NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Senior guard Desiree Sterling scored a career-high 32 points as she led the Westminster College women's basketball team to a 58-53 non-conference win over visiting College of Wooster Saturday at the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.
Sterling (Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls), whose previous career best was 26 points achieved twice last season, moved up two spots on the Westminster women's basketball alltime scoring list as she is now ranked fourth in school history with 1,074 career points, 213 points shy of alltime leader Robin Thayer (1998-2002) with 1,287 points.
The Titans (2-2) led 25-17 at the half as the Fighting Scots (2-1) shot just 17.9 percent (8-25) in the first half. Westminster led by as many as 11 points (34-23 with 14:55 remaining) in the second half before Wooster came back and took a three-point, 49-46 lead with four minutes remaining.
The decisive bucket came with 1:26 remaining when senior guard Nicole Fee (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) drained a 17-foot jumper from the left wing on an assist from Sterling to give the Titans a three-point, 54-51 lead that Westminster protected down the stretch.
Senior forward Talley Felger (Petersburg, Ohio/Springfield Local) also hit two of her eight points on a field goal with 24 seconds left to give the Titans a four-point, 57-53 lead. Felger snared a game-high 10 rebounds as the Titans out-rebounded the Fighting Scots, 48-38.
Westminster shot 34.5 percent (19-55) for the game compared to Wooster's 33.3 percent (20-60). Sterling finished shooting 9 for 13 from the field, including 5 of 7 from 3-point range, while also registering three steals and eight rebounds.
Senior forward Carly Leohrke led the Fighting Scots with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
Westminster returns to action Wednesday, Nov. 29, at Mount Union for a 7 p.m. tip-off.
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked among national leaders in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 361 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and was recognized by the Templeton Guide as a "Character Building College."
Nearly 1,600 students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty, while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa. campus.
