NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team finished in a three-way tie for first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) after defeating fourth-place Bethany, 65-49, Saturday at the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium. With the win, the Titans (20-5, 10-2 PAC) secured their second 20-win season in school history joining the PAC champion and NCAA playoff team in 2005 that went 21-8.
Following the game, a coin flip was held to determine the top seed in next week's PAC tournament between Westminster and the other two first-place teams, Washington & Jefferson and Thomas More. Thomas More won the coin flip and it will receive a bye and host the semifinal and finals held Feb. 23-24. The Titans, the second seed, will host seventh-seeded Grove City Tuesday at 7 p.m..
Junior guard/forward Emilee Ackerman (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) led the Titans with 16 points and four assists, while senior guard Desiree Sterling (Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls) scored 12 points and sophomore guard Gina Brunetti (Canfield, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) bucketed 11 points. Senior forward Talley Felger (Petersburg, Ohio/Springfield Local) helped to Titans hold a 36-26 rebound advantage by pulling down a team-high seven boards.
Courtney Irwin led the Bison (8-17, 4-8 PAC) with 14 points. The Bison turned the ball over 32 times compared to the Titans with 23.
The score was tied 24-24 at halftime and Bethany led by twice in the second half (27-24 at 19:41 and 31-30 at 16:19) before Westminster went up by 11 points (45-34) after going on an 8-0 run covering four minutes. The Titans would lead by as many as 18 points (61-43 at 2:56) before securing the 16-point win.
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.
