ALFRED, N.Y. – The Geneva College women's basketball team wrapped up its weekend at the Alfred BSN Tip-Off Tournament with a victory over Wilson on Saturday afternoon, 72-63, to give the Golden Tornadoes their first victory of the season.
The Geneva offense got off to a strong start right from the tip-off. Sophomore Kassandra Garcia opened the game with a bucket, followed by a three-pointer by senior Aizlyn Thompson. After Wilson answered with four points, Garcia knocked down back-to-back triples, and then sophomore Kira Bonanno scored, followed by a free throw from junior Arionna White, to give the Golden Tornadoes a 14-4 lead five minutes into the game.
That start gave the women some cushion to work with as both teams began to settle into the contest. Wilson closed within six points, 22-16, early in the second quarter before Geneva reeled off a big run, 14-3, to extend its lead to 36-19 after another three-pointer by Thompson. The women led 38-25 at the break.
Geneva's full-court defense continued to give Wilson problems, and the Golden Tornadoes used their defense to force turnovers and generate easy buckets in carrying a double-digit lead through the third quarter.
Wilson put together one last run midway through the fourth quarter, pulling within 56-50 with six minutes left, but Geneva put the game away with a 16-2 run, capped off by another three-pointer from Garcia. That gave the Golden Tornadoes a 72-52 lead with less than two minutes to go before Wilson scored the final 11 points to close out the game, 72-63.
Thompson led the offense with 21 points, including 5-of-11 shooting from deep, while Garcia added a career high 18 points, including 4-of-10 from long range, and a career best nine rebounds. The women shot 22-of-75 (29.3%) from the floor, 12-of-46 (26.1%) from three-point range, but Geneva forced 34 turnovers, often turning them into easy buckets.
The women will return home and prepare for its third game in four days when Geneva hosts Pitt-Bradford on Monday night at 7:00 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).
