BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva College women's basketball team got off to a strong start in its home game against Hiram on Wednesday night, but the Terriers came from behind in the second half to defeat the Golden Tornadoes, 85-74. Geneva dropped to 3-9 overall, 0-3 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC).
Junior Aizlyn Thompson came out hot, opening the game with a three-pointer. Her second three-pointer in the opening minutes opened up quick 11-2 lead three minutes into the game for the Golden Tornadoes.
Hiram responded with seven straight points to close within two, but another three-pointer by Thompson kept Geneva in the lead, and a three-pointer from junior Monica Lammie at the first quarter buzzer gave the women a 25-20 edge at the first break.
Geneva pushed its advantage to its biggest of the game, 39-28, on a three-pointer from freshman Averi Marshall midway through the second quarter, but the Golden Tornadoes went cold down the stretch, and Hiram pulled within 45-43 at the halftime break.
The third quarter was tight throughout, with neither team leading by more than four points. A layup at the buzzer by Thompson pulled Geneva within 63-61 going into the final frame.
Hiram opened the fourth quarter with its best stretch of the game, scoring ten straight points to grab a 73-61 lead. The women battled back, though, scoring 11 straight points to pull within one, 73-72, after a layup from freshman Kassandra Garcia. Unfortunately, that was as close as Geneva could get. Hiram pulled away over the final four minutes to win 85-74.
Thompson led Geneva with a career high 23 points on 9-of-11 shooting from the floor, 5-of-7 from three-point range. Senior Emily Garvin added 16 points and a career high 10 assists, while senior Anna Ulmer chipped in with 13 points. The women shot 28-of-74 (37.8%) from the floor, 9-of-22 (40.9%) from three-point range. Turnovers and fouls were Geneva's downfall, as the women turned it over 23 times while committing 28 fouls, leading to 27 free throw attempts for the Terriers.
Sarah Seaman led five Terriers in double figures with 19 points. Hiram finished the game 29-of-64 (45.3%) from the floor, 6-of-19 (31.6%) from deep. The Terriers also outrebounded Geneva 47-38.
The women next head to W&J for a road matchup against the Presidents on Saturday, starting 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).
