NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster College women's basketball team defeated Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) foe Waynesburg University by a score of 76-72 at home on Senior Day Saturday afternoon for their sixth-consecutive victory.
Westminster (17-3, 10-1 PAC) jumped out to a quick 7-0 run to start the game, capped off by a three by first-year
Camden Hergenrother (Salem, OH / Cardinal Mooney). Waynesburg (4-16, 3-8 PAC) responded with a 5-0 run of its own at the 5:39 mark. The Titans extended their lead to 10-7 with 3:31 left in the first, but the Yellow Jackets went on an 8-2 run to close the period and take a 15-12 lead.
In the second, Westminster regained the lead (18-17) at the 7:57 mark when junior
Alazia Greaves knocked down two free throws. After a couple lead changes, the Titans took a 37-31 lead into halftime.
In the third, the Titans gained their largest lead of the game with 4:03 left in the period when Greaves knocked down a three to give Westminster a 48-38 lead. Waynesburg answered with a 14-8 run to close the period and the Titans led 56-52.
In the fourth, the Yellow Jackets cut the Titans' lead to 62-61 with 5:42 left in the game, but that was the closest Waynesburg would get as the Titans responded with a 6-0 run to take a 68-61 lead with 3:43 left. Waynesburg managed to cut the Titans' lead to one possession (75-72) with under a second left, but Titan first-year
Natalie Murrio (Pittsburgh, PA / Brentwood) split a pair of free throws to seal the victory for Westminster.
Westminster shot 41.3% (26-63) from the field, while Waynesburg had a 37.7% (26-69) field goal percentage. The Yellow Jackets bested the Titans on the glass, 47-44. Westminster forced 20 turnovers and scored 26 points off of those miscues. The Titans also recorded 15 steals. The game endured six lead changes and six ties.
Titan senior
Kayla Bennett (Kent, OH / Theodore Roosevelt) and Hergenrother each tied a game-high with 17 points. Bennett also grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds for her fourth double-double of the season (fifth career), while Hergenrother recorded five rebounds and tallied three steals. Sophomore
Magen Polczynski (Irwin, PA / Norwin) was right behind with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Greaves followed with 12 points, a pair of assists and three steals. Murrio finished with nine points and had a team-high four steals (also a career-high).
The Titans honored their five seniors, Bennett,
Emily Fromknecht (Erie, PA / McDowell),
Brooke Lyczek (Cranberry Twp, PA / Seneca Valley),
Aliya Gage (New Castle, PA / Mohawk) and
Maggie Monahan (Youngstown, OH / Cardinal Mooney) before the game.
Westminster will be back on the court on Wednesday, February 5 when it takes on Washington and Jefferson College on the road in a conference matchup at 6 p.m.
