NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team edged Mount Union, 61-58, in non-conference action at the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium Saturday afternoon.
The Titans (7-2) went on a 7-0 run after facing a 54-50 deficit with 5:39 remaining in the game. The Purple Raiders (5-6) came within one point on two occasions in the final four minutes. After Westminster freshman guard Kaitlin McCarthy (Lowellville, Ohio/Lowellville) knocked down a pair of free throws with 21 seconds remaining, Mount Union's Katie Crider missed a game-tying 3-pointer just before the buzzer.
Senior guard/forward Emilee Ackerman (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) led Westminster with a game-high 20 points, including 10-13 shooting from the free-throw line while also grabbing a team-high eight rebounds. Sophomore center Rachel Martinko (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) and junior guard Gina Brunetti (Canfield, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) also scored 10 points apiece, while McCarthy tied a career-high with nine points.
Ashley Ross and Tessa Pohovey led Mount Union with 15 points each. The Purple Raiders shot 40 percent (22-55) from the field, while the Titans shot 37.7 percent (20-53).
The Titans led by as many 14 points in the first half before holding a 37-31 lead at halftime. Mount Union took the lead by beginning the second half on an 8-0 run. Westminster would retake the lead once before making its 7-0 run late in the game.
Westminster returns to action for a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game at home vs. Washington & Jefferson on Saturday, Jan. 5, for a 2 p.m. start.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked 15th among liberal arts colleges, according to the Washington Monthly 2007 Annual College Guide. Westminster is a national leader 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 366 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 undergraduate and graduate students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty while choosing from 41 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa., campus.
