GROVE CITY, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team easily dispatched Grove City, 71-39, Wednesday night in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action at the Grove City College Arena.
With the win the Titans improve their record to 17-5 and 7-2 in the PAC, as they become just the fifth team in the program's 36-year history to register 17 wins in a season, joining the 1988 (18-8), 1989 (19-4), 1996 (17-10) and 2005 (21-8) teams.
Senior guard Desiree Sterling (Newton Falls, Ohio/Newton Falls) led the Titans' balanced scoring attack with 12 points, including 5-of-9 shooting from the field and 2-of-2 from 3-point range.
Three other Titans scored in double figures, including junior guard/forward Emilee Ackerman (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) and freshman Rachel Martinko (Greensburg, Pa./Hempfield) with 11 points apiece. Senior guard Rachel Eaton (Rimersburg, Pa./Union) tied a season high with 10 points.
Martinko snared a game-high nine rebounds as the Titans held a 49-26 rebounding advantage.
The Titans shot 50 percent (28-56) from the field and 57.1 percent (4-7) from behind the arc Westminster's smothering defense limited the Wolverines (5-16, 2-8 PAC) to a mere 25.4 shooting percentage (15-59) from the field and 9.5 percent (2-21) from 3-point range.
Grove City's Rachel McCoy led all scorers with 16 points.
The Titans trailed 11-9 early before going on a 27-5 run before halftime. After leading 38-18 at the break, Westminster would go up by as many as 36 points in the second half when it took a 59-23 lead with 11:36 left in the game.
Westminster returns to action Saturday, Feb. 10, when it hosts Waynesburg in PAC action at the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium beginning at 2 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.
