DURANGO, Colo.—Westminster's women's basketball team (18-4, 16-2 RMAC) had a chance to stand alone on top of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference after Colorado Mesa lost to Colorado Christian.  A gritty and determined Fort Lewis team (10-14, 6-12 RMAC) was too much on the night for the Griffins to overcome.

The difference in the game really came down to three-point shooting.  The Griffins came into the game as the RMAC's leading three-point shooting team.  The Griffins shot 16.0 percent from behind the arc while the Skyhawks finished 45.5 percent.

Fort Lewis led 10-4 at the first quarter media time-out.  In the final two minutes of the quarter, Denise Gonzalez hit a three to start an 8-2 run that ended with a three from Rian Rawlings and a tied score, 16-16.  Fort Lewis made the final basket of the quarter for a slight lead.

Neither team was particularly sharp through the second quarter.  Westminster led by one at the media timeout but was 2-8 from the field and 1-4 from the charity stripe.  Fort Lewis didn't do any better shooting 2-10.  The half came to an end with Fort Lewis regaining the lead, 29-25.

Olivia Elliss scored the first eight points of the third quarter before Hunter Krebs added five to the team's tally of 13 to reduce the home team's lead to three.

Trailing by five in the final 30 seconds, the Griffins were forced to foul and send the Skyhawks to the line, after a missed three-point attempt, as the game came to an end in a rare Griffins defeat, 62-53.
 
Elliss was the lone Griffin in double figures, leading the Griffins with sixteen points.  She finished 5-10 from the field and 6-6 from the stripe.  She also led the team with 38 minutes, eight rebounds and four assists.

The Griffins finish this road trip, tomorrow night, at Adams State. You can watch it live on the RMAC Network or follow live stats online.