Susie Ellis hit a three-pointer with 1.4 seconds remaining in the game to lift the Bearcats to a 54-52 victory over Waynesburg University in the Carey Center.

With the win, the Bearcats improve to 9-4 in the conference, dropping the Yellow Jackets to 8-5.

The Bearcats jumped out to an early lead thanks to some nice contributions on both sides of the ball. The first points for SVC came from Hannah Carroll who netted a 3-pointer from the top of the key that was immediately followed by a strong defensive stance as they forced Waynesburg into a shot-clock violation. Consecutive buckets from the Bearcats, including another 3-point make from Carroll, capped a 10-4 run and giving them the lead at the 4:42 mark in the first quarter.

Waynesburg answered back with a 7-point run dominated by low-post play, giving them their first lead of the game, 11-10. Splitting a pair of free-throws at the line, the Yellow Jackets locked the contest up at 12-12 before converting the last made basket of the quarter to give them a 14-12 edge at the end of the first quarter.

The game of runs continued into the second quarter as the Bearcats responded with a 10-2 run of their own. Babette Sanmartin began the comeback with a nice finish under the basket to start the scoring in the second. Two consecutive 3-pointers from Jasmine Weems and Kayla Slovenec made it 22-16 at the 7:12 mark. However, Waynesburg held SVC scoreless from the field for the last four minutes and closed the half strong with a 15-6 run which gave them edge at 31-28 heading into the break.

The visitors carried their momentum into the start of the third quarter as their lead grew into double-digits, 44-32 at the 4:38 mark. Both sides struggled from the free-throw line as the remaining minutes in the third wound down. The Bearcats finished the quarter 3-6 from the line and were down 47-36 going into the fourth.

The Bearcats came out strong in the final quarter of the game. Following a Waynesburg bucket, SVC went on a tear offensively, scoring 9 straight points. After a couple of converted shots from Weems and Paige Montrose, Carroll netted her third 3-pointer of the game to bring the Bearcats within 2 points. Weems tied it at 49-49 with a runner from the lane at the 2:20 mark.

Waynesburg recaptured the lead with a basket in the paint, and a stop on the defensive end forced SVC to send them to the free-throw line where they made 1-2 shots to make it 52-49 with :51 left to play.

The Bearcats came right down the court as Ellis knocked down a contested layup to bring them within a point with :42 remaining. A defensive stop for SVC lead to a timeout to regroup with :06 in the game. Off an inbound pass, Ellis received the ball and drained a game winning 3-pointer with :01.4 left on the clock to give them a 54-52 victory.

The final quarter was critical for the Bearcats as they outscored their opponents 18-5 in the last 10 minutes of the game.

SVC leading scorers were Ellis with 11, followed by Sanmartin and Carroll with 9 each, and Slovenec putting in 7. Montrose set a new career-high with 9 rebounds while Weems and Sanmartin finished with 7. Weems also added 5 assists to her stat line.

Waynesburg leading scorers were Addy Knetzer with 17, Haley Delaney who had 15, and Monica Starre who finished with 11. Late in the first quarter, Knetzer surpassed the 1,000 point mark in her career.

The victory improves SVC to 12-8 overall as they get ready to host Grove City at home on Feb. 4 at 4 pm. The loss drops Waynesburg to 12-8 overall.