NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team either tied or led Thiel virtually the entire game, but the Titans needed overtime to put away the visiting Tomcats, 56-54, Wednesday night in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action.
Westminster (5-8, 4-2 PAC) trailed Thiel (4-9, 1-5 PAC) twice early in the first half by scores of 3-2 and 5-4. The Titans then pushed the lead to an eight-point gap in the second half on three occasions, including 47-39 with 6:07 left in regulation.
Thiel ended regulation on a 9-1 run, including Rianne Thornton's lay-up with 19 seconds left. In overtime, Westminster led by as many as four points and never tied or trailed Thiel. Freshman forward Andi Ridge (North Tonawanda, N.Y./Starpoint) hit the only field goal for the Titans in the extra frame, a jumper with 1:34 left that put Westminster up 54-50, while they also sank 6 of 7 from the free-throw line in overtime.
Westminster sophomore forward Emily Dolsak (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) scored a game- and season-high 17 points, one shy of her career high, as she made 7 of 14 from the field while pulling down 10 rebounds for her second career double-double.
Other notables for the Titans included freshman guard/forward Sam Higgins (McMurray, Pa./Peters Township) with eight points and a career high-tying 10 rebounds, and senior guard Amy Dolsak (McDonald, Ohio/McDonald) snaring a game-high 11 rebounds to go with seven points.
Kelly Barzak led the Tomcats with 15 points and six rebounds, while setting a new school single-game record with nine blocks. Ashley Davis also bucketed 15 points to go with five rebounds.
Westminster shot a season-low 25.4 percent (18-71) and Thiel shot 39.2 percent (20-51). The Titans, the top rebounding team in the PAC, held a 50-37 rebound advantage against Thiel, the worst rebounding team in the league.
The Titans host Geneva Saturday at 2 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.
