Babette Sanmartin scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds to lead Saint Vincent to a 75-51 victory at home over Westminster College.

Seeking a third straight victory, SVC posted an impressive first half on both sides of the ball. After conceding the opening points of the contest, the Bearcats set the tone on defense early and often, forcing 10 turnovers and holding the Titans to just two made field goals in the first quarter.

The Bearcats took a commanding lead early as sharpshooter Hannah Carroll drained her second outside shot to cap an 8-point run, giving them a 12-3 lead with 5:24 left in the first quarter. After a few back-and-forth buckets, Jasmine Weems finished the quarter with an impressive reverse layup under the basket as they led 21-9 heading into the second.

SVC saw their lead dwindle in the second quarter as the Titans' offense sparked a competitive comeback. Westminster went on a 15-5 run midway through the quarter and cut the Bearcat lead to 29-25 with 3:04 remaining in the half. However, the home team would not be outdone as the Bearcats closed out the last three minutes on a 14-3 run, highlighted by a couple of key baskets from Susie Ellis and Paige Montrose.  Montrose chipped in all 6 of her points in the second quarter, helping to make it 43-28 at the break.

The second half of the contest was dominated by the Bearcats' low post presence, specifically from Sanmartin who netted 14 of her team-high 16 points in the final 20 minutes, including 9 straight.  Sanmartin's efforts contributed to a 12-point run in the third quarter, making it 61-34 with 2:28 left.

From that point on, the Bearcats managed to take over the rest of the game in route to a 75-51 victory.

Sanmartin posted her third career double-double leading the team in points and rebounds. Ellis posted 11 points and 4 rebounds, followed by Carroll who netted 10 and grabbed 4 boards. Kayla Slovenec contributed 7 points off the bench and led the team with 5 assists.

Westminster scoring leaders were Rachel Durbin with 11, followed by Brooke Lyczek who poured in 10 and Emily Fromknecht with 8.

The win improves the Bearcats' record to 9-6 overall and 6-2 in PAC play, pushing into a second olace tie in league play. SVC now prepares to host #5 Thomas More in another conference contest matchup on Jan. 18 at 5:30 pm. With the loss, Westminster drops to 5-10 overall and 0-8 in the PAC.