NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team came out of the gates shooting 53.8% from the floor and 67% from beyond the arc in the first half. Junior Jenn Cantella (Freedom, PA / Freedom) finished off the Waynesburg Yellow Jackets as time expired in regulation with a jumper to win it 68-66. The Titans improved to 5-12 overall, with all of their wins coming in conference play (5-6 PAC). The Yellow Jackets fell to 13-5 overall and 8-3 in the President's Athletic Conference (PAC).
Westminster started the game with a three-pointer from sophomore Gabby Holko (Pittsburgh, PA / Mount Alvernia), and held the lead until 12:04 left in the second half. The Titans shot a solid 48% (24-for-50) from the field in the game, and 47% (7-for-15) from downtown.
The Yellow Jackets started to pull away as they led by nine with 4:51 to play, but the Titans continued to battle with junior Danielle Gilmore (Washington, PA / Trinity) leading the way with a layup and two clutch free throws at the 1:26 mark to put Westminster within two.
The game was tied at 66-66 with just under one minute left in regulation as Zitt made a layup. After a strong defensive stand by the Titans, Cantella was able to put up a buzzer beater with two defenders in her face.
Holko scored 14 points to lead the Titans, and Gilmore scored a career-high 13, including 7-10 from the free throw line. Sophomore Courtney Zitt (Latrobe, PA / Greater Latrobe) led the way with eight rebounds and contributed with 12 points for the Titans.
Jessi Drayer scored 23 points to lead Waynesburg, and Hannah Hunter chipped in with 18 to become a member of the 1000 point scoring club for the Yellow Jackets.
Westminster looks to make it two in a row as they travel to Thiel on Saturday with a 1:00 tip-off.
Watch Cantella's buzzer beater here:
Cantella's Jumper at Buzzer Stings Yellow Jackets! from Westminster College on Vimeo.
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.
