NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Junior forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) scored a career-high 30 points but the Westminster College men's basketball team saw a 12-point, second-half lead dissipate in an 89-81 loss to Grove City in overtime at home on Saturday.
Westminster falls to 0-8 on the season and 0-1 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC), while Grove City improves to 5-1 and 2-0 in league play.
Murray shot 11-20 from the field including 4-9 from 3-point range while leading the Titans with four assists and four steals. Three other Titans scored in double figures including junior center Steve Bielich (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) with 14 points, senior guard Bobby Glass (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) with 13 and sophomore guard Max Spinner (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton) with 11 markers.
Joe McCoy and Ryan Gibson paced the Wolverines with 22 points apiece including McCoy shooting 10-11 from the free-throw line. Gibson also led Grove City with seven rebounds.
Grove City held an early 16-7 lead before Westminster came back to lead by as many as 11 points in the first half and a 38-34 halftime advantage. The Titans held their largest lead of the game when Glass knocked down a 3-pointer to give Westminster a 12-point, 46-34 lead with 18:23 to go in the game.
After coming back to tie the game on two occasions, Grove City faced a six-point, 71-65 deficit with 4:34 on the clock. The Wolverines proceeded to score the final six points of regulation, while no team scored in regulation's final 1:50 including Gibson missing a jumper with seven seconds left.
In overtime, Andy O'Keefe's go-ahead field goal with 2:38 remaining put Grove City up for good as it outscored the Titans 18-10 in overtime.
Westminster returns to action Monday when it hosts Juniata in non-conference action at 7:30 p.m.
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 368 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.
