Box Score BOX SCORE

SALT LAKE CITY – The 10th-ranked Westminster women's basketball team improved to 12-2 on the season with an 87-76 win over The Master's College on Saturday night in the Behnken Field House. Westminster outscored the visitors 50-30 in the opening half en route to the title of the Griffin Invitational.

“This is a great win for us,” head coach JD Gustin said. “We clamped a very explosive basketball team for most of the first half.”

Westminster turned a 24-20 lead at the 7:46 mark of the first half into the 20 point halftime cushion behind a 26-10 run to end the half. Westminster shot 56.3% from the field in the first 20 minutes while making 5-of-12 (41.7%) from beyond the arc. They also limited The Master's (5-1) to just 33.3% shooting and forced them into eight turnovers in the first half.

“It is really hard to keep your focus with that kind of lead,” Gustin said of the 29 point margin.

The Griffins would push the lead to 29 at the 12:53 mark of the second half and still led by 20 with 3:11 remaining. TMC outscored the Griffins 13-4 the rest of the game but, they couldn't make up the deficit.

Westminster finished the game shooting 51.7% from the floor and went 7-of-22 (31.8%) from distance. They had five players in double figures including four starters. Nicole Yazzie and Michelle Pace finished with 18 points apiece to lead the Griffins.

Pace recorded the first double-double of the season for the Griffins as she added a career high 14 rebounds to her 18 points. Pace collected six offensive rebounds as the team finished with 10 offensive boards that resulted in 10 second chance points. As a team, Westminster finished with 36 rebounds.

“Michele Pace was absolutely terrific,” Gustin said of his senior forward. “Especially defensively in the post against a quality team from the GSAC.”

Yazzie matched a season high with seven assists while Jenteal Jackson also posted seven assists and eight points. The Griffins finished with 20 assists as a team with 19 turnovers. Defensively they held TMC to 41.5% shooting and forced 18 turnovers which resulted in 18 points. Westminster grabbed 11 steals and blocked four shots.

Dani Evans and Allie Eastman were the other two starts in double figures with 11 points apiece. Angela Fales scored 11 points off the bench with the Griffin reserves combining for 21 points. Fales also had six rebounds.

Erica Inge led The Master's with 25 points on 10-of-13 shooting. Inge made two from beyond the arc while adding five rebounds, four assists, and two steals. Zoe Scott and Morgan Schwegler added 12 points apiece while Ella Joines scored 10.

Westminster will next face the University of Utah in an exhibition game for the Griffins on Monday, December 6. The action from the Jon M. Huntsman Center in Salt Lake City will begin at 7 p.m.