STEUBENVILLE, Ohio – The Westminster College men's basketball team lost, 75-66, at Franciscan University in non-conference action Saturday afternoon.
Westminster (1-4) jumped out to 5-0 lead to open the game, after a three-pointer by sophomore
Isaac Stamatiades (Elkridge, MD / Avalon). Franciscan (3-2) took its first lead of the contest with an 8-2 run and led 8-7 with 14:10 on the clock. The Barons had their largest lead of six points three times in the first half, with the latest coming with 7:32 left (22-16). The Titans regained the lead (29-28), after they mustered a 12-7 run which was capped off with a layup by sophomore
Anthony Ritter (North Lima, OH / South Range) with 1:31 remaining. Franciscan retook the lead with a Sean Hickey three and led 31-29 at halftime.
The game was tied four times in the first five minutes of the second half, with the latest coming at 40-40 with 15 minutes remaining. The Barons started to pull away with an 8-0 run and led 48-40 with 13:37 remaining. Franciscan took its first double-digit lead of the contest, 53-42, with 11 minutes to go. The Titans got within seven points of the Barons' lead, 60-53, with five minutes left, but that would be the closest they would get for the remainder of the contest.
Senior
Austin Armwood (Columbus, OH / Westerville North) and junior
Dylan O'Hara (Girard, OH / Girard) led the Titan offense with 10 points apiece. Armwood has now scored double-digits in four contests this season, while O'Hara has done so in three. Armwood also dished out a team-best two assists, to go along with three rebounds. Junior
Blake Payne (Ashtabula, OH / Jefferson Area) tied a season-high with nine points, while senior
Marco Delorenzo (Canfield, OH / Canfield) had seven. O'Hara and Delorenzo both led Westminster on the glass with six rebounds. Junior
Preston Stitt (Boardman, OH / South Range) added four boards. Sophomore
Daniel Ritter (North Lima, OH / South Range) and A. Ritter both tied a game-high with a pair of steals.
Franciscan outshot Westminster 45.0% (27-60) to 40.7% (22-54). The Titans held a slight 36-35 advantage in rebounds.
The Titans will next play at Kenyon College Monday, November 26 at 7 p.m.
