GREENVILLE, Pa. – Kelly Barzak (Warren, OH/Howland) scored a season-high 24 points and Kelly Muffley (Salsburg, Pa./Western Reserve Academy) scored 23 points to lead the Thiel College women's basketball team to a 78-58 victory over Geneva College in the PAC opener for both teams Wednesday at Beeghly Gymnasium.
 
The Tomcats (1-0 PAC, 2-4 overall) never trailed in the contest. Barzak scored her first bucket six seconds into the first half, and Muffley hit her first of five three-pointers at the 18:24 mark to extend Thiel's lead to 5-0.
 
The Tomcats took their first double digit lead (19-9) with 11:52 left to play in the first half when Barzak scored two points on a layup. Thiel led by 23 points at the half, 47-28.
 
Thiel's largest lead of the game, 30 points, came with 11:07 left in the contest when Jaclyn Watkins (Aliquippa, Pa./Aliquippa) scored on a layup.
 
Barzak, who made 11-of-13 shots from the floor, led the Tomcats with 24 points. She also contributed eight rebounds and three steals. Muffley scored 23 points to go along with five assists and four steals.
 
Guard Riian McCray (Dayton, Ohio/Trotwood-Madison) recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. She also handed out four assists and grabbed three steals. Freshman guard Kayla Welty (Portville, N.Y./Portville ) also reached double figures with 10 points.
 
Leah Prisuta paced Geneva with 19 points while Heidi Mann and Chelsea D'Urso recorded 12 and 10 points, respectively.
 
Thiel will be back in action Saturday when they host W&J at 2 p.m.