LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The Westminster men's basketball team won for the fourth straight outing with a 78-69 decision at New Mexico Highlands on Friday night in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play.
 
Westminster (12-8, 8-8 RMAC) trailed 23-14 after 11 minutes were played. The Griffins outscored New Mexico Highlands (11-11, 10-6) 25-11 to close the half to lead 42-34 at intermission. Quincy Bair led the Griffins with 15 points in the period and the team shot 50 percent from the field.
 
The Griffins would extend their lead to 19 with 10:23 remaining in the second half when Bair converted a layup and free throw. The Cowboys would get to the foul line over the next as they made 11 freebies in a 17-5 run to cut the Griffins lead to 67-62 with 3:25 to play.
 
Westminster answered with seven of the game's next eight points, capped with a Casey Evans 3-pointer with 1:03 remaining to put the game out of reach. Brandon Warr and Bair converted inside in the closing minute to secure the road victory.
 
Bair finished the night with a game-high 23 points on 9 of 15 shooting. It was his second 20-point outing in the past three games for the Griffins and the fifth of his career. Warr would add 17 points and a Griffin season-high 14 rebounds for his fourth-double-double of the campaign.
 
As a team, Westminster shot 47.7 percent from the field and they made 10 of 24 from beyond the arc. The Griffins had 21 assists and just 12 turnovers and they out-rebounded NMHU, 42-26. The Cowboys were held to 38.6 percent shooting and were 1 of 22 from three at one point before finishing 4 of 24.
 
Zerrion Payton added 12 points, seven assists, and four rebounds in the win. Evans finished with nine points and six assists.
 
NMHU got 20 points and 15 rebounds from Marlon Johnson. Ron Lawton added 17 points and five rebounds.
 
The Griffins will continue their four-game road trip on Saturday when they face Western New Mexico in Silver City, N.M. The game will tip at 7:30 p.m. MT and be broadcast live on Griffins TV at portal.stretchinternet.com/Westminster.