SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster women's basketball team couldn't maintain its first half momentum and Fort Lewis pulled away in the second half for a 72-62 win on Saturday night in the Behnken Field House.
 
Westminster (6-9, 3-8 RMAC) led 35-33 at the half and they extended that advantage to seven with 8:58 to play in the third quarter. Fort Lewis (9-7, 5-6) then ran off 12 straight points to open a 47-42 advantage with 4:47 to play in the third quarter. The visitors would maintain the lead for the rest of the night and they pushed it to 15 with an 8-0 run midway through the fourth quarter.
 
The Griffins shot 37.5 percent from the field in the game and they totaled 17 assists on 21 made baskets. Fort Lewis finished the game shooting 48.1 percent anchored by 55.6 percent in the second half. The Skyhawks had a 40-25 edge in rebounds and they scored 15 points on 14 offensive rebounds.
 
Denise Gonzalez scored 13 points to lead the Griffins in scoring for a second straight night. She made 3 of 6 from beyond the arc and added five assists and two steals. Jessica Sorensen finished with 10 points and seven rebounds – four offensive – and Mika Pinner had 10 points and five rebounds. Whitni Syrett had a career high 10 points off the bench.
 
Westminster committed a season low eight turnovers in the loss and they were 12 of 12 at the foul line. That is the third-most makes without a miss by a Griffin team in school history.
 
Astrea Reed led Fort Lewis with a game high 16 points on 7 of 11 shooting. Emily McCue added 13 points off the bench.
 
The Griffins will now play six of their next eight games on the road. That stretch begins on Friday at Chadron State.