BEAVER FALLS, Pa. – Tuesday night saw another Geneva against Westminster men's basketball game come down to the wire, and once again the Titans found a way to prevail late, winning 72-66, their seventh straight victory in the series, all by single digits. The win pushed Westminster ahead in the Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) standings with an 8-4 overall record, 6-1 in the PAC, while Geneva dropped to 8-4, 5-2 in the PAC.
Senior Lyle Tipton opened the game for the Golden Tornadoes with a three-pointer, but it would prove to be the last lead Geneva would hold for quite a long time. The men proceeded to go cold from the field, settling for mainly long range shots, and they failed to score over the next four minutes as Westminster answered with 11 straight points.
The Golden Tornadoes would briefly respond with an eight-point run to pull even, but Geneva could never retake the lead in the half. The men hung with Westminster, though, over most of the half, with junior Ryan Rachic hitting a three-pointer and knocking down one free throw on back-to-back possessions with six minutes left in the half to close within 22-21. Geneva was still within three points, 28-25, after a layup from Tipton with three minutes left before Westminster close the half with eight straight points to take a 36-25 advantage into the break.
The Titans would push their lead to as high as 40-27 a minute into the second half before Geneva rallied. Three-pointers from Lyle and Trevor Tipton, followed by a bucket from Lyle Tipton, pulled the Golden Tornadoes within 44-38. Five minutes later, a traditional three-point play from Lyle Tipton cut the Westminster lead down to 49-47 midway through the half.
Two minutes later Geneva would take its first lead, 54-53, since the opening minute of the game on a layup from senior Isaac Massie. The Golden Tornadoes would push their edge to 60-56 with just over five minutes remaining before Geneva went cold again. The Titans scored ten straight points over the next four minutes, and the Golden Tornadoes couldn't dig themselves out of the hole. A layup from Tipton with just under a minute left brought Geneva within 68-66, but that was as close as the Golden Tornadoes would get, falling 72-66.
Lyle Tipton led the offense with 26 points and 10 rebounds, while Rachic added 13 points and 11 rebounds. No other Golden Tornado had more than six points. Geneva shot 40% from the floor, including 7-of-25 (28%) from three-point range. The Titans had a balanced attack, with four players reaching double figures. Westminster shot 47% from the floor and won the battle of the boards, 44-38.
"This one is really disappointing," said Head Coach Jeff Santarsiero. "I thought we had a good game plan coming in, but we didn't execute it very well. They outworked us in a lot of areas, especially inside and on the boards, which is disappointing. We need to be better defensively in the paint. Give Westminster credit for hitting big shots late. These games are always tight, and we just didn't execute well enough late to deserve to win."
The schedule stays tough for the men, who head to first-place W&J on Thursday for a 7:00 p.m. tipoff.
Through purposeful learning in a community reflecting the full spectrum of God's kingdom, a Geneva College experience inspires students to discover a faith-life calling in service to God and neighbor. Offering 195+ traditional undergraduate majors and programs, fully online Adult Degree Programs and high-demand graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality and affordability. Geneva was founded and is governed by the Reformed Presbyterian Church of North America (RPCNA) and is a founding member of both the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities (CCCU) and the International Association for Christian Education (IACE).
