SALT LAKE CITY – The No. 4 Westminster women's basketball responded from a tough home loss on Thursday by claiming a 75-40 win over Rocky Mountain (Mont.) in a Frontier Conference game on Saturday evening in the Behnken Field House.
 
Tia Pappas led the way for Westminster (11-2, 1-1 Frontier) with 23 points, including 15 in a first half the Griffins finished with a 34-21 advantage. She scored six points during a 10-0 run early in the first half that gave them an early 15-6 lead. Westminster then extended the lead to 18 – the largest of the half – during a 9-2 span late in the half.
 
After Rocky Mountain (8-5, 1-1) cut the deficit to 15 with 17:07 to play, the Griffins answered by scoring 21 of the game's next 25 points. Amanda Hacking scored six of her 14 points during the nearly 11-minute stretch with Pappas adding six herself. Westminster was 9-of-14 from the floor during the run and they held Rocky to 1-of-7 with five turnovers.
 
Pappas finished two off her career high by shooting 8-of-13 from the field and making five of her eight attempts from beyond the arc. The senior also grabbed seven rebounds and she had four assists and three steals in 30 minutes. This is the first time in her career that she has scored 20 points in consecutive games.
 
As a team, the Griffins finished the game shooting 45.3 percent from the floor. They made eight triples in the game, but struggled from deep at 30.8 percent. They had a 30-10 edge in points in the paint while finishing with a 44-32 edge on the boards. They held Rocky to 27.5 percent shooting and forced 17 turnovers for 19 points.
 
Hacking was the only other Griffin in double figures with those 14 points. She led the team with nine rebounds – four offensive – and she had pair of steals. Alli Winters and Amy Krommenhoek added nine points apiece with Krommenhoek adding six assists and two steals.
 
Whitney Mitchell led Rocky with 12 points on a 4-of-14 shooting night. Katie Fitzpatrick scored nine points off the bench and Bridger Rice added seven.
 
Westminster will now spend the next two weekend's on the road during a three-game span. They open the trip on Jan. 17 in Dillon, Mont. with a 2 p.m. MT contest at Montana Western.