SV grad Montrose part of 'Cats' PAC title run
LATROBE — Seneca Valley graduate and Saint Vincent women's junior basketball forward Paige Montrose has proven to be one of the most dynamic players in the Presidents' Athletic Conference.
She helped the Bearcats to their first-ever conference championship this season.
“Paige has been a true blessing. She's the exact kind of player you want in your program,” Saint Vincent women's basketball coach Jimmy Petruska said. “She always strives to get better, great with her academics. There are only a few players who fight like she does.”
The Bearcats defeated Washington & Jefferson, 70-48, recently to earn their first PAC title, which also earned the team a spot in the NCAA national tournament for the first time since 2011 and just the third time in school history. Saint Vincent currently sits with a 23-4 overall record, 15-1 in conference.
Montrose is fourth on the team in scoring this season with 210 points in 26 games played, while being first on the team in rebounds with 143 and first in steals with 67. The Bearcats are riding a seven-game winning streak.
“It was one of the best moments of my basketball career,” Montrose said on winning the conference championship.
The junior is three years removed from Seneca Valley, where she was a three-sport athlete in basketball, soccer, and track. Montrose earned second team All-Section honors in basketball.
“My first year was rough, new system, new players,” Montrose said on her transition to college play. “In high school, I was used to who I was playing with, then I had new teammates and the girls were bigger and better.”
Montrose said she had no trouble getting to know her new teammates and has been able to grow with them as she was part of a six-player freshman class.
“We have become very cohesive on the court,” Montrose said. “We were a young team when I came in and we knew we'd have a few years to grow and learn from each other.”
“They seem to grow better every day,” Petruska said. “You gotta give credit to the athletes, they're the ones on the floor, in the weight room. I'm very proud of this group.”
With its conference championship win, Saint Vincent earned a date in the Division III national tournament with a familiar opponent in Thomas More University. The Saints reside in the American Collegiate Athletic Association after spending years in the PAC with the Bearcats.
“We are very excited,” Petruska said. “One of our season goals was to get into the national tourney and a chance to compete with 63 other teams.
“Thomas More is a familiar foe, we respect them and their accomplishments. They are riding a perfect season, I respect their head coach, but we do not fear them at all.”
Earlier in the season, the Saints defeated Saint Vincent 82-46. They went on to defeat the Bearcats, 79-54, in the national tourney last weekend in Crestview Hills, Ky.
