NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team was defeated by Westminster on Wednesday evening, 65-47, in the first game of the new year for both teams.  Geneva dropped to 6-8 overall, 5-4 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Westminster improved to 8-5, 6-3 in the PAC.

The women started well when senior Emily Bucheit opened the game with a three-pointer, and after a Westminster bucket, senior Mia San Nicolas added two free throws and jumper to give Geneva a quick 7-2 advantage.  The Titans answered with a 9-2 run to take their first lead of the game, 11-9, and the two teams stayed close the rest of the quarter, with Westminster holding a slim 19-18 edge at the first break.

Westminster used a seven-point run early in the second quarter to take a 32-23 lead, and the Titans carried that advantage into halftime with a 39-31 edge.

The Titans took control early in the third quarter, scoring the first six points of the second half as Geneva struggled to make shots and duplicate its early offensive success.  The Golden Tornadoes did manage to cut the deficit under double digits, 52-44, on a layup from San Nicolas late in the quarter, but Westminster scored five quick points to close out the quarter and the Titans held the women to just three fourth quarter points in winning 65-47.

San Nicolas was the main bright spot for the women, finishing with 15 points and 11 rebounds.  She was the only Golden Tornado to reach double digits as the women shot just 17-of-61 (27.9%) from the floor and 4-of-23 (17.4%) from three-point range.

Natalie Murrio led Westminster with 20 points as the Titans won the game on the boards, outrebounding Geneva 66-32, including 26 offensive rebounds.

Geneva will try to bounce back on Saturday when the women host Bethany at 1:00 p.m. inside Metheny Fieldhouse.

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).