NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team opened its 2009-10 season Monday night with a 65-60 loss at home against Mount Union in non-conference action. This marked the first time since 1990-91 that Westminster opened its season with a home game.
Senior guard Amy Dolsak (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) led the Titans with 19 points and five rebounds, while junior point guard Kaitlin McCarthy (Lowellville, Ohio/Lowellville) bucketed 12 points. Sophomore forward Emily Dolsak (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) tied her sister with a team-high five rebounds to go with eight points.
Senior guard Tessa Pohovey led Mount Union (1-0) with a game-high 20 points on 6-10 shooting. Pohovey hit a 3-pointer with 2:08 left and Mount Union finished the game on a 7-2 run. Lauren Forquer also scored 10 of her 12 points from foul line including two in the final seconds to ice the win for Mount Union.
Neither team led by more than five points in the first half as the Titans held a 30-29 halftime lead. That continued in the second half until McCarthy knocked down a pair of free throws give Westminster a 49-42 lead with just under 13 minutes remaining. That would be Westminster's largest lead as the Purple Raiders erased that lead and tied the game at 54-54 with 6:23 remaining following a Forquer jumper and two Pohovey free throws.
The Titans never lead again, although they tied the game at 58-58 with 3:45 to go before Pohovey nailed the 3-pointer that ignited Mount Union's late run.
Amy Dolsak had a chance to tie the game for Westminster with 24 seconds left but her 3-pointer was off mark.
The Titans shot 41.7 percent (20-48) from the field and 26.7 percent (4-15) from 3-points range, compared to Mount Union at 31.7 percent (19-60) and 29.4 percent (5-17), respectively.
Mount Union held the advantage in rebounds, 41-35, and it committed fewer turnovers, 24-19, than the Titans.
Westminster (0-1) returns to action when it plays in a weekend tournament hosted by Washington & Jefferson, beginning with a game vs. Albion on Friday at 6 p.m.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is a top tier liberal arts college and a national leader in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America's Best Colleges. Westminster ranked third among liberal arts colleges in social mobility, according to the Washington Monthly College Guide, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of "The Best 371 Colleges" and "Best in the Northeast" by The Princeton Review, and is named to the President's Honor Roll for excellence in service learning.
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. Visit www.westminster.edu/advantage to view "Advantage: Westminster" A Strategic Plan 2010-2020.
