BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Geneva women's basketball team led for almost the entire game against Franciscan on Saturday, taking the lead late in the first quarter and never relinquishing it the rest of the way for an 89-83 win. Seniors Emily Garvin and Anna Ulmer each broke the 20-point barrier in leading the Golden Tornadoes to victory. The win breaks a four-game losing streak for the women and bumps their record up to 7-14 overall, 4-8 in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) play. Franciscan, on the flip side, slides to 3-18 overall, 0-12 in the PAC.

Junior Aizlyn Thompson got the women started off on the right foot, draining a three-pointer on Geneva's second possession to start the scoring. Franciscan went on a 14-7 run shortly thereafter, snagging a 16-12 edge midway through the frame. Layups by sophomore Arionna White and Ulmer quickly helped Geneva knot the score, and free throws by Garvin a couple minutes later sent the Golden Tornadoes back in front. The women held a slim 20-19 lead heading into the first quarter break.

The second quarter proved to be a defensive battle, with neither team making a shot from the field until two and a half minutes into the period. White broke the drought by splashing a three-pointer, and a jumper by Garvin on Geneva's next possession gave the women their largest lead of the game to that point, 27-19. Ulmer pushed that advantage into double digits soon afterward, and following a late triple by the Barons, the GTs had a 33-24 lead as they entered the half. Geneva held Franciscan to just five points in the second quarter.

The Barons knocked Geneva's lead down to four points early in the third quarter, but the women answered right back with baskets in the paint from Ulmer and freshman Regan Kerr. The gap between the two teams hovered around seven points for the next several minutes, but then a three-ball by Ulmer put the GTs ahead ten, 52-42. Junior Ava Sellers extended that advantage to 13 points late in the quarter, and Geneva led 61-50 as the teams went into the final break.

The women maintained the gap for the majority of the fourth quarter, with layups by Garvin and Ulmer extending the GTs' advantage to 79-65 with 3:35 to play. A furious comeback attempt by the Barons brought them within two points with eight seconds remaining, but Garvin hit two clutch free-throws to keep Geneva in front, and the women secured the win late, 89-83.

Garvin finished with 25 points, six rebounds, and three steals, while Ulmer recorded 22 points and 11 boards for her second double-double of the season. White contributed 15 points in the victory, while Thompson chipped in 14 points and another 11 boards. Jazzlyn Melnyk led the scorers for Franciscan with an impressive 29 points to go with 21 rebounds.

The Golden Tornadoes return home for their next contest, hosting Thiel College on Wednesday, February 11 at 5:30 p.m. Geneva defeated the Tomcats 100-66 in their game earlier this season.

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).