CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - Turnovers were costly for the Westminster College men's basketball team in its 82-65 loss at Thomas More in Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) action on Saturday. The Titans fall to 6-14 overall and 2-6 in the PAC, while the defending-PAC champion Saints improve to 14-5 overall and 6-2 in the league.
Westminster committed a season-high 30 turnovers, eight more than its previous season high marking only the fourth time this season that the Titans turned the ball over 20 or more times in a game. Thomas More scored 31 of its 82 points off of those turnovers.
Senior forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) led the Titans in scoring for the 11th time in the last 12 games with 14 points on 6-9 shooting. Murray was one of four players to post a team-high five rebounds, while he also committed a team-high six turnovers and registered a team-best five steals.
Sophomore guard Anthony DeFelice (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary) scored in double figures for the second time this season for Westminster with 13 points. Sophomore forward Steve Cress (Mars, Pa./Mars) also bucketed 11 points for the Titans.
Three Saints scored in double figures led by Daniel McKeehan with a game-high 17 points and seven rebounds. Aaron Miller tossed in 14 points, followed by Brian Muse with 13 and Daniel Neeley with 11.
Westminster led most of the first half, including an 18-10 gap followed by three other occasions with seven-point leads. Thomas More went on an 11-2 run to end the first half to take a 42-37 lead at halftime.
Thomas More gradually distanced itself from Westminster by taking its first double-digit lead with 14:00 remaining at 57-46. The Titans were within nine at 67-58 with 7:36 to go, but the Saints went up by 20 points less than four minutes later thanks to an 11-0 run that peaked at 12-0 when the Saints led 79-58 with 2:37 remaining.
Westminster returns home to host Waynesburg on Wednesday at 8 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.
