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Press releaseKANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The Westminster men's basketball team rallied from 13 points down in the second half to take the lead, but Columbia had just enough to pull off the 50-47 at the Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men's Basketball National Championship. Westminster trailed 39-26 with 10:25 to play before they went on an 18-0 run over the next six minutes to take the lead. The game went back-and-forth from there before Columbia pulled away and made free throws down the stretch to secure the victory.
Westminster struggled from the field all night and shot just 43.2% in the game. Defensively they held Columbia to 35.8% shooting but only had nine turnovers and grabbed 13 offensive rebounds. Westminster had just 13 turnovers but only connected on 3 of the 12 attempts from beyond the arc.
Danny Stosich led the Griffins with 18 points and was one of three players with seven rebounds. Geoff Payne finished with 13 points but only had six shots in the contest. Only three other players even scored in the game for Westminster.
Jason Ellis led Columbia with 17 points, scoring 15 after the intermission. He made both of the attempts from beyond the arc and had four rebounds and two steals. Brett Hoskins added 12 points and four rebounds.
Westminster finishes the year at 30-5 overall, marking the first time in school history they have won 30 games in a season. They also advanced to the quarterfinals at the national tournament for the first time ever.
Westminster is a nationally recognized, comprehensive liberal arts college. With a broad array of graduate and undergraduate programs, Westminster is distinguished by its unique environment for learning. Westminster prepares students for success through active and engaged learning, real world experiences and its vibrant campus community. Westminster's unique location, adjacent to the Rocky Mountains and to the dynamic city of Salt Lake, further enriches the college experience.
(Courtesy: Westminster College sports information director)
