NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – The Westminster women's basketball team defeated Geneva, 102-80, at home for their first Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) win of the season. The Titans' point total breaks a school record for most in a game in program history (previously 96).
As the game tipped-off, Geneva (2-3, 1-1 PAC) jumped out to an early 5-0 lead with 8:36 to play in the first. The Golden Tornadoes extended their lead to seven (9-2) off a three-pointer by Abby King. Westminster (3-3, 1-2 PAC) pulled within three after two consecutive layups from junior
Lindsay Bell (Youngstown, OH / Ursuline), making it 9-6. Geneva would then score ten of the next 12 points (19-8) and carried that momentum to the second quarter with a 33-21 lead. The Titans started the second quarter on fire as they cut Geneva's lead to two (33-31) and eventually took their first lead of the game (40-39) with 2:29 left in the first half. The Golden Tornadoes would not be denied as they seized a two-point lead (47-45) to intermission.
In the start of the third quarter, each team went back and forth as there were six lead changes in the first four minutes. The Titans pulled away, 72-63, with less than two minutes remaining in the third quarter and took an eight-point lead (76-68) to the fourth. In the lead, 81-76, Westminster went on to score 15 consecutive points (96-76) with a little over two minutes left in the game, which led it to earn its first PAC win of the season.
The Titans were led by junior
Natalie Murrio (Pittsburgh, PA / Brentwood) who registered game- and career-highs in points (32) and rebounds (20) to go along with five assists. First-year
Mackenzie Powell (Harrison City, PA / Penn-Trafford) had an all-around performance with career-bests in points (15), assists (eight), and rebounds (seven). Senior
Magen Polczynski (Irwin, PA / Norwin) tallied 14 points, a season-high four steals, and four rebounds, followed by Bell with 14 points, a career-best 18 boards, three assists, and two steals. Sophomore
Breannda Davis (Streetsboro, OH / Streetsboro) chipped in with a career-high 11 points and tied a career-best on the glass with eight boards.
Westminster shot 42.4% (39-92) from the field, 30.8% (4-13) from beyond the arc, and 83.3% (20-24) from the free throw line. The Titans also set a new record for rebounds in a game with 80.
Westminster is back in action Saturday, December 18 as it travels to Alliance, Ohio to take on Mount Union in a non-conference matchup. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m.
