ODESSA, Texas - Jarrett Jordan had a team-high 20 points and Yusuf Mohamed added 19 to help Westminster men's basketball (1-1) a 69-68 win over Texas Permian-Basin (1-1) on Saturday at the Falcon Dome.

Westminster dominated the paint on the night, finishing with a 34-24 advantage in points in the paint with a 39-25 rebounding advantage.  Jordan and Mohamed each went 2-of-2 from three and had five boards to go along with their hot shooting nights while Matt Kitzman added a team-high seven rebounds all on the defensive end.  Donaval Avila reached double digits for a second-straight night to begin his Westminster career with 14 in Saturday's win, finishing 10-of-10 at the free throw line.  

The Griffins came out slow and trailed by as many as seven in the opening minutes when Mohamed helped spark the Westminster offense with a pair of quick field goals and an assist in the paint to force a Falcons timeout.  Westminster evened the first half score at 15-15 on a layup from Avila before an 11-2 UTPB run put them up nine with just under three minutes to play in the half.  Out of a late first-half timeout, Westminster went on its own 8-2 run to close out the half which was capped off by a Jordan three that cut the UTPB lead to just three.

Westminster carried its momentum into the second frame, jumping out to a three point lead with a quick 6-0 run out of the break.  Westminster improved its offensive efficiency from the first half, shooting 12-of-22 (55 percent) as a team in the second half with two three pointers on just four second-half attempts while the Falcons went 5-of-12 from long range and finished 12-of-28 (43 percent) from the field in the second half.  Westminster led by as many as four in a back-and-forth second half of a game that finished with 15 total lead changes.

With just under two minutes to play in the game, Kitzman scored a go-ahead layup to put Westminster ahead 65-63, a lead they would not relinquish as both sides made multiple defensive stops into the final minute.  Avila and Jordan hit last-minute free throws to help Westminster sustain its lead to final buzzer as the Griffins picked up their first win of the season with a one-point road win.

The Griffins will be back on the road next weekend as they travel to Sault Ste. Marie, Mich., to take on Lake Superior State in back-to-back games next Friday and Saturday afternoon.

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