turnovers. Waynesburg scored the first points of the night and Babette Sanmartin answered for the Bearcats with a jumper in the lane. After Sanmartin's bucket, both teams remained scoreless for a little over three minutes before Sanmartin netted another with 3:58 left in the period making the score 4-2 SVC.
 
Mara Benvenuti scored her first points of the night with 1:59 left in the first, and teammate Katie Ryan contributed on the next possession to close out the quarter giving the Bearcats a 10-7 advantage.
 
Both teams began to get more comfortable in the second, with Waynesburg and Saint Vincent scoring 19 points each in the quarter. A pair of Benvenuti free throws grew the Bearcats' advantage to five with 7:40 left in the half. On the following possession, Benvenuti found classmate Susie Ellis for her first three of the night. Ellis and the Bearcats went on to score 7 straight, led by an Ellis drive and another trey. After the Yellow Jackets stormed back within one point, Benvenuti drove the baseline with five seconds left in the period to send the Bearcats into the locker room leading Waynesburg by a score of 29-26.
 
For Saint Vincent, Benvenuti had 10 points and 5 boards. For the Yellow Jackets, Addy Knetzer scored 14 first half points.
 
The third quarter was all Saint Vincent as the Bearcats outscored the Yellow Jackets 21-5 in the period. Sanmartin got things rolling as she netted two points on the first possession before Ellis drove and scored after putting a textbook head fake on her defender.  Hannah Carroll converted her first three of the night and Maria Morgan connected on a long two pointer to complete the SVC run.
 
After two consecutive Waynesburg baskets, Ellis found Morgan under the hoop for an easy layup to make the score 40-30 with 4:44 left in the period. Morgan connected on two from the charity stripe and Carroll drained another trey to end the third rolling on all cylinders with a 51-31 lead.
 
The final quarter came down to the wire, as the Yellow Jackets were able to fight back in the waning minutes of play. Ellis scored on a drive and sophomore Kiara Arnold hit a jumper for SVC to extend the Bearcat lead to 22. Following a Benvenuti drive, Waynesburg put together a lengthy 12-0 run to come within 11 with 4 minutes left in the contest.
 
After two Sanmartin free throws, the Yellow Jackets continued to fight, bringing the score within six. For Waynesburg, however, that's as close as they'd get as a Yellow Jacket technical sent Ellis to the line with 27 seconds left to play. Ellis converted both free throws and was fouled just two seconds later. She connected on both to extend the Bearcat lead and capitalize on a huge conference win for Saint Vincent by a score of 67-57.
 
For the Bearcats, Ellis had a team-high 18 points. Benvenuti netted 15 of her own and was one rebound shy of a double-double. For Waynesburg, Knetzer scored 18 and Kassidy O'Keefe netted 13. 

SVC goes back on the road for a Saturday (February 6) game at Westminster College in New Wilmington at 5:30PM.