The Westminster College men's basketball team advanced to the title game of the Carnegie Mellon Invitational, as the Titan cagers (3-1) drained 21 three-pointers en route to a 121-110 win over previously unbeaten Framingham State (2-1) in an opening round contest today in Pittsburgh.
With the victory, the Titans will face the winner of the other first round game between Carnegie Mellon and Hood for the invitational championship tomorrow (Sunday, Nov. 28) at 3 p.m., while Framingham State will face the CMU-Hood loser in the consolation game at 1 p.m.
The two teams battled back and forth for much of the first half, before the Titans went on a 9-0 run over a span of 1:06 to turn a 40-38 deficit into a 47-40 lead with 4:46 to play in the half. Westminster maintained a single-digit lead the rest of the half before heading into the locker room ahead by four points (61-57) at the half. In the second half, Westminster led 74-64 with 16:52 to play when Framingham went on a 12-2 run to knot the score at 76-76 with 14:41 left. However, the Titans answered with a 12-0 run of their own to lead 88-76 with 10:16 to play. FSC cut the lead to five points (112-107) with 2:09 to go, but would get no closer.
Five Titans reac hed posted double-digit scoring totals in the win, led by junior guard Mark DeMonaco (New Castle/New Castle H.S.) with a season-high 33 points (including 9-of-13 accuracy from three-point range), while also adding team-high totals of eight rebounds and six assists. Senior guard Ed Pagley (New Castle/New Castle H.S.) posted a new Westminster career-high with 28 points, including 7-of-11 accuracy from beyond the arc. Junior forward Dom Joseph (New Castle/New Castle H.S.) and junior guard Brian Fadden (New Castle/Mohawk H.S.) each scored 12 points, while senior forward Pat O'Connor (Pittsburgh/Keystone Oaks H.S.) added 11.
Framingham State lost despite shooting 58.4 percent from the floor (45-of-77), as the Rams committed 26 turnovers to just 14 for Westminster. Derek Wigman paced FSC with 25 points off the bench.
Founded in 1852 and related to the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Westminster College is ranked among national leaders in graduation rate performance, according to U.S. News Guide to America’s Best Colleges, and is one of the most affordable national liberal arts colleges in Pennsylvania. Westminster is also honored as one of 'The Best 357 Colleges' and 'Best 115 in the Mid-Atlantic' by The Princeton Review, and was recognized by the Templeton Guide as a 'Character Building College.'
Nearly 1,600 students benefit from individualized attention from dedicated faculty, while choosing from 40 majors and nearly 100 organizations on the New Wilmington, Pa. campus.