Beaver Falls, PA - Close games are becoming something of the norm for the Geneva College men′s basketball team. The Golden Tornadoes have dropped six of their last eight games with four of those losses by four points or less. The trend of close games continued on Wednesday as did the trend of close game losses. Geneva dropped a 78-75 decision to first place Thiel in a game that saw Geneva lead for most of the night. The loss dropped Geneva to 5-16 overall including a 4-9 mark in the conference while Thiel improved to 15-6 and 12-2 in league play.
Geneva led for the entire first half with its biggest lead of ten points coming early in the first half. The Golden Tornadoes settled for a 43-36 lead at the break. The Golden Tornadoes quickly extended that lead and led by as many as 13 points at the 18:15 mark when Dave Phillips′ jumper pushed the advantage to 49-36. With Geneva holding an eight point lead at 55-47 with 14:17 to play in the second half, Thiel scored nine straight points in just over two minutes to quickly grab its first lead of the game at 56-55. Geneva managed to come back and twice take the lead the last of which came on a Lambros Svingos lay-up with 1:08 left in regulation to make the score 75-74. Thiel′s Devon Adams sank two free throws to give the Tomcats the lead with 41 seconds left to play. Geneva had two chances to score down the stretch but the last of which was blocked away by Thiel′s Blair Rozenblad that led to a pair of free throws from Anthony Harvey, who finished the game connecting on 14-15 from the line. Drew Santarsiero′s last second three-point attempt came up short and Thiel held of for a win to put an end to its modest two-game losing streak.
Geneva′s balanced scoring attack was led by Matt Lorello′s 20 points. Santarsiero and Phillips each scored 14 with Svingos posting ten points. Rozenblad led the Tomcat attack with 20 points on 8-13 shooting from the field and the game saving block in the final seconds.
Geneva maintained its spot in sixth place in the PAC standings thanks to a Westminster loss on Wednesday night. If the season were to end today, Geneva would face Saint Vincent College in a first round PAC match-up. The season, however, doesn′t end until next Saturday. The Golden Tornadoes have three conference games left including a road test at Saint Vincent on Saturday night. The Golden Tornadoes return to Metheny Fieldhouse on Monday night for a non-conference tilt with Penn State Beaver. Geneva closes out the conference schedule at Washington & Jefferson and home against Westminster next Saturday night.
Geneva College is a comprehensive Christian college of the arts, sciences and professional studies. Founded in the tradition of the Reformed Christian faith, Geneva prepares students to serve Christ in all areas of society: work, family and the church. Geneva College′s philosophy of education is based on the Foundational Concepts of Christian Higher Education.
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