Westminster women's basketball dropped a road contest to Black Hills State on Thursday evening, falling 70-56 at the A2 Arena in Spearfish, South Dakota. The loss moves the Griffins to 8-17 overall and 5-14 in RMAC play, while the Yellow Jackets improve to 17-9 and 14-5 in conference.
Game Breakdown
First Half
Westminster came out of the gates strong, jumping out to an early 17-12 lead after the first quarter behind strong perimeter shooting and an active defense that generated turnovers. The Griffins shot 36.8% from the field in the opening period and converted a pair of fast break points off Yellow Jacket miscues.
The second quarter told a different story. Black Hills State flipped the script, outscoring Westminster 17-9 to take a 29-26 halftime advantage. The Griffins went cold from the field, shooting just 15.4% in the quarter, and the Yellow Jackets used a balanced offensive attack to seize control. Westminster headed to the locker room trailing by three.
Second Half
Any momentum Westminster hoped to carry into the second half evaporated quickly in the third quarter. Black Hills State dominated the period 18-10, extending the lead to 47-36 heading into the fourth. The Yellow Jackets' interior presence was on full display, as they piled up points in the paint and converted second-chance opportunities throughout the quarter.
Westminster showed fight in the final period, but the Griffins could not overcome the deficit built in the third quarter. The Yellow Jackets held on to secure the 70-56 victory. Westminster was out rebounded 56-35 on the night and struggled from the field, finishing at 29.7% shooting overall and 26.1% from three.
Griffin Performances
Ellie Mitchell led Westminster with a game-high 24 points on 9-of-20 shooting, connecting on 3-of-8 from three and 3-of-4 from the free throw line. She added 3 steals in 37 minutes of action.
Teuila Nawahine recorded a double-digit performance with 12 points and 8 rebounds, also contributing 3 assists and 2 blocks while going 6-of-9 from the charity stripe. Nawahine now sits 8 points away from moving into the 8th all time spot for points scored.
Madison Anderson chipped in 9 points on 3-of-6 shooting to go along with 3 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Emily Evans contributed 3 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 steals, while Klowie Pike added 2 points and 4 rebounds in the starting lineup.
Off the bench, Nisa Ellis pulled down 6 rebounds and Makeili Ika added 3 points.
Up Next
The Griffins continue their road trip to end the season with their final game happening tomorrow at 1:30 MT against Chadron State.
