CRESTVIEW HILLS, Ky. - Sophomore guard Doug Smith (South Park, Pa./South Park) scored a game-high 23 points for the Westminster College men's basketball team, including a 3-pointer with 24 seconds left, but the Titans lost 79-77 at Thomas More Saturday.
The Titans lose their sixth straight game, and their 12th straight on the road, to fall to 1-7 on the season and 0-3 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The Saints remain in first place in the PAC with a 4-2 overall record and a 2-0 conference mark.
Smith shot 8-14 from the floor including 5-8 from 3-point range. The Titans outshot the Saints, 45.9 percent (28-61) to 41.2 percent (28-68).
Junior forward Steve Cress (Mars, Pa./Mars) scored 14 points and sophomore forward Adam Carswell (Painesville, Ohio/Notre Dame Cathedral Latin) bucketed a season-high 10 points for the Titans.
Freshman guard Anthony Thomas (New Castle, Pa./Union) dished out a game-high six assists to go with nine points for Westminster, while junior forward Rob Briggs (Saxonburg, Pa./Knoch) pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds to go with seven points.
Five Saints scored in double figures led by Willis Fleming with 18 points. Spencer Berlekamp, Ross Renken and Todd Krohman each scored 11 and Colt Stafford sank 10 for the Saints.
Thomas More led the first 26 minutes of the game, including a 42-41 halftime lead, but the Saints' largest lead was only eight points. The Titans made a run to go up by six points at 61-55 with a Smith 3-pointer, but the Saints answered with an 11-0 run that wasn't stopped until Smith bucketed another 3-pointer.
Westminster's last lead came with 5:37 remaining. The Titans tied the game with 2:53 left, only to allow the Saints to establish a five-point, 77-72 lead with 33 seconds remaining. Smith hit a 3-pointer to cut the deficit to two points, but Thomas More knocked down a pair of free throws and the Titans missed a couple 3-pointers before settling for a two-point score with four seconds left and the Saints prevailed.
Westminster is off next week for final examinations before returning to Kentucky for the Transylvania Holiday Tournament, beginning with a first-round game vs. Piedmont on Dec. 20 at 5:30 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, a national leader in graduation rate performance, and a "Great School, Great Price," according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster ranked 38th among liberal arts colleges, 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 373 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.
