LATROBE, Pa. – The Allegheny College women's basketball team stumbled in its season opener, falling 84-62 to Saint Vincent College in non-conference play this evening.
Allegheny (0-1, 0-0 NCAC) and Saint Vincent (1-0, 0-0 PAC) traded the lead 16 different times, but a 33-14 fourth quarter was the difference for the hosts.
Senior guard
Jessica Mrdjenovich led the Gators with 17 points, while classmate
Emma Pellicano registered the 15th double-double of her career with 10 points and 14 rebounds. The Gators struggled from the field (28.6%) and behind the arc (20.6%), but excelled at the charity stripe, making 15 of 17 freebies (88.2%).
The Bearcats grabbed the first three points of the game before Allegheny used a 5-0 run off a pair of free-throws from senior guard
Rachel Vigliotti and an and-one by Pellicano to take its first lead. That advantage was traded eight times in the opening frame with the Gators ultimately holding a 19-16 edge after 10 minutes of play.
Allegheny's lead grew to 24-18 with 7:03 remaining in the half when senior forward
Ifeyinwa Uwazie made a lay-up and free-throw, and classmate
Kaitlyn Fromknecht sunk two shots from the chalk. Saint Vincent battled back to regain the lead at 25-24 with six straight points, but a pair of freebies from freshman guard
Candaisy Crawford swung the arrow back in the visitors' favor.
The Gators' lead grew to five at 31-26 after a lay-up from junior forward
Meaghan Wilby and trifecta from freshman guard
Delaney Arbore, but two three-pointers from Bearcats guard Susie Ellis put the hosts back in front at 32-31.
The second half opened up with the same score, but Fromknecht quickly changed that with a lay-up 20 seconds in. Saint Vincent answered with a lay-up of its own to regain the advantage; however, a successful cast from international waters by Mrdjenovich on the fastbreak put the Gators back in front.
The teams traded the next six points before the Bearcats used an 8-0 run to take a 45-38 lead. That advantage was short-lived, however, as Allegheny responded with an 8-1 run of its own to tie the game at 46-all. A couple of Saint Vincent three-pointers sandwiched a Pellicano lay-up to end the third quarter, with the hosts taking a 51-48 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
The Gators regained the lead with another Mrdjenovich trifecta and two free-throws from Fromknecht, but the Bearcats answered with a 14-0 run to take control at 65-53. Viglotti stopped the bleeding with a three-pointer of her own, but the nine-point deficit was as close as Allegheny would get it as Saint Vincent would finish the game scoring 19 of the final 25 points to earn the win.
Ellis led all scorers with 30 points for the Bearcats. Saint Vincent shot 69.2 percent (9-13) from behind the arc in the second half.
The Gators held a 19-7 edge in bench points and scored 16 second chance points to the Bearcats' 15.
Allegheny is back in action on Tuesday, Nov. 17 at 5:30 p.m. as travels to the Steel City to take on Chatham.
