The SVC women's basketball team opened the new calendar year with a convincing 85-46 victory at home against Geneva College in Presidents' Athletic Conference play.
The Bearcats opened an early 11-5 lead, but a 6-0 run by the visitors tied the game at the 6-minute mark of the first half.
From there, however, the SVC offense put together a 9-0 run and never looked back. The run began with a Kiara Arnold conventional three-point play at the 4:16 mark. Kayla Slovenec followed with an identical score, then Susie Ellis canned a three after an errant Geneva pass, making it 20-11.
Geneva cut the gap to eight, 24-16 at the end of the first quarter, then made it a 6-point game (25-19) after a three with 8:52 left in the second quarter. A steal by Jasmine Weems led to a layup from Maria Morgan that made the score 30-19. After a Golden Tornado score, Weems started another Bearcat 10-point run, which was capped by a Katie Ryan drive at the 3:25 mark that increased the lead to nineteen, 40-21. After another bucket by Geneva, SVC ended the half with seven straight points, taking a 47-23 lead into the break.
SVC scored the first seven points of the second half, running their overall scoring streak to 14 before the GTs got on the board. Later, up 55-29, the Bearcats scored eight consecutive points, the first six from freshman Taylor Boring, to take a 63-29 lead.
In the fourth quarter, Paige Montrose extended the lead to 83-42 with back-to-back scores, as SVC went on to the victory.
Weems and Slovenec led the team with 12 points each. For Slovenec, it was a breakout game, as the freshman added six assists and three steals. Ellis tallied 11 points, while Boring had a career-best 9. Ryan and Abbey Conrad each scored six.
Ryan led the Bearcats on the boards with 8 rebounds, while Babette Sanmartin had six. Conrad and Hannah Carroll each had five. Carroll and Conrad each added three steals. Overall the Bearcats had 21 steals as a team, while Geneva committed 29 turnovers.
The Bearcats are now 6-5 overall, 3-1 in the PAC. Geneva falls to 4-7, 1-3 in the conference.
SVC hosts Bethany College on Thursday at 5:30PM in the Carey Center.