NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Despite 20 points from junior guard Anthony Thomas (New Castle, Pa./Union), the Westminster College men's basketball team dropped its Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) opener to visiting Saint Vincent, 79-66, Wednesday night at the Buzz Ridl Gymnasium. The Titans lost their fourth straight to fall to 1-4 on the year and 0-1 in the PAC, while Saint Vincent improved to 5-1 overall and 1-0 in the PAC.
Thomas shot 8-14 from the floor for his fifth 20-point game of his career and his second of the season.
Junior guard Doug Smith (South Park, Pa./South Park) made three 3-pointers before finishing with 15 points for Westminster.
Junior forward Adam Carswell (Painesville, Ohio/Norte Dame Cathedral Latin) and sophomore guard Ben Donlow (Poland, Ohio/Poland Seminary) each posted six points and a team-high seven rebounds for the Titans. Carswell also posted three blocks, two assists and a steal.
Dennis Bassich led Saint Vincent with 25 points on 10-18 shooting including 5-10 from 3-point range. Isaac Turner, Tauvon Pettiford and Ed Wright scored 15, 13, and 12 points, respectively, to round out Saint Vincent's double-figure scorers.
Saint Vincent led by 12 at halftime and by as many as 17 midway through the second half. The Titans could only narrow the margin down to eight in the second half.
Westminster travels to Waynesburg Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
About Westminster College...
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College ranks first in the nation as "Best College for Women in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math," according to Forbes.com. Westminster, a top-tier liberal arts college, ranks third in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Best Colleges guide. Westminster ranked 6th 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 376 Colleges" 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 42 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.
