PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Jan. 21) – A key fourth quarter run lifted the Saint Vincent women's basketball team to a 68-58 road victory over Chatham University in Presidents' Athletic Conference play.
In a game that featured 19 lead changes, it was a 14-0 fourth quarter run that helped the Bearcats complete the regular season sweep of the Cougars. In total, Saint Vincent outscored Chatham by an 18-7 margin in the final quarter.
Susie Ellis led the Bearcats with 15 points while also adding six rebounds. Jasmine Weems recorded another double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while also adding six assists.
After a slow start offensively, the Bearcats used six straight points to take a 6-3 advantage and force a Chatham timeout with 6:37 left in the first quarter. Hannah Carroll, Maria Morgan and Ellis each scored a basket in the paint during the run.
Chatham used some solid work on the offensive glasses to put together back-to-back field goals and regain the lead at 7-6 at the 5:05 mark of the first. Morgan and Carroll would help SVC answer with back-to-back field goals, propelling the Bearcats back into the lead, at 10-7 with 4:20 left in the quarter.
Some good work at the free throw line allowed the host Cougars to build a 14-12 at the 1:16 mark in the first. A three-pointer by freshman Kayla Slovenec momentarily put the Bearcats back in front, Chatham used a layup in the last minute to take a 16-15 edge after one.
After a slow start, Jasmine Weems opened the second quarter with a three-pointer from the corner to put the Bearcats ahead 18-16.
Chatham rattled off the next six points to take a four-point advantage (22-18) at the 6:27 mark of the second quarter, which was the largest lead for either team to that point.
The Cougars would continue holding that lead for the remainder of the first half as the teams exchanged baskets. Ellis would connect on a three-pointer to bring SVC within a single point (27-26) at the 2:28 mark. However, Chatham extended the lead back out with back-to-back baskets and continued to hold onto a slight 36-34 edge after 20 minutes.
Ellis had the hot hand in the first half, leading all scorers at halftime with 11 points, including three made three-pointers. Despite being held in check offensively in the first half, Weems pulled down six rebounds and dished out five assists in the first half.
After not shooting a single free throw in the first half, SVC attacked at will to start the third, drawing several Chatham fouls. SVC would convert five of six free throws over the first two plus minutes to take a 39-38 lead, the last of which was a pair from Carroll.
Neither team could gain much separation the remainder of the quarter, as the biggest lead either team had over the final seven-plus minutes of the quarter was three points after Slovenec sunk two free throws, putting SVC up 48-45 at the 2:24 mark. However, Chatham closed the third strong with a 6-2 run to take a 51-50 edge into the fourth.
The fourth quarter belonged to the Bearcats, as they outscored Chatham by an 18-7 margin.
After a Chatham layup made it 53-50 with 9:54 left to play, Saint Vincent used a 14-0 run over the next seven-plus minutes to take a 64-53 advantage. Carroll and Ellis started the run with back-to-back field goals to put the Bearcats up 54-53. A jumper from Bri Van Volkenburg and two free throws pushed the lead to 58-53, the largest for SVC of the afternoon to that point. SVC would tack on six more points, capped by a steal and lay in by Van Volkenburg. That cushion allowed the Bearcats to close out the PAC win.
Carroll rounded out a trio of Bearcats scoring in double figures with 10 points while chipping in a career-high five blocks defensively. Babette Sanmartin added eight rebounds and a team-high four steals while Van Volkenburg was a perfect 4-of-4 from the field with nine points.
The Bearcats, who entered with the second best scoring defense in the PAC, limited Chatham to 28.1 percent shooting from the field. SVC also blocked eight shots as a team in the victory.
The win improves Saint Vincent to 10-7 overall and 7-3 in PAC play. Chatham drops to 9-7 overall and 4-6 in league play.
Saint Vincent returns to action, traveling to Washington & Jefferson for their second straight road game on Wednesday, Jan. 25. Tip-off between the Bearcats and Presidents is slated for 6 p.m.