BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – The Allegheny women's basketball team was unable to overcome a fourth quarter run by Geneva as they fell on the road, 81-74, Wednesday (Jan. 25) in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.
 
The Gators gained an early lead against the Golden Tornadoes, 7-3. Geneva brought the game within one point, 9-8, before the Gators outscored their counterparts 8-4 to close out the first quarter ahead 17-12.
 
The teams went back-and-forth to start the second quarter with each side scoring 10 points in the first five minutes. The Golden Tornadoes then went on a 6-0 run, taking a 28-27 lead following a traditional three point play. Allegheny utilized free-throws to regain the lead, 30-28, however, Geneva finished the half on a 10-2 run to take a 38-32 lead into the locker room.
 
Emily Lauer (Knox, Pa./Keystone) led the Gators with eight points in the first half while Jess Bickart (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) chipped in seven points and eight rebounds. Allegheny owned a 29-25 advantage in the rebounding department.
 
Allegheny quickly made up some ground in the third quarter. After trading baskets to start, the Gators went on an 8-0 run with four different scorers. Sarah Santicola's (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) lay-up put the Gators in front, 42-41. However, Geneva bounced back with their own 7-2 run. Lauer went on a personal 4-0 run to tie the game at 48 apiece before Alexis Caldwell (Whitefish Bay, Wis./Whitefish Bay) eventually put Allegheny back in front, 52-51. A buzzer beater by Bickart gave the team a 58-55 advantage ahead of the final frame.
 
The lead grew to five to start the fourth quarter, but Geneva put together a 10-0 run, gaining the momentum. Allegheny battled back, but that run proved to be the deciding factor as the Gators dropped the conference matchup.

Inside the Box

• Lauer led the Gators with 22 points while also accumulating five rebounds, four assists and two steals.
• Bickart finished with a double-double, scoring 15 while leading the team with a dozen rebounds. She also led the team with five assists.
• Caldwell ended the game with nine points and nine rebounds.
• Kate Leach (Columbus, Ohio/Upper Arlington) pulled down ten rebounds while also scoring six points. She added four assists.
• Sofia Genareo (Lakewood, N.Y./Southwestern Central) tallied seven points.
• The Gators had a 60-39 rebound advantage.
• The loss snapped a five-game winning streak for the Gators. 

Up Next
The Gators remain on the road Saturday (Jan. 28) for a 1 pm PAC game at Thiel.