PITTSBURGH, Pa. – The Chatham Cougars took command early in their game with the Geneva College women's basketball team on Saturday afternoon, with Chatham leading from start to finish in an 83-49 Cougar victory. Geneva dropped to 7-9 overall, 6-5 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Chatham improved to 12-4, 6-3 in the PAC.
Chatham opened the game with a three-pointer, which proved to be a sign of things to come. Junior Mia San Nicolas (Sinajana, Guam/Academy of Our Lady of Guam) answered with a bucket, but the Cougars followed with another three-pointer, and Chatham steadily pulled away. The Cougars led 17-9 after one quarter and built their lead to 23-11 early in the second quarter on another three-pointer.
Geneva's best stretch of the game followed, with the Golden Tornadoes answering with three straight baskets from San Nicolas, sophomore Cynthia Stewart (Silver Springs, Md./Paint Branch) and senior Shannon Wolfe (Alliance, Ohio/West Branch), pulling Geneva within 23-17. That would be as close as Geneva would get, though, with both teams trading baskets on the next two possessions before Chatham finished the half on a run. The Cougars scored the next ten points to take a 35-19 lead, the last six points coming on back-to-back three-pointers, and Chatham punctuated the half with another three-pointer to take a 40-22 lead into the break. The Cougars knocked down eight three-pointers in the half.
Chatham put the game away early in the third quarter, opening the second half on a 16-4 to extend its lead to 56-26, and the Cougars cruised the rest of the way to an 83-49 win.
Wolfe was the only Golden Tornado to reach double figures, tying a career-high with 13 points. San Nicolas and junior Isabella Roth (Ellwood City, Pa./Ellwood City) each finished with nine points. Geneva shot just 35.1% from the floor, including 5-of-20 (25%) from three-point range. The Golden Tornadoes also committed 23 turnovers.
Chatham was led by Emily Durkee, who scored 22 points, including 6-of-11 from long range. The Cougars shot 42.3% from the floor, including 15-of-38 (39.5%) from deep. Chatham also committed just 14 turnovers and won the battle of the boards, 50-36.
Geneva has another three-game week next week, with the schedule staying very tough. The Golden Tornadoes travel to W&J on Monday to take on the first-place Presidents, and then return home for a game on Wednesday against second-place Grove City. Geneva then finishes with a road game at fourth-place Bethany on Saturday.
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).
