NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. - The Westminster Titan basketball team continued its recent torrid play tonight at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium, as the Titan cagers rolled to their fourth consecutive win and fifth in the past six games with a 91-86 victory over Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) rival Grove City College. The Blue & White improved to 7-9 overall and a perfect 2-0 in PAC play, while the Wolverines dropped to 6-10, 0-2 PAC.
Grove City controlled the pace and held the lead for much of the first half, holding the high-scoring Titans (110.8 ppg in last five games) to 16 points in the first 12 minutes, as GCC led 25-16 with 8:28 to go in the half. The Wolverines led 38-31 with 2:10 to play when the Titans closed the half with an 11-2 run, taking a 42-40 halftime lead on a tip-in by junior guard Chris Hatch (Canfield, OH/South Range H.S.) at the halftime buzzer. The game was tied 60-60 with 10:15 to play when Westminster took control, going on an 11-0 run to take an 11-point lead (71-60) with 7:56 to play. GCC would get no closer than five points the rest of the way.
Four Titans scored in double figures in the win, led by sophomore guard Mark DeMonaco (New Castle/New Castle H.S.) with 21 points, including six three-pointers. Junior guard Ed Pagley (New Castle/New Castle H.S.) added 20 markers and a game-high six steals. Junior forward Pat O'Connor (Pittsburgh/Keystone Oaks H.S.) contributed 15 points, all on five three-pointers, while freshman forward Randall Poindexter (Youngstown, OH/Woodrow Wilson H.S.) chipped in a career-best 11 markers. Grove City was led by Ryan Eller with a career-high 32 points on 14-of-16 accuracy from the field, while Tanner Prosser posted a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.
The Titans took a total of 50 three-pointers in the contest, connecting on 16 treys. Grove City fell despite shooting 62 percent from the field (36-of-58) and outrebounding Westminster 41-31.
Westminster will look to improve to 3-0 in PAC play this Saturday, Jan. 24, as the Titans travel to face league rival Waynesburg College at 7:30 p.m.
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