NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College men's basketball team is now a half-game out of first place in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) after sending Thiel home, 80-63, with the Tomcats' sixth straight loss in New Wilmington on Wednesday night.
Westminster improves to 3-12 overall and 3-2 for a third-place tie in the league and a half game behind Bethany (3-1) and Thomas More (4-2). The Titans host Bethany on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Six-foot-five Freshman center Mike Pratkanis (Butler, Pa./Butler) scored a career-high 17 points on 7-14 shooting from the floor to lead Westminster. This is the first time that Pratkanis has led the team in scoring for a game. Westminster's other center, 6-8 junior Steve Bielich (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park), bucketed 16 points including 6-7 shooting from the floor and 3-3 shooting from 3-point range.
While Pratkanis and Bielich accounted for three rebounds apiece, junior forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) raked in a game-high seven rebounds to go with nine points, a game-high six steals and a game-high-tying five assists.
Senior guard David Richards (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) equaled Murray's game-high five assists. Richards bucketed 11 points and notched three steals.
Brandon Mirizio led Thiel (1-13, 0-5 PAC) with 16 points, followed by Sean Devinney with 11 points.
Westminster shot 50 percent (30-60) from the floor including a sizzling 47.4 percent (9-19) shooting from 3-point range. Thiel shot 44.4 percent (24-54) and 27.3 percent (3-11) from long range.
Thiel also committed 22 turnovers to Westminster's 15.
Westminster led the entire game, including an 18-3 lead to start the first half. After holding a 34-23 halftime lead, the Titans allowed Thiel to cut the lead to nine points on two occasions in the second half, but had firm control of the game including the largest margin of 19 points with 18:25 to go and 18 points with 54 seconds left.
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.
