BRADFORD, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team opened its season with a huge win at Pitt-Bradford, 108-27. The 81-point victory is the largest in program history, besting Geneva's 93-17 victory over Franciscan in 2007. The 108 points is also the fourth most points scored in a game in program history.
Senior Emily Garvin opened the game with back-to-back buckets, and junior Aizlyn Thompson followed with back-to-back three-pointers to increase Geneva's lead to 10-0 two minutes into the game. Junior Ava Sellers followed with a triple to make it 13-0 before Bradford got on the board with a layup.
Geneva continued to use its full-court pressure through the first half, generating a host of turnovers that led to easy buckets as the Panthers struggled at times to get the ball over the midcourt line. Another Geneva three-pointer, this one from freshman Regan Kerr, extended the Golden Tornado advantage to 20-2 late in the first quarter.
The first quarter ended with Geneva ahead 28-5, and the large margin allowed Head Coach Michael Grinder to go deep into his bench, often subbing five different players at a time. A layup and free throw from sophomore Alexandra Cozzens sent the teams into the break with Geneva leading 53-9. The Golden Tornadoes forced 27 Panther turnovers in the first 20 minutes and received scoring from 12 different players, led by Garvin's 10 points.
The second half brought more of the same, as Geneva kept extending its lead despite pulling off the pressure in the third quarter. All 21 players in uniform saw action, with 17 of the players scoring at least one point in the 108-27 win.
Garvin led the offense in scoring 16 points. Thompson added 14 points, while Cozzens and sophomore Arionna White each finished with 12 points. Cozzens added 12 rebounds for her first double-double of the season. The women knocked down 16 three-pointers in the victory, and defensively Geneva forced 44 Panther turnovers.
The women will have a break before returning to action next weekend at a tournament at Mount St. Joseph University. Geneva will face an excellent Trine squad on Friday, November 21, at 7:00 p.m., followed by a contest against a strong Mount St. Joseph team on Saturday at 1:00 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).
