GREENVILLE, Pa. - The Westminster College men's basketball team ran into a red-hot Thiel team on Saturday, losing 88-78 on the road in a Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) game. The Titans fall to 7-16 on the season and 3-8 in the PAC, while Thiel (14-9, 7-4 PAC) ties a school record by winning its eighth straight game, its longest winning streak since 1939-40.
Westminster senior forward Ryne Murray (Pittsburgh, Pa./Upper St. Clair) posted his fifth double-double of the season with 30 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. His 30 points mark his third 30-point game of the season and the sixth of his career. Murray shot 9-14 from the field, including 8-11 from 3-point range. His eight 3-pointers are a career high and they are tied for the fifth-most in school history, tying 11 other instances (the school record is 11).
Murray moved into sole possession of ninth place on Westminster's career scoring list with 1,469 points, surpassing Dave Rankin's 1,439 points from 1955-59.
Also during the game, Murray posted a game-high five steals and a team high-tying three assists.
Three other Titans scored in double figures, including freshman guard Ron Martino (Youngstown, Ohio/Cardinal Mooney) with 15 points to go with a team high-tying three assists, senior center Steve Bielich (Bethel Park, Pa./Bethel Park) with 12 points and freshman guard Reuben King (Tarentum, Pa./Highlands) with 10 points, the second-highest output of his career.
Only two Tomcats scored in double figures, but they were huge totals with Sean Devinney scoring 30 points and Blair Rozenblad bucketing 27 to go with a team-high 11 rebounds.
Thiel led most of the first half, but not by more than nine points and Westminster's only lead was a 4-3 margin in the opening minutes.
After leading 46-39 at halftime, Thiel went on an 8-2 run to start the second half and took a 13-point, 54-41 lead. The Tomcats would lead by as many as 14 points and the Titans could only cut the gap to eight points on two occasions.
Westminster travels to Geneva 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.
