The Lady Bearcats advanced to the ECAC South Region Tournament semi-final game with an 81-71 victory over Pitt-Greensburg.

Four players scored in double-figures for the Lady Bearcats, led by 24 points from Maria Baroffio, as SVC outscored the visiting Bobcats 48-36 over the final 20 minutes to earn the 10-point win.

With the SVC victory, coupled with Juniata's win over top-seeded Delaware Valley, the Lady Bearcats will now host the semifinals and finals of the ECAC tournament, beginning on Saturday.

Saint Vincent and Pitt-Greensburg were close early on, as the teams shared four ties and three lead changes over the first five minutes of play.   After Pitt-Greensburg took a 16-13 lead with 13 minutes left, the Lady Bearcats embarked on a 12-2 run, with Devin McGrath scoring five points and Kathy Bianco and Ashley Bellovich three apiece, to go up 25-18 with just over six minutes left in the opening frame.

The Lady Bearcats then went cold, as Pitt-Greensburg outscored SVC 16-8 over the final six minutes of the first half.  SVC managed just three field goals over the span, while the Bobcats converted on seven of their final nine possessions of the half.

Over the first half, the Lady Bearcats shot just 33 percent (12-for-36) from the field, including just a 3-for-14 showing from behind the arc.  Conversely, UPG went 12-for-28 from the floor and 5-for-9 from long range, while outrebounding SVC 26-18.

UPG scored three of the first five points of the second half, before a Megan DePrimio bucket ignited a huge Lady Bearcat charge.

Kathy Bianco converted on a conventional three-point play to tie the game at 38-38 with 16:30 left, before SVC unleashed a deadly long-range attack.  Baroffio hit three treys,  Fenton two, and DePrimio one over the next six minutes, keying a 20-10 run that put the Lady Bearcats in front 60-49 at the midpoint of the second half.

Moments later, Sedlock scored six points in a two-minute span, while Baroffio hit another trey to give SVC their largest lead of the night, 72-58, with 5:30 remaining.

Pitt-Greensburg was able to close the deficit to seven, 74-67, with 1:30 left to play, but the Lady Bearcats then iced the game at the free-throw line, with Fenton hitting four freebies and Baroffio three to propel SVC to the comeback win.

Over the second half, SVC shot a blistering 54 percent (16-for-29) from the floor, and recovered from the sluggish first half to go 7-for-13 from behind three-point line over the final 20 minutes.

Fenton came off the bench to score 15 points, while McGrath added 11 and Sedlock 10.  Bianco also had a strong game at the point, scoring seven points with seven assists and five steals, while DePrimio came off the bench to score nine points.

Though they were outrebounded 43-41 for the game, SVC did manage a 23-15 advantage on the glass in the second half.  McGrath led the Lady Bearcats with nine rebounds, while Sedlock and DePrimio added seven apiece.

Pitt-Greensburg was led by Kelsey Wilcox, the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference Player of the Year, who scored 18 points with a game-high 19 rebounds.  Casey Stanton added 15 points for the Bobcats, while Lindsay Littler scored 12.

While the Lady Bearcat offense turned in a balanced performance, the team's defense also did well, forcing 18 Pitt-Greensburg turnovers.  In addition to Bianco's five thefts, Sedlock had four steals and Baroffio three.

The victory improves the Lady Bearcats' record to 21-5, while Pitt-Greensburg ends the season with a 17-10 mark.  Saint Vincent will now face sixth-seeded Alvernia University on Saturday at the Carey Center in the ECAC semifinals, at a time to be announced.

PHOTO:  SVC's Maria Baroffio scored a game-high 24 points in the Lady Bearcats' 81-71 victory over Pitt-Greensburg in the ECAC South region tournament