BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – There were multiple moments where it seemed the Geneva men's basketball team might take a lead in the second half against Grove City Wednesday night, but each time the Wolverines stifled the GTs' comeback attempt, winning the game 73-67. The visitors scored the first 11 points of the game and never trailed again after that, sending Geneva to an 8-12 overall record, 5-6 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Grove City has an identical 8-12 (5-6) record.

It took the men four minutes to score in the first half, and when they finally did it was sophomore Tommy Coletti on a bullish drive to the paint. Grove City had built up an 11-2 advantage by that point, but Geneva patiently began to cut into the deficit, with a three-pointer by senior Jonathan Bertovich with 11:22 to play in the first half making the score 18-12 in favor of the Wolverines. The visitors punched back, hitting a couple triples of their own over the next few minutes, and extended their lead to 13 points with eight minutes remaining in the frame, their largest advantage of the game.

Coletti drove in twice as the half wound to a close, getting multiple layups to fall, and another Bertovich three-ball at the 1:26 mark brought the GTs back within six points. After a bucket by Grove City and a free throw from senior Alec Srock, the Wolverines took a 39-32 lead into the break.

It was Geneva's turn to start the half hot as the second period began, with the GTs scoring the first seven points to knot the score at 39. A three-point play by sophomore Austin Matthews was the highlight, and momentum looked like it was swinging in Geneva's favor. The Wolverines weathered the storm, however, refusing to let the Golden Tornadoes gain an edge, and before long they had extended their lead up to eight points, 51-43, with 11:35 to play.

Again, the men began to work their way back, and a three-pointer by freshman Tayt Lucas narrowed the gap to four points with eight minutes to go. After the Wolverines scored on the other end, senior Trey Barker answered with a triple of his own, making it a three-point game, but the GTs could not get any closer than that the rest of the way. Grove City went on to win 73-67.

Both teams shot the ball fairly evenly, with Grove City hitting 28 of their 63 attempts (44.4%) and Geneva going 25-for-55 (45.5%) from the field, including an 11-for-28 effort (39.3%) from three-point range. Turnovers were where the game went wrong for the GTs as they gave the ball away 14 times compared to just eight by the Wolverines.

Bertovich led the men in the loss, finishing with 20 points and making six three-pointers. Coletti was the only other Golden Tornado to score in double figures, recording 10 points along with a team-high seven rebounds and three assists. Barker contributed eight points and five rebounds, and Kyle Randle led the Grove City scorers with 22 points.

"I'm not happy at all," stated head coach Jeff Santarsiero following the game. "We got outworked when it mattered and we missed wide open shots, which is the fourth consecutive game we've done that. We need to be tougher, and if we're not, it's going to be a long rest of the season."

The men travel to Franciscan this Saturday, February 7, for a 3:00 p.m. contest with the Barons.

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).