GENEVA, Pa. – Lady Baron basketball ended 2014 on a high note by rattling off its fourth consecutive win, beating non-conference opponent Geneva College 61-44 at Geneva.

"Today was a good win for us, coming off of the break," head women's basketball coach Suzy Delaney said. "We saw some good things and some things to work on."

The Lady Barons played well offensively in the first half, opening the game with a 13-0 run over the first five minutes and never looking back. Sophomore guard Iliana Gonzales opened the scoring with a jump shot on her way to being the team's leading scorer with 17 points. Senior forward Lacey Huck also was a key contributor offensively, finishing with 14 points and also adding nine rebounds.

"Lacey and Iliana both played like the veterans we expect them to be with efficient offensive games," Delaney said.

Those early offensive opportunities came as a result of junior guard/forward Stephanie Pahren's outstanding defensive effort. The first-year player grabbed 12 out of her 14 rebounds on the defensive glass, adding eight points offensively and also three assists.

Pahren was also able to hold Geneva's most potent scorer, junior Heidi Mann, to just 10 points on the night, five points below her season average.

"Stephanie really gave us a lift on defense," Delaney said.

Led by the example of Pahren, the team's defense was stifling, holding Geneva to just 44 points while shooting .292 percent from the field. Both statistics, points scored and shooting percentage, represent season-lows for the Lady Barons' opponents.

The Lady Barons were also able to come away with 15 steals, continuing a trend from previous games by disrupting opposing offenses with aggressive plays on the ball.

"Our defensive effort was pretty consistent all game," Delaney said. "I was glad to see each of our starters with two or three steals."

After starting the season with four straight losses, the win brings the Lady Barons to the .500 mark to end the calendar year with a record of 4-4. The team has been able to make improvements over previous years, noted by non-conference wins against Wooster and Geneva, programs that are generally tough to beat.

Delaney said that her team looks forward to the challenge that a tall Carnegie Mellon team will bring as they look to improve on a 50-point defeat from the previous year.

The Lady Barons will kick off the 2015 part of their schedule at home against non-conference opponent Carnegie Mellon January 3 at 6 pm.