NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. –
Kyran Mitchell (Reading, Pa./Berks Catholic) poured in a game-high 23 points to guide the Washington & Jefferson men's basketball team to a narrow 81-79 victory at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium in the Presidents' Athletic Conference opener for both teams.
The win moves W&J to 5-2 overall while the loss drops Westminster to 3-2. The victory was the third straight for the Presidents in the head-to-head series. W&J handed Westminster its lone loss during an abbreviated 2020-21 campaign. The two meetings in 2021 have been decided by a combined three points.
Both teams shot the ball well from the field. W&J converted at a 47 percent clip while Westminster made 47.6 percent of its attempts. Strong three-point shooting ultimately played a key role in the outcome, as the Presidents were able to connect on 11 three-point field goals while the Titans made just five-of-20 from distance.
W&J was able to build an early lead and gain some separation in the first half. Consecutive triples by sophomore
Isaiah Langston (Coraopolis, Pa./Cornell) and sophomore
Kaden DiVito (Coraopolis, Pa./Cornell) allowed W&J to take a 13-8 advantage. A three-pointer by sophomore
Nick Gearhart (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) extended the Red and Black lead into double digits (22-9) at the 11:27 mark. The Titans capped an extended 23-9 run with a layup by Daniel Ritter to regain the lead with 2:22 to play in the half. A pair of layups in the final minute allowed Westminster to carry a 38-35 advantage into halftime.
A three-point play by Andrew Clark gave Westminster its largest lead of the night, a nine-point edge (56-47) with 14:38 to play in the second half. From that point, W&J chipped away at the deficit. Gearhart spearheaded those efforts for the Presidents. The sophomore recorded back-to-back baskets to start the run.
Senior forward
Alexander Skowron (Sewickley, Pa./Quaker Valley) and Mitchell followed with consecutive layups to bring the Red and Black within a point at 56-55 at the 11:31 mark.
The back and forth affair continued for the remainder of the game. Eight straight points by the Red and Black gave W&J a 70-64 advantage with 6:08 to play. Gearhart bookended the run with a pair of treys.
The Presidents held the lead for the remainder of the contest. A layup by sophomore guard
Michael Bigley (Pittsburgh, Pa./Seton LaSalle) gave the Presidents an 81-76 cushion at the 1:29 mark. Neither team recorded a field goal for the remainder of the game and the Presidents held on for the conference victory.
Mitchell (23 points) and Gearhart (19 points) both finished in double figures. The two combined to make 16 field goals and sink seven-of-10 three-point attempts. Langston finished with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds. Bigley tallied five assists. Four players scored in double figures for the Titans, who were paced by a 17 point, seven-rebound performance by Daniel Ritter.
W&J travels to Saint Vincent for a league game on Saturday, Dec. 4. The Presidents and Bearcats will tip off at 3 p.m. in Latrobe.
