by Matt Koll
Saint Vincent is used to this. For the third straight season, they’re back as the PAC’s top seed heading into this year’s women’s basketball tournament.
Yes, the season was only seven games long for Saint Vincent and as many as nine for other teams in the conference, but there was a point in the summer and fall where each team was just hoping to get a season in.
“I’ll be honest, going into the season we weren’t sure we were going to get one game in,” said Grove City head coach Chelle Fuss. “We were fighting for one more game. That was our mantra, ‘Just get one more game, coach. One more game so we can get one more game to play together.’ So every game is a blessing. It’s a blessing to be able to be on the court this year.”
Each player, coach and program deserves a tremendous amount of credit for committing themselves to following protocols, adjusting on the fly to changes in their weekly schedule, and preserving through cancellations and postponements.
This year’s tournament will be a celebration of a completed season like no other. Let’s enjoy every minute of it.
The action gets started with two first round matchups on Saturday afternoon, followed by the quarterfinal round on Monday March 15th, semifinal round Wednesday March 17th and the PAC Championship Game on next Saturday March 20th.
Here’s a look at the conference by seed:
#1 SAINT VINCENT (7-0)
The Bearcats used their 2nd-ranked offense and 4th-ranked defense to steady themselves to an undefeated regular season. They’ve also been the best 3-point shooting team in the PAC, converting at a 35.2% clip from beyond the arc. Carlee Kilgus (12.4 ppg), Taylor Geer (11.9 ppg) and Ella Marconi (10.7 ppg) lead a solid group in a program that’s used to doing what it’s done all year long: win. The mid-season return of the reigning PAC Player of the Year, Jenna Lafko, who missed the first three games due to injury, bolsters an already talented roster.
First game: Home vs. #8 Waynesburg/#9 Thiel winner 6 pm Monday
#2 WASHINGTON & JEFFERSON (6-0)
It’s plain and simple: the Presidents lock down their opponents. No team has scored more than 58 points against them this season, and that high mark came against Bethany in the very first game of the season. W&J has allowed fewer than 46 points in a third of their games. You also can’t look past their 3rd-ranked offense that’s made them the team with the highest scoring margin in the PAC (+29.7). Look for Alie Seto (16.8 ppg) and Maria Lawhorne (12.3 ppg & 9.0 rebounds per game) to continue to be difference makers in the tournament, as they’ve been all season. A healthy Lauren Gilbert (10.8 ppg), who missed W&J’s tournament run to the PAC championship game a season ago, adds firepower to a well-rounded squad.
First game: Home vs. #7 Bethany/#10 Franciscan winner 7 pm Monday
#3 GROVE CITY (7-1)
Intentional. Hungry. Overcomer.
That’s been the philosophy all year for the Wolverines, with extra emphasis on “overcomer” considering all the uncertainty surrounding the season this year.
Grove City overcame their opponent in every game but one this season and when you look at the numbers, it’s easy to see why. They boast the top-ranked offense in the PAC, scoring 82.5 points per game on average. They only allow 55.3 points per game on average and they also take care of the ball better than any other team in the conference (+9.88 TO margin).
The catalyst for their offensive success? Jess Bowen, who’s looking to repeat as a PAC champion in her senior season.
“She’s a threat from the inside, from the outside, she can drive. She gets a lot of points off of her defense and she’s a great leader,” said head coach Chelle Fuss. “She elevates others to play well and she’s just a really good, potent, basketball player and an even better person. I think a lot goes on in the locker room with her of just how much the team loves her and how close the team is because of her.”
The experience goes beyond just Bowen as the Wolverines have eight “been there, done that” seniors to lean on.
First game: Home vs. #6 Geneva 7 pm Monday
#4 WESTMINSTER (5-4)
There may not be a team more representative of their place in the standings than the Titans. Outside of a loss to Chatham on the road, they’ve taken care of business against every team below them in the standings but fell short against Grove City, W&J, Saint Vincent ahead of them. They’ve also won every game at home (4-0). If you dig into the numbers further, Westminster ranks right around the #4 mark in the conference in most categories, with an uptick in defensive rebounding (2nd in PAC). How could Westminster play above expectations in the tournament? Look to their star in Natalie Murrio who’s averaging 17.1 points per game and is the PAC’s third-highest scorer.
First game: Home vs #5 Chatham 6:30 pm Monday (on PACSN)
#5 CHATHAM (4-4)
The record is a bit deceiving, as the Cougars are coming in hot to the PAC Tournament winners of three straight games despite a matchup with W&J being cancelled along the way. Chatham showed off a dominant performance over Thiel on Monday (60-37 win) that they’ll look to gain momentum from heading into their first tournament matchup against Westminster. Kaitlyn Fertig is exciting to watch as she leads the Cougars in scoring and is part of a trio of PAC scorers averaging over 17 points per game (17.6).
First game: @ #4 Westminster 6:30 pm Monday (on PACSN)
#6 GENEVA (4-5)
The Golden Tornadoes can score. They showed that by scoring 101 points with a new program best for 3-pointers in a game (21) against Thiel to finish the regular season and by finishing 4th in the PAC in points per game (73.4). They lead the conference in 3-point field goals made and offensive rebounding. So if they can get in a rhythm and do what they’re capable of with the ball, they can make some noise in the tournament. But, they’ll have to shore up their defense that’s allowed the most points per game on average than anyone else in the PAC (78.3 ppg allowed). Individually, senior Lauren Tipton (12.4 ppg) is one of the top post players in the PAC and this season has a better supporting cast around her as Geneva continues to show improvement under second-year head coach Michael Grinder.
First game: @ #3 Grove City 7 pm Monday
#7 BETHANY (4-5)
It was largely a season of highs and lows for the Bison, with a couple of 2-game losing streaks and a 2-game winning streak along the way. Bethany’s 32.1% shooting percentage from the floor ranks 3rd in the conference and they aren’t afraid to shoot the 3 ball as well. Freshman Makenzee Mason (14.7 ppg) is a Rookie of the Year candidate and fellow freshman Nikki Bradbury (9.1 ppg) poured in a career-high 23 points against Franciscan in the season opener. This team also leads the conference in free throw shooting (74.7%) which could come in handy if they get into a tight game and need to protect a late lead.
First game: Home vs. #10 Franciscan 11:30 am Saturday (on PACSN)
#8 WAYNEBURG (2-7)
The Yellow Jackets feature a quality 1-2 punch with Andrea Orlosky (16.1 ppg) and Brooke Fuller (13.3 ppg). Orlosky is the PAC’s top rebounder as well, the only player to average more than 10 boards per game (12). Waynesburg was winless through the first seven games but found themselves against Thiel and Franciscan to end the regular season. They’ll look to carry that momentum into their first round matchup against Thiel.
First game: Home vs. #9 Thiel 12 pm Saturday
#9 THIEL (1-7)
The Tomcats have been hampered by an offense that has struggled to score consistently, ranking toward the bottom of the league. In their win against Franciscan, Destiny Johnson put together one of the most impressive performances of any player across the conference this season with 16 points and 16 rebounds.
First game: @ #8 Waynesburg 12 pm Saturday
#10 FRANCISCAN (1-8)
The Barons are just getting their PAC-feet underneath them and had to do it in an odd, COVID-impacted season. This is a very young team featuring six freshmen and three sophomores, so there’s plenty of room and opportunity to grow from here.
First game: @ #7 Bethany 11:30 am Saturday (on PACSN)
