MEADVILLE, Pa. – The Golden Tornadoes are headed to the semifinal round of the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) playoffs for the first time in school history after defeating the Allegheny College Gators 84-73 on the road Tuesday night. The GTs came into the quarterfinal matchup as the #5-seed in the PAC playoff bracket, and they were able to ride a very strong first half to upset the #4-seed Allegheny. It was the first playoff win for the women since 2022.
A good driving layup from senior Cynthia Milroy and a jumper from sophomore Bailee Fletcher put Geneva up 4-0 to start. The Gators responded with a 10-0 run over the next four minutes to put the GTs on their heels, but then Fletcher took over the rest of the quarter. She shot 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from three-point range, on her way to 12 first-quarter points. Her efforts buoyed a 15-2 Geneva run which was punctuated by a deep three from freshman Aizlyn Thompson, and the Golden Tornadoes closed out the first ten minutes leading 21-16.
The momentum the women built in the first frame continued into the second, as Geneva scored the first three buckets of the quarter to take a 28-16 lead. Allegheny fought to stay afloat, but superb offensive play from junior Taylor Milroy and senior Mia San Nicolas helped the GTs to outscore the Gators 20-9 in the second quarter and pushed Geneva's advantage to 41-25 at the halftime break.
Milroy picked up right where she left off, knocking down a triple and a layup for the first two Geneva buckets of the third quarter. Halfway through the frame, a couple Milroy free throws gave the women their largest lead of the game, 50-29, but then Allegheny began to fight back. The Gators were able to stop Geneva's momentum and put together a 14-8 run before a layup from San Nicolas sent the Golden Tornadoes to the quarter break up 60-43.
Two three-pointers and layup from Allegheny to start the fourth quarter brought the Gators within nine points, but a jump shot from San Nicolas put a stop to the run and gave Geneva a 62-51 lead. The Gators were able to cut the lead to six just a few minutes later, and that difference remained in place for the next three and a half minutes as the two sides traded points. Allegheny found themselves in foul trouble at that point, and the GTs hit their free throws to close the game on a 14-9 run and won by a final score of 84-73.
Taylor Milroy scored a game-high 27 points for Geneva, and Fletcher was close behind her with a career-high 21. San Nicolas recorded yet another double-double, posting 18 points and 14 rebounds, and her three blocks gave her sole possession of the school record for most blocks in a single season. She now has 79 on the year.
The Golden Tornadoes will travel to Washington & Jefferson on Thursday for their semifinal matchup with the #1-seeded Presidents. The women lost both their games to W&J this season, but they will look to come away with a second consecutive upset on the road.
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).
