NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team got off to a hot start on Saturday afternoon at Westminster, but it wasn't nearly enough. The Titans overcame an early double-digit deficit to run away from the Golden Tornadoes, 102-80. Westminster improved to 3-3 overall, 1-2 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Geneva dropped to 2-3 overall, 1-1 in the PAC.
Things started very well for the Golden Tornadoes. Sophomore Cynthia Stewart (Silver Springs, Md./Paint Branch) opened with a layup, while junior Tess Liggett (Columbiana, Ohio/Columbiana) followed with a three-pointer to give Geneva an early 5-0 lead. The Golden Tornadoes would go on to make 8-of-13 three-point attempts in the quarter, including three three-pointers from sophomore Abby King (New Geneva, Pa./Albert Gallatin). At the end of the first quarter, Geneva led 33-21.
The Golden Tornadoes came out cold in the second quarter, though. Westminster opened with ten straight points as it took Geneva almost five minutes to break the drought. The Titans took their first lead of the game, 39-38, with 3:26 remaining before halftime. Back-to-back three-pointers from Liggett and freshman Taylor Haring (Pittsburgh, Pa./Eden Christian Academy) enabled the Golden Tornadoes to take a 47-45 lead into the break, though.
Westminster began to take control of the game early in the third quarter. After a three-pointer from junior Isabella Roth (Ellwood City, Pa./Ellwood City) gave Geneva a 55-53 lead, the Titans scored eight straight points, and Geneva never led again. The Golden Tornadoes did pull within 65-63 with three minutes remaining in the quarter, but that was as close as Geneva would get. Westminster led 76-68 at the final break.
Geneva could never threaten in the final quarter, as the Titans figured out the Golden Tornado full-court pressure, leading to several easy layups. Westminster also held a big advantage on the boards, leading to multiple second and third chances, and the Titans pulled away for a 102-80 victory.
Stewart and King led Geneva with 16 points apiece. Haring added 14 points, while freshman Taylor Jackson (Clairton, Pa./Clairton) also reached double figures with 10 points. While the Golden Tornadoes made 15 three-pointers, they were outrebounded 79-29, including 35 offensive rebounds for the Titans. Westminster's Natalie Murrio led the Titans with 32 points and 20 rebounds, while Lindsay Bell added 14 points and 18 rebounds.
Geneva has a quick turnaround for its game on Monday at Carnegie Mellon, which starts at 5:30 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 145 traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. Geneva has one of the top 100 undergraduate engineering programs in the nation, according to
U.S. News and World Report. 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. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and IACE (International Association for Christian Education).
