NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - Down by one at halftime, the Westminster College women's basketball team came out of the locker room with a sense of urgency as they produced a 16-4 run in the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Titans stayed ahead the remainder of the game en route to a 62-55 win over Washington & Jefferson.
With their third straight win, the Titans improved to 7-12 overall and 7-6 in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC). The Presidents fell to 10-10 overall and 5-8 in conference play.
With the Titans up 54-44 with 4:11 to play in regulation, the Presidents' narrowed the gap as they went on a 6-0 run. On the Titans' ensuing possession, junior Danielle Gilmore (Washington, PA / Trinity) made a tough lay-up and converted on a traditional three-point play that gave the Titans a 57-50 lead.
Westminster only shot 68% (17-25) from the charity stripe, but it got to the line frequently which paid dividends down the stretch.
Junior Katie Hughes (Boardman, OH / Cardinal Mooney) led the way for the Titans with 15 points to go along with eight rebounds. Sophomore Gabby Holko (Pittsburgh, PA / Mount Alvernia) chipped in with 12 points, while shooting 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Gilmore finished with 12 points, including 8-for-9 from the free throw line. Senior Emily Montone (Sharpsville, PA / Sharpsville) had a game - and career-high 10 rebounds.
The Titans outrebounded the Presidents' 40-33 for the contest. Westminster shot just over 40% (20-for-49) for the game, compared to 37% (22-for-59) for Washington & Jefferson.
The Presidents' leading scorer was Vanessa Rivera with a game-high 18 points (7-for-8).
The Titans look to make it four straight wins on Saturday as they travel to Grove City with a 1:00pm tip-off.
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.
