WESTERVILLE, Ohio – The Westminster College women's basketball team fell to the University of Rochester, 70-55, in a non-conference matchup in the final day of the Smokey Ballenger Classic on Sunday afternoon.
 
Within the first six minutes of the opening quarter, Rochester (6-5) took a 13-6 advantage. Westminster (4-8) junior Brooke Lyczek (Cranberry Twp, PA / Seneca Valley) knocked down a three to cut into the Yellow Jacket lead, 13-9, with 3:52 left in the first. The Titans trailed by two (15-13) at the end of the quarter. After the Yellow Jackets regained a six-point lead (19-13), the Titans got within three points twice, the latest at the 6:25 mark of the second quarter (21-18). Rochester ended the first half on a 12-0 run to take a 33-18 lead into halftime. The Yellow Jackets held a double-digit advantage for the remaining of the contest, leading 58-36 at the end of three.
 
Junior Kayla Bennett (Kent, OH / Theodore Roosevelt) and classmate Aliya Gage (New Castle, PA / Mohawk) each tied a team-best with 10 points. First-year Magen Polczynski (Irwin, PA / Norwin) tallied nine points, while senior Jackie Mathews (Pittsburgh, PA / OLSH) had eight. Junior Emily Fromknecht (Erie, PA / McDowell) led the Titans on the glass with nine rebounds. Bennett and Lyzcek recorded eight and five rebounds, respectively. Fromknecht tied a game-high with two blocks and also finished with a team-best three assists.
 
Rochester outshot Westminster 38.2% (26-68) to 30.3% (20-66) and edged the Titans in total rebounds 42-41.
 
Westminster is back in action Thursday, January 3 at Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Saint Vincent College. Start time is set for 5:30 p.m.