PITTSBURGH, Pa. - The Westminster College men's basketball team won its first game of the season Sunday evening with a 92-89 overtime win at La Roche College in non-conference action.
The Titans (1-3) mounted a 27-point, 47-20 point lead with 3:57 remaining in the first half only to watch the Redhawks (1-3) go on a remarkable 27-0 run to tie the game at 47-47 with 16:36 left in the second half.
La Roche took its first lead of second half with just under 12 minutes remaining and led by as many as five points (62-57) with nine minutes to go. La Roche's Stacy Grady sent the game to overtime on a field goal with just two seconds remaining in the game.
The Redhawks then went up by four points in the overtime period, but a 3-pointer by senior guard/forward Dom Joseph (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) and four made free throws by senior guard Greg Rosatelli (Clinton, Pa./Hopewell) brought the Titans back into the game and secured the win.
Senior guard Nick Adams (Huntsburg, Ohio/Cardinal) paced Westminster with 21 points on 7-of-15 shooting from the floor, including 6-of-9 from 3-point range.
Rosatelli netted 19 points, followed by freshman forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) with 14, junior forward Chauncey Whitlow (Youngstown, Ohio/Woodrow Wilson) with 13 and Joseph with 11.
Grady led the Redhawks with a game-high 30 points as one of four La Roche players to score in double figures.
Westminster returns to action Saturday, Dec. 2, when the Titans travel to Geneva for a non-conference game beginning at 7:30 p.m.
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.
