Box Score SALT LAKE CITY – The ninth-ranked Westminster College women's basketball team put together a strong night offensively on their way to a 75-43 win over Simpson in the final game of the Griffin Invitational on Saturday evening in the Behnken Field House.

Westminster (5-5) scored the first 16 points of the game and never let the lead get below 13 the remainder of the night.  The Griffins shot 45% from the field and went 9-of-20 (45%) from beyond the arc.  They made six threes in the first half en route to a 36-18 halftime advantage.  Westminster turned to the inside game after intermission, shooting 50% in the half and scoring 18 of their 30 points in the paint in the final 20 minutes.

“I thought we played well tonight,” head coach Shelley Jarrard said after the win.  “We shared the ball and were patient.  This is a win we should have playing at home.”

Three Griffins scored in double figures with Nicole Yazzie leading the way with 21 points.  Yazzie was 4-for-7 from the field with three treys while also making all 10 of her free throws.  The junior guard also contributed four assists and two steals in her 29 minutes.

“Yazzie is comfortable at home and she likes to play in transition,” Jarrard said of the Griffins guard.  “She really settled in and also got to the line.”

Dana Bates had another solid outing posting her first double-double of the year.  She finished the game with 14 points and 10 rebounds while also adding three steals and two assists.  Shelby Ellsworth had 10 points, eight rebounds and three steals.  Jenteal Jackson had seven points and five assists.

Westminster was also solid on the defensive end.  They held Simpson (4-9) to 29.1% shooting and forced them into 15 turnovers.  The Griffins scored 14 points from those turnovers and had seven points on the fast break.  They finished the night with 11 steals and matched a season-high 21 assists on 27 made field goals.

“I thought our defense was really good,” Jarrard said.  “It gave us something to focus on after halftime.”

Charissa Murakami led SU with 17 points off the bench.  She made three from beyond the arc and sparked a 27-17 bench point advantage for the Red Hawks.

Westminster will now take a week off before traveling to Cedar City, Utah for a game against NCAA DI Southern Utah on December 17.