GREENVILLE, Pa. – Kayla Welty has made some difficult shots under pressure during her freshman campaign with the Thiel Tomcats, but none quite like the one she made Wednesday night at Beeghly Gymnasium.
 
With the score tied 63-63 and time running out in regulation, Welty dribbled left in traffic and knocked down a jumper at the buzzer from just inside the three-point line to lift the Tomcats to a 65-63 Presidents' Athletic Conference victory over visiting Westminster. It was Thiel's third straight win. (Check out the video of the shot here)
 
Welty scored eight points on the night to go along with three assists and a steal, contributing to what was perhaps the Tomcats' best team effort of the season.
 
Senior forward Kelly Barzak (Warren, OH/Howland) led the Tomcats with 17 points. She also recorded seven rebounds, four assists and four blocks. Senior guard Kelly Muffley (Salsburg, Pa./Western Reserve Academy) scored 15 points to go along with six rebounds, three steals and an assist. With her 15-point effort, Muffley moved into seventh place on the women's basketball all-time career points list, passing up Teresa Collins (1983-88) who scored 1,095 points in her career.
 
Thiel junior guard Bethany Hines (Youngstown, Ohio/Youngstown Early College) also turned in her best game of the season with 13 points, three rebounds and an assist. In addition, freshman guard Jaclyn Watkins finished two points shy of a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds.
 
Westminster led 14-7 with 13 minutes remaining in the first half, but Thiel went on an 11-2 run and took its first lead in the game at the eight-minute mark on a Hines layup. The Tomcats went on to take a nine-point lead into the locker room at halftime when Welty banked in a three-pointer from the top of the key before the buzzer.
 
The Tomcats led by as many as 14 points in the second half, but the Titans battled back to force a tie (60-60) with 2:38 left in regulation when Jenna Grandy completed a three-point play.
 
Hines answered the tie, however, on Thiel's next possession when she connected on a three-pointer. The Titans tied it up again on their next possession when Jenn Cantella hit a three-pointer of her own, which set the stage for Welty's game-winner at the buzzer.
 
Grandy paced the Titans with 15 points while Cantella and Hannah Shaffer scored 13 points apiece. Katie Hughes led Westminster with a game-high 14 rebounds.
 
The Tomcats (5-13, 4-7 PAC) will travel to Washington, Pa. Saturday to take on W&J Presidents. Tipoff is slated for 2 p.m.