WASHINGTON, Pa. – The Washington & Jefferson College men's basketball team (16-5, 9-3) knocked off the Presidents' Athletic Conference North Division leading Westminster College Titans (13-8, 8-4) by a score of 105-84 in PAC action Saturday afternoon at the Salvitti Family Gymnasium.
 
Alex Acosta (Acworth, Ga./North Cobb) became the 28th player in program history to reach the 1,000-point mark after scoring on a layup at the 17:58 mark of the first quarter. The senior entered the day with 999 career points and finished the contest as W&J's leading scorer with 19 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field (77.8 percent) and 5-of-7 from the free-throw line (71.4 percent).
 
Quinton Burlenski (Bridgeport, Ohio/Central Catholic) had 16 points for W&J and was the team's leading passer with four assists. Junior Nathan Plotner (Parkersburg, W.Va./Parkersburg South) finished with 11 points, going a perfect 4-for-4 from the field, and adding four assists, two steals, and two blocks. Matthew Carte (Ravenswood, W.Va./Ravenswood) poured in 17 points with four three-point makes, while sophomore Michael Plasko (McDonald, Pa./South Fayette) added 12.
 
The Presidents came out hot and opened the game with a 14-2 lead. Burlenski connected on two three-pointers, one of which he was fouled on, and converted the free-throw to complete the four-point play. Acosta converted a layup during that stretch as well, which allowed him to eclipse 1,000 points for his career.
 
Westminster was able to chip away at the lead, cutting it down to six, but that was as close as they would get. W&J scored the next four with two Cameron Rowell (Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional) free throws and a Nick Colucci (Havertown, Pa./Haverford) layup. The teams traded baskets throughout the rest of the half, and after twenty minutes of play the Presidents led 46-37.
 
To start the scoring in the second half, Matt Seidl (Pittsburgh, Pa./North Hills) connected with Plotner on an alley-oop play, while Burlenski went on to score six of the next eight points for W&J.
 
W&J made 16 of its first 17 shots from the field at the beginning of the half, not missing for a second time until the 8:02 mark of the period. During that stretch W&J outscored Westminster 44-27 and took its largest lead of the game, 94-66, with 7:25 to play.
 
Josh Chambers (Hanover, Md./Indian Creek), Harrison Sowers (Irwin, Pa./Hempfield), and Raine Gratzmiller (Butler, Pa./Butler) each contributed to W&J's scoring output in the second half, as the Presidents shot 70 percent from the field after the break.
 
W&J outshot Westminster from all three levels, making 56.9 percent of shots from the field, 31.8 percent of attempts from beyond the arc, and 70.6 from the free throw line. The Presidents made 24 shots from the charity stripe, their most in a single game all season.
 
The Presidents forced 22 turnovers, while committing just 11 of their own, but got edged in rebounding 35-34.
 
The victory pushes W&J into a three-way tie for top spot in the PAC South Division. W&J's 9-3 record in league play is tied for the best among all PAC teams.
 
W&J is back in action on Wednesday in Latrobe to take on Saint Vincent College in a pivotal PAC contest. Tipoff is set for 7:30 PM in the Robert S. Carey Center.