BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva men's basketball team remained perfect in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) competition Wednesday evening, defeating Hiram College at home, 72-63. After a hot start, the Golden Tornadoes took a 14-point lead into the halftime break, and weathered the storm in the second frame despite the Terriers cutting the difference to two points at one instance. The win brings Geneva's overall record to 6-6 on the year, 3-0 in PAC play, while Hiram drops to 4-9 overall, 0-3 in the PAC.

Each team opened the game with a couple of missed shots, and senior Nick Million was the first to break through with a three-pointer a minute and a half in. Hiram scored two quick buckets to gain an edge briefly, but consecutive treys by senior Jonathan Bertovich put the men back in front. Coletti scored twice in a row soon after, and layups by senior Trey Barker and Bertovich following a Hiram triple gave Geneva an eight-point advantage, 17-9, at the 12:32 mark.

Bertovich stayed hot for Geneva, sinking two more three-pointers to push the GTs ahead by double figures. The Terriers kept scoring baskets of their own to stay within striking distance, but a three-ball from freshman Tayt Lucas brought the men's lead back to ten points. The two sides traded buckets over the next several minutes until the Golden Tornadoes went on a 7-0 run to close the half, using two layups by sophomore Tommy Coletti to grab a 41-27 edge going into the break.

Coletti picked up right where he left off in the second half, getting another layup to fall on a second-chance opportunity. Geneva went cold after that though, allowing seven straight points to the Terriers. Barker and Bertovich briefly pushed the difference back into double figures with two quick layups, but Hiram then scored the next nine points to make it a one-possession game with 11 minutes to play.

Million ended the Hiram run with a baseline layup, and two possessions later junior Ryan Edwards converted a three-point play to make it a seven-point game. The Terriers stayed close, quickly getting back within two, but a 9-2 run for the GTs over the next four minutes effectively put the game away. The men hit their free throws down the stretch to secure their third straight victory to open PAC play, winning 72-63.

Bertovich recorded his first career double-double in the win, scoring 25 points on 10-of-16 shooting and grabbing ten boards. He started the game 5-for-5 from three-point range before missing his final two shots from distance. Coletti scored 22 points of his own on 8-of-11 shooting, while Barker contributed eight points and seven boards. As a team, the men shot 29-for-56 (51.8%) from the field and an efficient 7-for-16 (43.8%) from distance, with all seven makes coming in the first half.

"That was a great gut-check game," said head coach Jeff Santarsiero after the game. "I liked our energy early, especially on defense. JB got hot early, and our communication was excellent. The guys didn't panic when Hiram cut it to two points, they made good decisions offensively, and then we got stops, which is what you have to do in PAC play. 3-0 in the division is great, but now we've got to prepare for W&J this weekend."

The GTs finish off the week with a road game at Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, January 10^th, with tip-off coming at 3:00 p.m. The Presidents were at the top of the PAC South Division standings before their loss to Bethany Wednesday night.

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).