NEW WILMINGTON, Pa. – Men's basketball put together a determined effort Friday evening, pushing a talented Westminster College squad throughout the night before ultimately falling 92-84 in the opening game of the Buzz Ridl Classic at Buzz Ridl Gymnasium.
The matchup featured a familiar connection on the sidelines, as first-year Mount Aloysius head coach Pat Martinelli squared off against Westminster head coach David Richards. Martinelli previously served as an assistant under Richards at Chatham University from 2019-2023, making Friday's contest a reunion between two coaches who spent four seasons working together.
The Mounties (0-2) entered the contest facing a Westminster program coming off an appearance in last season's Presidents' Athletic Conference (PAC) Championship game, where the Titans fell to Washington & Jefferson. Westminster was also picked to finish first in the PAC North Division preseason poll, presenting an early-season challenge for Martinelli's young Mount Aloysius squad.
Despite the challenge, the Mounties showed plenty of fight, refusing to let the Titans create significant separation throughout the evening.
Westminster (1-0) established an early advantage, but Mount Aloysius remained within striking distance for much of the opening half. The Mounties continued to battle offensively, finding opportunities inside while keeping pressure on the Titans' defense. Westminster eventually carried a 42-34 advantage into the halftime break.
The second half saw Mount Aloysius elevate its offensive production, scoring 50 points over the final 20 minutes while shooting an impressive 48.6 percent from the field. The Mounties repeatedly answered Westminster baskets, keeping the contest competitive against one of the PAC's preseason favorites.
With 7:33 remaining in regulation, Mount Aloysius had trimmed the deficit to just one point, trailing 65-64 and putting itself in position to potentially pull off an early-season upset. However, Westminster responded down the stretch, making enough plays offensively to maintain its advantage and eventually secure the eight-point victory.
One of the biggest bright spots for the Mounties came from freshman Jack Bryan (Melbourne, Australia, Trinity Grammar School Kew), a native of Australia, who delivered a breakout performance off the bench. After starting forward Louis Couch (Centreville, Va. , Southern Maryland Christian Academy) exited with an injury early in the first half, Bryan stepped into an expanded role and made an immediate impact.
The freshman finished with a team-high 20 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting from the field while adding eight rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot in 26 minutes of action. His performance provided a significant spark for Mount Aloysius, particularly as the Mounties worked to overcome the early loss of one of their starters.
Bryan was one of five Mounties to reach double figures, including four members of the starting lineup.
Donovahn Keyes (Stafford, Va., Fairfax Christian) and Noah Wright (Penn Trafford, Pa. , Penn Trafford) each contributed 14 points. Keyes finished 4-of-8 from the field and a perfect 5-of-5 from the free-throw line, while Wright connected on three shots from beyond the arc and converted all three of his free-throw attempts.
Troy Tinch (Baltimore, Md., Calvert Hall) added 13 points and a team-high nine rebounds, narrowly missing a double-double, while Joshua Henderson (Dallas, Tex., Prince of Peace) chipped in 10 points, two steals and a blocked shot. D'Myah Carr (Johnstown, Pa., Greater Johnstown) also provided valuable minutes off the bench, contributing seven points on 3-of-5 shooting.
As a team, Mount Aloysius shot 43.3 percent from the field and an impressive 80.8 percent from the free-throw line, converting 21 of its 26 attempts. The Mounties also scored 42 points in the paint, registered 16 fast-break points and received 31 points from their bench.
The Mounties' offensive improvement was particularly evident after halftime, when they connected on 17 of their 35 field-goal attempts and converted 14 of 15 free throws, shooting 93.3 percent from the charity stripe in the second half.
Westminster was led by Xavier Vann, who finished with a team-high 19 points and eight rebounds on 9-of-12 shooting. Trey DePietro added a double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Felix Buroz contributed 15 points. The Titans shot 52.4 percent from the field and held a 39-35 advantage on the glass.
Although the Mounties begin the 2026-27 campaign with an 0-2 record, Friday's performance offered several encouraging signs for Martinelli and his squad. Against a Westminster team expected to contend for a conference championship, Mount Aloysius demonstrated offensive balance, resilience and the ability to remain competitive against a strong opponent.
Up Next
The Mounties will have a quick turnaround as they return to Buzz Ridl Gymnasium on Saturday, November 14, for the second day of the Buzz Ridl Classic, where they will face Thiel College at 5:00 p.m. in New Wilmington, Pa.
Thiel enters the matchup with an 0-4 record, while Mount Aloysius sits at 0-2, setting up a meeting between two teams searching for their first victory of the 2026-27 season. With both programs looking to get into the win column, Saturday's contest presents an opportunity for the Mounties to build on Friday's encouraging performance and earn their first win under Martinelli.
#GoMounties
