The Lady Bearcats were defeated 66-57 to the visiting Bethany College Bison on Senior Night at the Robert S. Carey Center.

Laura Klimchock scored 15 to lead the Lady Bearcats, but SVC was out-rebounded 52-36, with Bethany boasting three scorers in double-figures.

After the teams traded four leads over the first 10 minutes of play, Bethany scored five quick points to go up 15-10 with 9:30 left in the half. 

SVC countered with an 8-0 run of its own over the next two minutes, and after baskets from Klimchock and Gabbie Kassis, the Lady Bearcats led 18-15.  The teams then shared baskets over the next several minutes, and the Lady Bearcats held a three-point lead, until Bethany scored seven of the final 10 points of the half, sending the game into intermission tied at 31.

The teams continued to exchange baskets to start the second frame, with five ties over the first six minutes.  Bethany's defense then took over, forcing turnovers on four consecutive SVC possessions, and the Bison capitalized on the SVC miscues to go up 47-41 at the halfway point of the second half.

Klimchock and Janelle Reed then hit baskets to pull the Lady Bearcats to within 47-44, but Bethany used another surge to go up 57-48 with 4:30 remaining.

A jumper from Maria Baroffio with 3:24 to go brought SVC to within five, at 58-53, but it was as close as the Lady Bearcats could get, as Bethany pulled away down the final moments to earn the nine-point win.

SVC and Bethany entered the game as the two top squads in the Presidents' Athletic Conference in steals, and both teams lived up to this billing. The Lady Bearcats picked up 13 steals on the night, led by five from Klimchock, and forced 26 Bethany turnovers.  The Bison finished with 10 steals, while SVC turned the ball over 24 times.

Lady Bearcat senior center Caryn Glassbrenner, honored prior to the game along with senior teammates Klimchock and Melissa McKamish, blocked five shots and scored eight points.  Reed also scored eight points, while Gabbie Kassis came off the bench to score seven points, grab six rebounds, and block three shots.  As a team, SVC recorded a season-high 12 blocks on the night.

The Bison were led by Susannah Cartland's 19 points, while Renee Brandenburg and Tara Harris each scored 10.  Kelly Goode grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds.

The Lady Bearcats and Bison also supported the Women's Basketball Coaches Association with Think Pink night, an initiative created by the WBCA to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball on campuses throughout the United States.  Both teams donned pink shooting shirts, while the Lady Bearcats also wore pink shoelaces and the game officials used pink whistles. 

With the loss, the Lady Bearcats fall to 7-14 on the year, while Bethany improved to 12-9.  SVC will be back in action on Wednesday, traveling to Thiel College for a 6pm contest that will be aired live on the Red Zone Media Network (www.redzonemedia.com).