NEW WILMINGTON First place in PAC sits well with the Titans

Westminster's win over Grove City was big in the PAC race.
By BILL ALBRIGHT
VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT
NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. -- Two games, two wins and in first place. That is where the Westminster College women's basketball team sits after a 53-49 win over rival Grove City Wednesday at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.
"This game is the one that would decide if we could get over the hump or not," said Westminster coach Rosanne Scott. "I was a nervous wreck all day because of the importance of this game to us. Grove City is always an outstanding team, fundamentally, and I have a lot of respect for [Wolverines' coach] Melissa [Lamie].
"Before the game, I told my players that the only way we were going to be able to win the game was to out-work them," added Scott. "We worked hard as a team and I think we frustrated them with our defense."
Record
Leading the Titans (9-6, 2-0 President's Athletic Conference) was Erica Tallo and Desiree Sterling. Tallo finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Sterling, from Newton Falls, had 17 points and nine rebounds.
Not a prototype post player, Tallo can work both inside and outside.
"We knew that the key to winning this game was to be able to rebound," said Tallo. "Scouting them, we knew they were a good rebounding team with Sandy O'Keefe in the middle. We knew that when we got into a fouling situation, the boards had to be ours."
As for playing down low, Tallo admitted that, "I am not a banger. I am a big girl [6-foot], but growing up, I wasn't a true post player. I brought the ball up the floor, and although I never had a 3-point shot, I had a good range.
"Coming into college, I was kind of thrown into that center position and although my numbers aren't great, they are getting better."
The Titans had nine-point leads in both halves but couldn't put away Grove City (7-7, 0-2).
"Even when they came back to take the lead [48-47 with two minutes remaining], I had all the confidence in my girls that they were not going to let this game get away from them," said Scott. "From there it was just a matter of which team wanted it more and I guess our hearts were a little bit bigger than theirs tonight."
Unhappy
For Lamie, the idea of her team battling back all the time is getting old.
"We knew, defensively, we could stay in the game, but for a long time, we just couldn't get anything going, offensively," she said.
"The whole first half was just a total struggle trying to score. We finally got something going in the second half and were able to catch up to them, but that was about it."
Trailing 51-48 with 39 seconds remaining, Lamie set up a play where O'Keefe would take a 3-point shot. The plan worked, but O'Keefe's shot went halfway down the basket, rolled around the rim and fell out.
"At that point, we thought that was our best shot," said Lamie. "We have one play that we run for her for a 3, so we called time out just to make sure the kids could set it up. When [O'Keefe] missed it, we got it back and then set up another play for a 3 from out of bounds, but it just didn't fall."
O'Keefe led the Wolverines with 14 points.