SALT LAKE CITY – Westminster men's basketball beat Fort Lewis College, 75-62, on Friday night at Behnken Field House behind a strong second-half performance.

The Griffins and Skyhawks entered halftime tied at 28, and Westminster opened the second half by outscoring Fort Lewis 31-13 over the first 12 minutes of play. Joonas Tahvanainen and Jai Jai Ely scored 10 points apiece during the Griffins' scoring spurt. With 7:28 left in the game, Westminster led by 18 at 59-41.

Fort Lewis responded with a 14-3 run that got the Skyhawks within seven with four minutes to go, but the Griffins countered with an 11-4 run that put the game out of reach.

Tahvanainen finished with a game-high 23 points on 11 of 15 shooting. Ely scored 16 points, all in the second half, and grabbed nine rebounds. Brandon Warr added 10 points, nine rebounds and four assists. James Walljasper finished with nine points off the bench.

The Griffins host Adams State tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m. at Behnken Field House. The game will be streamed live on the RMAC Network.