GREENVILLE, Pa. - The first-place Westminster College women's basketball team had no problem dispatching Thiel, 73-41, on the road Wednesday night in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.
The Titans (13-4, 5-1 PAC) smothered Thiel (6-11, 1-5 PAC) by inducing the Tomcats into a paltry 20.0 (13-65) shooting percentage, which included 13.9 percent (5-36) in the second half.
Junior guard/forward Emilee Ackerman (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) led the Titans with a game-high 22 points and a career-high 13 rebounds for her third career double-double and her eighth career 20-point game (second this season). A dozen of Ackerman's points came from the free-throw line as she made 12 of 14 from the charity stripe.
Freshman center Rachel Martinko (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) also had a career game with a personal-best 13 points to go with seven rebounds, the second most of her career.
Senior guards Nicole Fee (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) and Desiree Sterling (Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls) netted 11 and 10 points, respectively, to round out four Titan double-figure scorers.
Diana Schell led the Tomcats with 11 points.
Thiel led by nine points halfway through the first half before Westminster went on a 19-2 run covering seven minutes. The Titans, with a four-point, 27-23 lead at halftime, surged ahead from there by outscoring the Tomcats 46-18 in the second half.
Westminster returns to PAC action Saturday at Washington & Jefferson for a 4 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.
