NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College men's basketball team lost, 94-91, to Hiram College in the fourth and final game of Westminster's annual Buzz Ridl Classic on Saturday.
The Titans (0-4) started the game with a 6-0 lead with 19:13 on the clock. Hiram (2-1) responded with a 9-0 run to take a 9-6 lead with 16:55 on the clock. Westminster regained the lead (13-11) after junior
Matt Getsy (Mars, PA / Mars) made a pair of free throws with 13:23 to go in the first half. The Terriers got back in front and maintained their lead for the remainder of the half and led 42-37 at halftime.
Hiram had a commanding 85-71 lead with 3:19 to play in the game, however, the Titans battled back and cut Hiram's lead to 92-89 after freshman
Austin Armwood (Westerville, OH / Westerville North) found junior
Cameron Pozsgai (Windham, OH / Windham) for a three-pointer with 13 seconds left. Hiram hung on for the win after two made free throws.
Five Titans scored in double-figures, led by junior
Jason Pilarski (Pittsburgh, PA / Brentwood) with 18 points. Armwood scored 14, including a team-high four three-pointers. Senior
Charlie Wallander (Pittsburgh, PA / Baldwin) registered 11 points, while junior John Arcuri (Oakmont, PA / Saint Joseph) and sophomore
Jarret Vrabel (Canfield, OH / Canfield) netted 10 points each. Senior
Paul Carswell (Painesville, OH / Notre Dame Cathedral Latin), Pozsgai, and Vrabel led Westminster with seven rebounds each. Carswell and sophomore
Brandon Domenick (New Castle, PA / New Castle) each had a team-best four assists.
The Titans out-shot the Terriers 48.4% (31-64) to 46.3% (31-67) and held a slight 42-40 rebound-edge.
The 2015 All-Buzz Ridl Classic Team included Westminster's Arcuri, J.J. Woodson and Paul Ortiz of Hiram, Kiere Bennie of Heidelberg, and Clandell Cetoute of Thiel.
In the first game on Saturday, Heidelberg topped Thiel, 65-58. Last night, Westminster lost, 89-78, to Heidelberg and Hiram won 84-81 over Thiel.
Westminster will next play at Baldwin Wallace University (3-1) on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m.
