GREENVILLE, Pa. - The Westminster College men's basketball team cruised to an 74-60 win at Thiel on Saturday afternoon in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.
The Titans improve their record to 8-15 overall and 7-4 in the PAC to move a half-game ahead of Washington & Jefferson for third place in the league. Thiel drops to 2-20 overall and 1-10 in the PAC.
Senior guard David Richards (New Castle, Pa./New Castle) and freshman forward Rob Briggs (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) led the Titans with 14 points apiece. Richards also dished out a game-high four assists. Senior guard Bobby Glass (New Castle, Pa./Neshannock) sank 13 points including 3-8 shooting from 3-point range.
Briggs and junior forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) led the Titans with seven rebounds. Murray, who played just two minutes in the first half, scored eight points.
Cory Chaffee led Thiel with 24 points, three assists and four steals. Keebo Dowe was the next-highest scorer for the Tomcats with nine points.
The key stretch in the game occurred when Westminster went on a 13-0 run between the 17:30 and 13:30 marks of the second half to take a 50-38 lead. The Titans later went up by 16 (57-41) at the 10-minute mark.
A pair of three-point plays put the game away as Richards was fouled while making a bucket. He sank the free throw to give Westminster an 18-point, 64-46 lead with 6:40 remaining. Sophomore guard Max Spinner (Boca Raton, Fla./Boca Raton) then sealed the game when he drained a 3-pointer from the corner to give Westminster a 21-point, 69-48 lead with 5:10 remaining. Spinner finished with nine points, all 3-7 shooting from 3-point range.
Westminster shot 44.0 percent (26-59) from the floor compared to Thiel at 37.0 percent (20-54). Thiel committed 19 turnovers to Westminster's 15.
The Titans will play their final PAC game of the season at second-place Bethany on Wednesday, Feb. 18, for an 8 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 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.
