MEADVILLE, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team had its four-game winning streak snapped Tuesday night with a 73-66 loss at Allegheny in non-conference action.
The Titans (4-3) built a commanding 18-point, 36-18 lead with one minute remaining in the first half. The Gators (5-1) then went on a 21-4 run covering less than six minutes to draw within one point just 4:45 into the second half.
After yielding the lead to Allegheny on two occasions, Westminster went back up by as many as seven points when senior guard Desiree Sterling (Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls) drained a 3-pointer for three of her team-high 20 points with 7:24 remaining in the game.
Allegheny made another run and retook the lead for good with two minutes remaining when Jennifer Latronica hit a jumper and was foul in the act of shooting. She made the free throw to put the Gators up by one point as part of their nine straight points to end the game.
Katie Kestler led the Gators with a career-high 23 points as one of four Gators to score in double figures.
The Titans had four double-digit scorers. In addition to Sterling, junior guard/forward Emilee Ackerman (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) scored 15 points, while sophomore guard Gina Brunetti (Canfield, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) and junior forward Terese Marszalek (Monroeville, Pa./Gateway) bucketed 11 and 10 points, respectively.
Marszalek grabbed a team-high eight rebounds as the Titans out-rebounded the Gators, 35-23. Allegheny, however, shot 54 percent (27-50) from the field compared to Westminster's 45.5 percent (25-55).
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.
