NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. (Feb. 16) -- The Thiel College men's basketball team shot 44.2 percent (23-52) and finished with a 38-27 advantage on the glass, but managed to go just 3-of-4 at the free throw line in Saturday's 65-58 Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) loss at Westminster College.

Thiel (9-13, 4-7) junior guard Brandon Mirizio (West Middlesex/Kennedy Catholic) (West Middlesex/Kennedy Catholic) led the way for the Tomcats with 16 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior forward Joe Herrmann (Hartstown/Jamestown) (Hartstown/Jamestown) added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists while sophomore guard Nick Sefcsik (Allison Park/Shaler) chipped in with 12 points and three assists.

Westminster's (6-17, 4-7) Ryne Murray tallied a game-high 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists while Craig Hannon added 21 points and six boards. The Titans shot 42.6 percent (23-54) from the floor and converted on 11-of-18 (61.1%) of their opportunities from the free throw line.

The Tomcats were able to get out to an early 17-5 lead but the Titans used a 16-4 spurt to tie the game at 21-21 on a Hannon three-pointer with 5:11 remaining in the first. A pair of Mirizio free throws with six seconds in the first gave the Tomcats a 28-26 lead going into the break.

After 17 lead changes to start the second half Herrmann's layup with 8:14 to play tied the game at 49-49. A Jake Zatchok three capped a 9-0 Titan run just over four minutes to play and gave the home team a 58-49 lead. Mirizio's three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining pulled Thiel back to within two, 60-58, but a Murray jumper and three-point play down the stretch by Chauncey Whitlow sealed the victory for the Titans.

Thiel returns to action on Wednesday, Feb. 20 when it hosts Geneva College at Beeghly Gymnasium. Tip off, scheduled for 8 p.m., will be preceded by the recognition of the three senior members of the Tomcat men's basketball squad.