GUNNISON, Colo. – The Westminster women's basketball team snapped a three-game losing skid with a 54-46 win at Western State Colorado on Friday night at Paul Wright Gym.
 
Westminster (8-12, 6-10 RMAC) against got off to a sluggish start and found themselves behind 24-15 after the opening quarter. The Griffins would then hold Western State (5-16, 4-13 RMAC) to just 22 points the rest of the game to earn the win.
 
The Griffins trailed by 12 on two separate occasions in the opening quarter and used a 19-6 run that went into the third quarter to take their first lead of the night at 31-30 with 6:24 to play in the third. It was a one-point lead with 1:59 left in the period when they got seven points from Sicilee Williams during a 14-5 run that put the game away.
 
The 12-point comeback is the largest deficit a Westminster team has overcome in a victory since the 2009-10 season. They shot 46.7 percent from the field on the night and scored 24 points in the paint. The Griffins held Western State to 28.8 percent in the game and allowed just seven baskets in the final three quarters.
 
Elsie Carpenter gave Westminster a huge lift off the bench with a career-high 13 points 21 minutes. The sophomore entered the game having not scored a point in four games played over the past two seasons. She had 11 of those points during a 20-minute stretch that saw the team go from 11 points down to three points ahead.  Carpenter made 6 of 9 shots and pulled in nine rebounds with four at the offensive end.
 
Williams led the Griffins with 16 points on 6 of 8 shooting and a pair of 3-pointers. She helped close out the win with seven points in the fourth quarter. Aubrie Vale added 10 points, five rebounds, and three assists.
 
Westminster made only 2 of 9 from beyond the arc in the win and they committed 18 turnovers. They were outrebounded 37-33 as the Mountaineers grabbed 20 offensive rebounds.
 
Brianna Wilber led Western State with 14 points after scoring 10 in the game's first 10:42.
 
The Griffins will return to action on Saturday when they face Colorado Mesa in the final road game of the season. The action from Grand Junction, Colo. Will begin at 5:30 p.m. and be broadcast live on the RMAC Network.