Box Score LEWISTON, Idaho – The Westminster College men's basketball took a big step towards getting back in the Frontier Conference race with a 70-62 win over Lewis-Clark State College on Thursday night.

Westminster improved its record in league games to 2-3 with the win while climbing to 14-7 overall with the win.  They are now just two back in the loss column from first place Montana State-Northern.  Lewis-Clark State falls to 13-6 overall and 2-3 in league with the loss.

The Griffins started the game with a purpose and raced out to a 16-2 lead at the 14:39 mark of the first half.  LCSC would make a run of their own in the half, and trailed just 30-27 at the 4:04 mark of the opening 20 minutes.  Westminster would eventually carry a 39-30 lead into the locker room at the break.

The home squad opened the second stanza on a 14-3 push to take their first lead of 44-42 at the 13:19 mark of the second half.  The Griffins would then retake the lead and open it to a six-point advantage at 59-53 with 7:03 to play.  After the Warriors tied the game at 60-60 with 5:01 remaining, Westminster finished the game with a 10-2 run to win the game.

Westminster, the nation's sixth-best shooting team at 50.1%, had their best shooting night of the season.  The Griffins went 30-of-52 in the game to finish at 57.7%.  They shot 64% on 2-point field goals while scoring 40 points in the paint.  As a team, the Griffins recorded 18 points while only committing 10 turnovers.

Ben Walker led four Griffins in double figures with 18 points, his most in a conference game this season.  Walker shot 8-of-13 from the field while also grabbing a team-best six rebounds.  Tanner Gregory, Jordan Hayter and AJ Reilly scored 10 points apiece.  Hayter added five assists with Reilly posting four helpers.

Ray Stout led the Warriors with 11 points off the bench.  Donte Archie added 10 points with PJ Bolte scoring nine points and grabbing nine rebounds.

Westminster will next face the University of Great Falls in the first of two road games next weekend.  That game is slated for January 27 on the UGF campus.