New crop of players, new style of play have Saint Vincent women’s basketball team trending in right direction
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Even a coach who has been on the bench for 15 seasons doesn’t know everything. So no one could blame Saint Vincent women’s basketball coach Jimmy Petruska if he wasn’t sure what to expect from his 2024-25 group.
The previous team, which had gone 11-9 in the Presidents’ Athletic Conference and was eliminated in its playoff opener, graduated a number of players who were major contributors, including four starters. Taking their place would be a junior- and sophomore-heavy group that, in large part, lacked polish.
Injuries had something to do with that, as several players — including center Camden Bashor, guard/forward Makenna Maier and guard Jillian Mannarino — missed chunks of last season with various aches and pains.
But through their first 13 games, the Bearcats appeared to be coming together nicely and serving notice that they will be a tough out. After Wednesday’s win over Bethany, which was the team that knocked SVC out of the PAC tournament last season, Saint Vincent was 6-2 in the PAC, 7-6 overall.
“In November, we were still trying to find rotations,” Petruska said. “When you have players who look good in practice, you have to make sure that can transfer to the game. I think the discipline and IQ in what we’re trying to accomplish, it’s just seeing the growth in the team.”
One certainty entering the season was senior Emily Thompson. A 5-foot-10 swing player who has started every game since her sophomore season, Thompson has been a rock for Petruska. After averaging 10.5 points and 4.2 rebounds last season, Thompson is right on pace with those numbers this season through 13 games: 10.8 points, 4.2 rebounds.
In short, Petruska knows exactly what he will get from the Erie native.
“She’s all heart,” Petruska said. “She always puts the team first, and whatever is best for the team is the standard.”
Added Thompson: “At the start of the season, I put a lot of pressure on myself because I felt I had a lot more responsibility. … I’ve always led by, I believe, actions. But this year, I’ve had the chance to step up a lot more verbally.
“Actions, attitude and energy have always been the way I like to lead because I think it’s catching, and people like to catch onto that.”
Something else that has caught on for the Bearcats is a more up-tempo style. In the past, Petruska said, he has had a lot of post-centric teams that were content to play half-court basketball. Now, with some more athletic players, he has opened up his attack, and the Bearcats are averaging seven more points than last season and 11 more than three seasons ago.
“I like it a lot, and I think the players like it a lot,” Thompson said about the new style. “For the past 21⁄2 years, we’ve been post-dominant. You just kind of get used to some things. But running the ball down the floor … we’re just playing basketball.
“The game is fun anyway, but just getting out on the floor and beating teams down the floor is a lot more fun, and we have a lot of girls who can do it.”
Two players who have benefited greatly from the faster-paced offense are Bashor and Maier. Both have length — Bashor 6-2 and Maier 5-10 — but they also are athletic and capable of getting up and down the floor. Bashor is averaging 10.1 points and Maier 12.9. Maier’s scoring average is triple what it was last season.
Running the show is sophomore point guard Danielle Pontius. After seeing limited minutes last season, she has slid seamlessly into the starting lineup, averaging 5.2 points — making nearly 40% of her 3-point shots — and handing out 35 assists.
And when Pontius isn’t running the offense, it’s freshman Brooke Evans. The 5-9 guard from McKeesport has come off the bench in each game, but she leads the team in assists (43) and steals (19) and, with her length, is second on the team in rebounding at 5.3 per game.
“I think she’s a matchup problem for a lot of teams,” Petruska said. “She’s a 5-9 point guard that has a very strong build. She’s very quick. She also can create a lot of offense. Probably one of the best guards I have had in a long time as a freshman at knowing the game at a high level.”
Added Thompson: “As a freshman, I’ve been extremely impressed. She handles the ball great, and I think she has great shot selection. She attacks the rim really well, and she does a good job of controlling the tempo.”
Reese Gadsby, a 5-8 junior guard, also has upped her numbers, averaging 7.6 points in 20 minutes per game. Mannarino, a junior, and sophomore guard Ashley Lippold provide 5 points per game each off the bench, giving the Bearcats plenty of scoring options.
And they likely will need all of them if they hope to contend for a PAC championship. Saint Vincent was picked to finish fifth in the PAC. Whereas W&J appears to have separated itself from the competition in the early part of the conference schedule, the rest of the race figures to be wide open.
The Bearcats were humbled by the Presidents in their first meeting this season, and they will meet again Feb. 8 in Unity.
By that time, any uncertainty that hung over the Bearcats’ season should have dissipated. Thompson, one of only two seniors on the roster, is confident this group can send her out with a PAC championship.
“Obviously, there’s things to work on, and there’s a lot of season left, a lot of games to be played,” she said. “But I do feel like the arrow is up, and we’re heading in the right direction.”