BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team couldn't keep up a hot-shooting Mount Union squad in the season opener on Wednesday night, falling to the Purple Raiders 95-77.
Both teams came out with full-court pressure to begin the game, creating a fast tempo from the start. Senior Mia San Nicolas opened the game with a bucket before Mount Union responded with a 12-2 burst to grab a lead the Purple Raiders would eventually never relinquish. Geneva tried to stay close, with a bucket from sophomore Bailee Fletcher with two minutes remaining in the first quarter pulling the women within 25-17. However, Mount Union scored the final nine points of the quarter to take a 34-17 lead at the first break. The Purple Raiders made 4-of-5 from long range in the quarter, while Geneva made just 1-of-9.
Geneva responded with its best stretch of the game entering the second quarter, though. The women scored the first eight points of the quarter, with freshman Monica Lammie knocking down two shots. After Mount Union scored a basket, the Golden Tornadoes scored eight more straight on a three-pointer from junior Taylor Milroy, followed by back-to-back buckets from San Nicolas, the last a traditional three-point play after getting fouled. That run closed the gap to 36-33 midway through the second quarter. That was as close as Geneva could get, though.
Mount Union's Reese Triplett, who was hot from outside all game, answered with a three-pointer. Geneva was able to get the deficit back to three points twice more before Mount Union finished with a bucket to take a 47-41 lead into the break. The Raiders, behind 3-for-4 shooting from Triplett from long range, shot 6-of-12 from deep, while Geneva shot just 2-of-15 from range.
Mount Union began the third quarter with a surge, scoring the first seven points, with Triplett adding another long-range shot. Geneva wouldn't give in, though, answering with an 11-2 run, capped off by a three-pointer from junior Mackenzie Barricklow, to pull within 56-52. The Golden Tornadoes just could not get over the hump, though. Every time Geneva got close, Mount Union had a response, often in the form of a three-pointer. The Purple Raiders scored the next nine points of the quarter and took a 69-57 lead into the final break.
Freshman Aizlyn Thompson tried to keep the ladies in the game in the fourth quarter. She was the only Golden Tornado able to find the range from deep, shooting 4-of-5 from behind the three-point stripe in her collegiate debut, but it wasn't enough to offset an otherwise cold shooting night from the rest of the team. Geneva never got closer than nine points in the final quarter before falling, 95-77.
San Nicolas paced the offense with 25 points on 10-of-18 shooting from the floor. Thompson was second on the team with 12 points, while Taylor Milroy added 11 points and Cynthia Milroy chipped in with ten points. Geneva shot 39% from the floor and just 6-of-31 (19%) from long range, with the rest of the team outside of Thompson combining to shoot 2-of-26 from three-point range.
Mount Union shot 45% from the floor, including a 12-of-26 (46%) effort from long range. Triplett led four Purple Raiders in double figures with 19 points, including a 5-of-8 effort from deep. Mount Union's success from long range proved to be a big difference in the game, along with a 21-11 advantage in turnovers forced.
The women have a week off before opening conference play next Wednesday with a home game against Thiel at 5:30 p.m.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. 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 the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
