BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Things did not start well for the Geneva College women's basketball team on Monday night in its home contest against Hiram, falling behind by double digits, but the Golden Tornadoes stormed back with a strong second half to earn a 78-71 victory. The win is Geneva's third straight, improving their overall record to 6-4, the best record after ten games for the women in eight seasons.
Things started very poorly for the women, though. Geneva was ice cold from the floor in the first quarter, and Hiram used its size advantage to score easy baskets in the paint. Senior Emily Bucheit was the only Golden Tornado who could find the range, but it wasn't enough to keep pace with the Terriers. Hiram scored the final six points of the quarter to take a 19-10 lead at the first break, with Bucheit responsible for eight of those Geneva points. The women hit just 4-of-19 shots in the first quarter, three of which were from Bucheit.
Geneva finally started to get its offense going in the second quarter, but Hiram kept breaking through the Golden Tornado pressure to convert layups in the paint, and midway through the second quarter, the Terriers stretched their lead to 32-18.
Senior Cynthia Milroy hit a three-pointer on Geneva's next possession to begin the Golden Tornado comeback, and then the women finished the half with a flurry. Freshman Aizlyn Thompson knocked down a three-pointer with two minutes remaining to begin a nine-point Geneva run. Junior Taylor Milroy scored in transition while being fouled, converting the three-point play, and then a three-pointer from junior Abby Shoaff from the corner with 14 seconds remaining pulled the Golden Tornadoes within one point before Hiram hit a short shot at the buzzer to take a 39-36 lead into the break. Senior Mia San Nicolas paced the offense with ten points in the half.
San Nicolas hit a three-pointer to begin the third quarter to pull Geneva level, the first time the game had been tied since the opening tip. After a Terrier basket, the Golden Tornadoes went on another run, spurred on by Geneva's defensive pressure which forced multiple Hiram turnovers. Cynthia Milroy hit back-to-back layups to give the Golden Tornadoes their first lead of the game, 43-41, and freshman Monica Lammie followed with a jumper. Bucheit scored while being fouled, converting the bonus free throw, and then Thompson drained another long range shot to suddenly give Geneva a 51-41 lead as the Terriers managed just two points in the opening six minutes of the quarter. A three-pointer from Taylor Milroy late in the quarter allowed the women to take a 61-50 lead at the final break.
A layup from Cynthia Milroy just under three minutes into the final quarter gave Geneva its biggest lead of the game, 67-53. Hiram, led by Anastasia Lawler's long-range shooting, slowly began to chip away at the Golden Tornado advantage. Every time the Terriers tried to make a run, though, Geneva had an answer. The Golden Tornado lead fluctuated between 8-12 points for most of the quarter before Lawler knocked down another three-pointer, her fifth of the game, to pull Hiram within 75-69 with 1:35 left. However, Bucheit answered with a three-pointer of her own seconds later, and Geneva held on for the 78-71 victory.
San Nicolas had another big game, threatening a triple-double with 19 points, 12 rebounds and seven blocks. She added four assists and three steals in a tremendous all-around effort. Bucheit scored a season-high 14 points after totaling 12 points at Saint Vincent on Saturday, while Cynthia Milroy finished with 13 points and Taylor Milroy 12 points for the women. Thompson knocked down three more three-pointers to finish with nine points. Geneva shot 33-of-74 (44.6%) from the floor and 10-of-35 (28.6%) from three-point range. The Golden Tornadoes also managed to hold their own on the glass against the much taller Hiram squad that came in with a big rebounding margin in their games, with the Terriers holding a slim 48-45 edge on the boards.
Lawler came off the bench to lead three Terriers in double figures with 19 points. Hiram, which hit almost 50% of their shots in the first half, finished the game just 28-of-74 (37.8%) from the floor despite hitting 8-of-16 (50%) from three-point range. Geneva forced 26 Hiram turnovers, 18 coming in the second half.
Geneva will now enjoy a few days off before welcoming preseason Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) favorite W&J to Metheny Fieldhouse on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. The Presidents boast an impressive 7-1 overall record, 5-1 in the PAC.
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).
