WASHINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College men's basketball team fell 65-56 in overtime at Washington & Jefferson Wednesday night in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.
Sophomore forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) registered his 10th double-double of the season as he led Westminster with 16 points and a game-high 13 rebounds.
Albert Varacallo led Washington & Jefferson (8-12, 4-4 PAC) with 20 points to go with nine rebounds, while Josip Lucic-Jozak led the Presidents with 10 rebounds while also scoring 11 points.
The Titans (5-16, 3-6 PAC) held 14-point leads on four occasions in the first half before holding a 31-20 halftime lead. The Presidents went on a 12-2 run covering a four-minute stretch midway through the second half to cut Westminster's lead to two points (39-37), before W&J tied the game 45-45 with 6:05 left in regulation.
Varacallo hit a 3-pointer with 2:08 to go in regulation to draw W&J within one before knocking down a free throw to tie the game with 1:09 remaining. The game went to overtime after Westminster had possession with 15 seconds left in regulation and senior guard Craig Hannon (New Castle, Pa./Union) bounced out a leaning jumper at the top of the key.
Hannon, the team's leading scorer who needed 22 points to become Westminster's all-time leading scorer entering the game, scored just seven points and shot a season-low 13.3 percent (2-15) from the floor, including 2-10 from 3-point range.
In overtime, the Presidents' Matt Drakeley hit a 3-pointer to give W&J just its second lead of the game. W&J would later go up by as many as 11 points before outscoring the Titans 16-7 in overtime.
Other notable scorers for Westminster included senior guard/forward Chauncey Whitlow (Youngstown, Ohio/Woodrow Wilson) sinking 15 points, one shy of his season high and his 13th double-digit game of the year. Senior center Jake Zatchok (Berlin Center, Ohio/Western Reserve) also tied a career high with 10 points to go with nine rebounds.
Washington & Jefferson shot 35.9 percent (23-64) from the floor compared to Westminster at 34.0 percent (18-53). The Presidents also held a 42-37 rebounding advantage.
Westminster visits Waynesburg Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
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.
