GROVE CITY, Pa. -- Senior guard Jess Bickart (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley) became the second player from the Allegheny College women's basketball team to join the 1,000-point club this season during the Gators' 64-54 setback at Grove City College.

In a battle of the top two teams in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) North Division, the Wolverines (14-8, 8-5 PAC) broke the tie with the Gators (10-12, 7-6 PAC) to take sole possession of first place. The two-game series between Allegheny and Grove City was split, with each side earning the win on its home court; the Gators beat the Wolverines 72-67 in Meadville on January 14.

One of three Gators to reach double figures, Bickart became the 20th player in program history to reach 1,000 career points. She officially joined the club with a field goal at 7:35 in the second quarter, her third and fourth points of the evening. Bickart, who is averaging a career-high 12.2 points per game as a senior, joined classmate Sarah Santicola (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) as the second Allegheny player to reach the milestone this year.

The Blue and Gold recovered from a seven-point deficit in the first quarter to even the score before halftime. Allegheny scored 24 points in the second quarter, the most by either team in a quarter, on a remarkable 11-of-15 (73.3%) shooting. Tied at 33-all at the break, the score remained deadlocked at 41-41 with two-and-a-half minutes to go in the third quarter and 44-44 in the first minute of the fourth.

Sophomore Eyra Co (Manila, Philippines/Pike Christian Academy (Ohio)) broke the stalemate with a 3-pointer, and Isabella Antonacci (Indiana, Pa./Indiana Area) buried a jumper to preserve the three-point cushion at 49-46. Alas, the Wolverines secured their comeback with eight consecutive points and 15 of the next 17 points.

Inside the Box Score

• Allegheny outshot Grove City with a 41.8 field-goal percentage (23-of-55), more than 12 percentage points higher than the Wolverines' 29.3 field-goal percentage (22-of-75).
• However, the Gators committed 22 turnovers to Grove City's eight, resulting in 16 points off turnovers.
• Grove City grabbed a game-high 47 rebounds and turned its 19 offensive boards in 15 second-chance points.
• Allegheny collected 40 rebounds, including 36 on the defensive end of the court.
• Antonacci scored 17 points with a game-high seven assists.
• Santicola earned a double-double with 14 points, 17 rebounds, and five assists.
• Bickart added 10 points with six rebounds, two assists, and one steal.
• Reese Hasley and Meredith Sherrerd paced the Wolverines with 22 and 19 points, respectively.

News and Notes

• Allegheny and Grove City split their regular-season series at one game apiece.
• Grove City broke the tie with Allegheny atop the PAC North Division standings, taking a one-game lead with three games left in the season.
• Since rejoining the PAC, the Gators lead the series against the Wolverines, 5-3.
• Bickart became the 20th player in team history to surpass 1,000 career points with a 10-point effort against the Wolverines.
• Santicola hauled in a season-high 17 rebounds en route to her seventh double-double of the season.
• Santicola surpassed Ronnie Bohm '91 (1,122) and Joan Smith '86 (1,128) to move into ninth place in team history with 1,134 career points.

Up Next
The Gators will celebrate Senior Day in their penultimate home contest of the regular season on Saturday, February 14. Allegheny and Franciscan University are scheduled to tip off at 1 p.m.