BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team knew it had its hands full on Saturday afternoon when it hosted preseason Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) favorite Saint Vincent, who came into the game undefeated in the conference.  Geneva stayed with the Bearcats for a quarter, but a hot-shooting performance from three-point range enabled Saint Vincent to blow the game open on its way to a 106-54 victory.  Saint Vincent improved to 11-5 overall, 7-0 in the PAC, while Geneva lost its 12^th straight game to fall to 1-13, 0-7 in the PAC.

The game started well for the Golden Tornadoes.  Junior Emily Melnek (Poland, Ohio/Poland) opened the game with a three-pointer, followed by a layup from junior Lauren Tipton (Glenside, Pa./Phil-Mont Christian) and a jumper by senior Jeana Luciana (Oakmont, Pa./Saint Joseph), giving Geneva a quick 7-0 lead.  Saint Vincent immediately responded with 13 straight points to take its first lead of the game, but the Golden Tornadoes kept within striking distance, even retaking the lead 16-15 on another three-pointer from Melnek.  An offensive rebound and layup from junior April Mann (Colorado Springs, Colo./Evangelical Christian Academy) at the buzzer sent the game to the second quarter with Saint Vincent holding a 28-27 lead.

Unfortunately, it was all Saint Vincent from there.  Geneva's offense went cold for much of the rest of the afternoon, and the Bearcats got hot from three-point range.  Saint Vincent focused almost exclusively on the long range shot in the second period, making 9-of-16 attempts from three-point range in the quarter compared to just three attempts by the Bearcats from two-point range.  The barrage was more than Geneva could handle.  Saint Vincent outscored the Golden Tornadoes 33-8 in the quarter on its way to a 61-35 halftime lead.  The Bearcats finished the half shooting 13-of-24 from three-point range.  Tipton had 10 points and seven rebounds to lead Geneva offensively.

The second half didn't get any better for the Golden Tornadoes, who continued to struggle offensively, particularly giving up turnovers against Saint Vincent's full court pressure, many of which were converted into easy fast-break points on the other end.  Geneva was never able to gain any momentum, and the Bearcats cruised in the second half to a 106-54 victory.

Tipton was the only player in double figures for the Golden Tornadoes, finishing with 24 points on 11-of-17 shooting, as well as grabbing 12 rebounds.  Geneva shot just 2-of-23 from three-point range, which included missing its last 20 three-point attempts after Melnek's two early makes.  The Golden Tornadoes also turned it over 31 times.  Saint Vincent ended the game making 17-of-35 from three-point range, and the Bearcats turned it over just 14 times.

"You won't win many games when you turn the ball over 31 times," said Head Coach Michael Grinder.  "Those turnovers led to 42 points, many of them uncontested baskets as Saint Vincent converted more than half of those turnovers into easy points."

Geneva returns to action next Wednesday when it hosts Thiel at 5:30 p.m.  Thiel also comes into the game struggling, as the Tomcats come in with an 0-15 record.


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.