BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team let a potential victory over Bethany on Wednesday night slip away, falling in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener for both teams, 77-69.  Bethany picked up its first win of the season to improve to 1-6, 1-0 in the PAC, while Geneva fell to 1-6, 0-1 in the PAC.

The Golden Tornadoes jumped out to an early 9-5 lead six minutes into the game as junior Emily Melnek (Poland, Ohio/Poland) contributed two baskets early on.  Bethany responded with a run to regain the lead, and the Bison maintained a small margin at the end of the first quarter, 16-14.

Bethany carried its momentum into the second quarter, scoring the first five points of the quarter to extend its lead to 21-14, the biggest of the first half.  However, two late three-pointers by senior Jeana Luciana (Oakmont, Pa./Saint Joseph) and sophomore Paige Repine (Marion Center, Pa./Marion Center) enabled Geneva to close the deficit to 29-27 heading into the halftime break.

The Bison scored a couple of early buckets in the second half to increase its lead to 33-29, but Geneva's press began to cause Bethany trouble, and the Golden Tornadoes took advantage.  Geneva scored 12 straight points over a three-minute stretch, many coming on easy baskets off turnovers, as junior Lauren Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Phil-Mont Christian) scored six points in the run.  When Melnek hit a three-pointer with five minutes remaining in the third quarter, Geneva took its biggest lead of the game, 44-35.  A layup from junior April Mann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Evangelical Christian Academy), who gave Geneva a spark off the bench in her first extended action of the season, gave the Golden Tornadoes a 49-41 lead with two minutes remaining in the quarter.  However, Bethany began to figure out Geneva's press, and it led to easy baskets on the other end, enabling the Bison to close the gap to 49-47 at the end of the third quarter.

Bethany opened the final quarter with a three-point play to regain the lead, 50-49, and the game stayed tight over the next several minutes.  However, with Bethany clinging to a 69-68 lead with less than two minutes remaining, the Bison closed the game on an 8-1 run to finish off the victory.

Tipton, who had just two points on two shots in the first half, was much more involved in the second half, finishing with 17 points and 14 rebounds.  Luciana and Melnek each added 13 points.  While Geneva took better care of the ball, committing 15 turnovers, the Golden Tornadoes were cold again from the perimeter, shooting 5-of-28 (18%) from three-point range.  Geneva was also hurt on the boards, as Bethany managed 22 offensive rebounds which led to 18 second chance points.  Bethany's Allison Kuhn finished with a game-high 22 points, including several late to seal the win for the Bison.

"The ladies are progressing, but this was one we let get away that we should have won," said Head Coach Michael Grinder.  "If we make a few more shots and secure a few extra rebounds, this game would have had a different outcome."

Geneva finishes up its first semester this Saturday with a road game at Washington & Jefferson at 1:00 p.m.


Geneva College is a Christ-centered academic community that provides a comprehensive education to equip students for faithful and fruitful service to God and neighbor. Offering over 115 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top Three Best Value Regional University with one of the top engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the truth of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God's Word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today's world.