NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster College women's basketball team defeated Penn State Beaver, 59-58, in a non-conference game at home Monday night.
Westminster (4-9) was in front for the majority of the first quarter and led 20-13 at the end of one. The Titans' largest lead of the first frame was eight points, which they had twice, with the latest coming at the 2:34 mark (17-9) when sophomore
Brooke Lyczek (Cranberry Twp, PA / Seneca Valley) made a pair of free throws. The Titans started the second quarter with a 7-2 run and took their largest lead of the first half, 27-15, when sophomore
Emily Fromknecht (Erie, PA / McDowell) made a layup with 4:54 left. Penn State (5-8) got within three points of Westminster's lead (29-26) with 1:58 remaining in the half. The Titans held a 31-26 lead at intermission.
The Nittany Lions began the third quarter with a 7-2 run to tie the game at 33 with 8:02 on the clock. Westminster responded with a 10-2 run, capped off with two made free throws by senior
Kylie Cook (Pittsburgh, PA / Mount Lebanon), and went up 43-35 with 3:05 left. Westminster maintained its lead and was up 49-44 at the end of three. Penn State opened the fourth quarter with a 10-4 run and took its first lead of game since the opening minutes when Brittany Jackson made a layup with 3:25 left, pulling the Lions ahead 54-53. After a pair of free-throws from Jackson, the Lions led 56-53 with 1:49 on the clock. Westminster closed the gap to one point with a pair of free-throws from senior
Kristine Fromknecht (Erie, PA / McDowell) (56-55). Junior guard
Jackie Mathews (Pittsburgh, PA / OLSH) made the go-ahead layup with 59 seconds left to give the Titans a one point lead (57-56). After Jackson made a tying layup (58-58) with nine seconds left, K. Fromknecht converted one of two free-throws with 1.2 seconds remaining to seal the deal for Westminster.
K. Fromknecht and E. Fromknecht led Westminster with 11 points each. Senior
Paige Quinn (Pittsburgh, PA / Shaler) added nine points, while junior
Jackie Mathews (Pittsburgh, PA / OLSH) scored seven. E. Fromknecht notched her fourth double-double of the season and ninth of her careeer, as she grabbed down a team-high 11 rebounds. E. Fromknecht also earned a game-high three blocks and now has 57 for her career, ranking fifth all-time in school history. K. Fromknecht also had nine rebounds. Quinn dished out a game-best four assists. Sophomore
Aliya Gage (New Castle, PA / Mohawk) tied a career-high with a team-high three steals.
Westminster outshot Penn. State Beaver 37.5% (18-48) to 30.8% (20-65). The Titans also edged the Nittany Lions in rebounds, 24-21.
The Titans are back in action Wednesday, Jan. 10 with a road PAC game at Grove City College at 5:30 p.m.
