SALT LAKE CITY – A sluggish start for the Westminster women's basketball team put them in a hole as they fell to Black Hills State, 76-55, in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play in the Behnken Field House on Friday night.
 
Westminster (4-6, 1-5 RMAC) was outscored 24-11 in the first quarter and they dropped consecutive home games for the first time since the 2004-05 season. Black Hills State (9-1, 6-0) closed the quarter with a 14-2 run, including the final 10 points of the quarter.
 
After shooting 38.1 percent in the first half, the Griffins finished the game at 40 percent. They went 5 of 20 from beyond the arc and scored 28 points in the paint. The visitors shot 57.7 percent, the highest by a Griffin opponent this season, and they made 8 of 17 from three.
 
Natalie Parsons led the Griffins with 15 points on a night she shot 5 of 11 from the floor. Aubrie Vale added 13 points and three assists. Jessica Sorensen had nine points and six rebounds – three offensive – while Denise Gonzalez scored eight with three assists and two steals.
 
The Griffins cut the deficit to 35-23 on a Riley Reidhead 3-pointer with 2:33 to play in the second quarter. That would be as close as they got the rest of the night as the Yellow Jackets mounted a 22-9 run over the next 13 minutes of action to open a 25-point cushion.
 
Bailey Kusser led four BHSU players in double figures with 15 points. Christine Thorn and Kassidy Scott added 12 apiece.
 
Westminster returns to action on Saturday when they host South Dakota Mines in the Behnken Field House. The action begins at 5:30 p.m. MT with tickets available by visiting WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.