Women's Basketball 01.26.13

Chatham Completes Sweep of Geneva with 57-56 Overtime Victory

Box Score BEAVER FALLS, PA - Rachel McClain (Fy., Hollidaysburg, PA/Hollidaysburg) andMarguerite Sargent (Sr., Washington, PA/Washington) each scored 11 points, leading the Chatham University Basketball team to a thrilling 57-56 overtime victory over Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Geneva College on Saturday.

Chatham (3-16, 2-10 PAC) completes the season sweep of the Golden Tornadoes. The Cougars also won an 83-71 decision on December 1, 2012. Geneva falls to 3-16 overall and 1-11 in PAC play with the loss.

McClain shot 3-9 from the floor, all from three point territory, leading to her 11 points. She also tallied three assists and two steals. Sargent led Chatham with four assists and also had seven rebounds.Carly Zelenak (Jr., Mt. Pleasant, PA/Mt. Pleasant) pulled down a team-high 11 rebounds. Ten different players scored for Chatham in the game.

For Geneva, Chelsea D'Urso scored 17 to lead all scorers. Heidi Mann and Leah Prisuta each chipped in with 11 points.

The entire game was close throughout, as neither team held a lead greater than six points. Geneva's 10-7 lead with 14:44 left in the first half was the largest lead up to that point in the game. The Golden Tornadoes then took a 17-12 lead with 11:06 on the clock for their biggest lead of the contest. Over the next 5:23, Chatham went on a 9-0 run to go up 21-17. The remainder of the first half was evenly played, and Chatham entered halftime with a 26-22 advantage.

The second half continued the evenly played trend, as the score was tied four separate times over a 4:03 span early in the half. Four consecutive free throws gave the Cougars a 38-34 lead with 8:41 to play, and the Cougars widened that gap to 44-38 with 5:13 on the clock. Geneva responded, though, with an 8-0 run to regain the lead, 46-44, with 3:36 to play in regulation.

With the game tied 50-50 at the 1:50 mark of the second half, the teams combined to go 0-4 from the field and 0-2 from the free throw line for the remainder of regulation, sending the game into overtime. In the extra session, Julianne Speeney (Sr., Connellsville, PA/Geibel Catholic) drained a three pointer at the 2:39 mark to give Chatham a 55-52 lead. Sargent connected on two free throws with just over a minute left to give the Cougars a three point lead. Geneva cut the deficit to one late in the period, but a D'Urso jumper with four seconds remaining did not connect, giving the Cougars their first road victory of the season.

Geneva shot just 1-6 in the overtime period. Chatham held a huge advantage in bench points, outscoring the Geneva subs 30-4. For the game, Chatham shot 20-51 (39.2%) from the floor.

The Cougars will look to win their second straight game on Wednesday, January 30, when they travel to PAC opponent Grove City College. Game time is set for 6:00pm.

-COUGARS-

Chatham University, founded in 1869, is located in the vibrant Shadyside neighborhood of Pittsburgh, PA. Preparing students from around the world, Chatham's enrollment throughout the past decade was the fastest growing in the Pittsburgh region.

Consisting of a historic, undergraduate women's college and graduate and online programs for both men and women, Chatham has consistently been ranked among the top master's level institutions in the Northeast by U.S. News & World Report and The Princeton Review. Offering challenging academics and innovative programming in the fields of sustainability and the environment, the health sciences, and business & entrepreneurship, a Chatham education is designed to meet the needs of tomorrow's economy, today.

Chatham has also demonstrated institutional commitments to reach carbon neutrality by 2025 as a charter signatory of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment, has been named to The Princeton Review's 2013 Green Honor Roll as one of the most environmentally responsible universities in the U.S. and Canada, received a STARS Gold Rating in recognition of its sustainability achievements from the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), and is the alma mater of environmental icon and Silent Spring author, Rachel Carson (class of '29).

For more information, call 800-837-1290 or visit www.chatham.edu.

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