NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – A valiant comeback attempt fell short Wednesday evening when the Washington & Jefferson men's basketball team suffered a 71-69 loss in overtime to the host Westminster Titans in a Presidents' Athletic Conference game.

Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb) once again led the way for the Presidents. The sophomore posted his eighth double-double of the season. Acosta finished with a game-high 20 points to go along with 10 rebounds and four assist. Acosta, who ranks among the top three in points per game, rebounds per game and field goal percentage in the PAC, also did not commit a turnover in 37 minutes of action Wednesday.

Nick Gearhart (Huntingdon, Pa./Huntingdon) added 13 points while Brandon Jakiela (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) tallied 11 points off of the bench.

Westminster held the lead for the vast majority of the contest. The Titans led for 34:04 while the Presidents held the advantage for just 2:51 of game time. However, the Presidents battled throughout the night. Westminster built a double-digit lead that 17-6 less than six minutes into the game. The hosts maintained a lead that hovered around double figures for the remainder of the opening half. A three-point lead by Acosta at the 2:33 mark cut the deficit to six at 36-30. However, the Titans built the lead to nine at halftime following a pair of free throws that put the score at 42-33.

The Titans extended their lead out early in the second half. A field goal extended the Titans lead to 48-34 with 16:41 to play. The 14-point lead was the largest for the Titans in the game. From there, the Presidents battled their way back into the game. Six-straight points trimmed the deficit back into single digits when a dunk by Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) made it 48-40 at the 14:30 mark. After a basket by Westminster stopped the run momentarily, W&J ripped off 10 more points to even the score at 50-50. Six-straight points by Jakiela capped the run that evened the score with 9:46 left.

W&J regained the lead shortly thereafter but was forced to keep up with the Titans down the stretch. Trailing by five points with 3:17 to go, W&J scored the final five points of regulation. Gearhart drained a triple with 2:49 to play and Matt Seidl (North Hills, Pa./North Hills) made it 63 all with 2:11 left.

Westminster tallied the first points of overtime and led until a three-pointer by Gearhart gave W&J a 68-67 advantage with 1:13 to play. The Titans quickly countered as a tip in off an offensive rebound made it 69-68 Westminster with 43 seconds left. A missed shot and turnover on W&J's next two possessions hindered their chances at claiming victory. Westminster was able to sink a pair of free throws with six seconds left and fouled W&J to prohibit a possible game-tying three-point attempt.

W&J held commanding advantages in points in the paint (54-34) and bench points (26-16). Westminster put together advantages in points off turnovers (22-12), rebounds (46-32) and fast break points (20-7).

The Red and Black made more field goals (29-27) than the Titans. Westminster held a slight advantage in free throw shooting, as they made 12-of-17 attempts compared to 9-of-17 by the Presidents.

Westminster had four players score in double figures in a balanced offensive effort. Trey DiPietro was one of three Titans to record a double-double with 16 points and 11 boards.

The two teams split the season series. W&J (2-13 overall, 1-9 PAC) was aiming for the sweep of Westminster (7-7 overall, 5-5 PAC). The Presidents won the first meeting by a 106-82 score back on Nov. 15.  

W&J travels to Meadville, Pa. to face Allegheny College on Saturday, Jan. 13. Tipoff is scheduled for 4 p.m.