Every week, The Forum keeps readers up to date on the latest athletic updates. This week, Westminster College competed in men’s and women’s basketball in two games each. Both teams came out with one win and one loss after the weekend was over.
Sports coverage by The Forum is created in part through a partnership with the Westminster College Athletics Program.
Men’s basketball
The men’s team started the new year playing Colorado School of Mines Friday night. After a narrow lead during the final minutes of the game, the Griffins came out on top to defeat the Orediggers with a final score of 68-66.
The two leading scorers were graduate student Jake Connor with 17 points and senior Alec Monson with 13 points.
This first game improved the team’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference record to 3-3 and its overall season record to 8-4.
Westminster started the game with a lead after Monson made three free throws. The Orediggers took a brief lead just a few minutes later.
Shortly after, Connor and senior James Walljasper each scored five points and Monson contributed four giving Westminster the lead. They finished the first half with an 11-point advantage.
After the half and near the end of the fourth quarter, the Orediggers made a pair of free throws coming within one point with just one minute left in the game.
Senior Joonas Tahvanainen and senior Jai Jai Ely each made a free throw securing a three-point lead. Ely sealed the win after scoring another free throw with just five seconds remaining.
They finished up the weekend playing the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Saturday night. The Griffins trailed close behind the Mountain Lions, losing the game with a final score of 53-63.
The two leading scorers of the game were Tahvanainen with 13 points and Monson with 12 points.
The Griffins stayed kept the score close during the first half, trailing by just two points at halftime. After the half, Westminster tied the game at 34-34 but Colorado Springs responded with eight straight points giving them a lead of 52-38.
The Griffins now have an RMAC record of 3-4 and an overall season record of 8-5. They’ll play Chadron College and MSU Denver next week.
Women’s basketball
The women’s team also started the winter semester playing Colorado School of Mines Friday night. After trailing for the entirety of the game, the Griffins lost to the Orediggers with a final score of 70-80.
The game was the team’s first conference loss and second loss in the season overall.
The two leading scorers were junior Mariah Martin with 32 points and junior Sarah McGinley with 16 points.
The game got off to a slow start, as the Orediggers secured a lead in the first quarter, improving to an 18-10 lead in the second. Westminster trailed behind at one point by the end of the first half.
Starting the second half at a 40-39 lead, Colorado Mines gained an 11-point lead. Martin scored the Griffins’ final seven points in the third quarter to help Westminster cut the deficit to five heading into the final quarter.
The Orediggers restored a 10-point lead in the final quarter, finishing the game with a victory.
After the game, the team’s RMAC record was 5-1 and its overall season record was 10-2.
But before the end of the weekend, the Griffins came back for a victory against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Saturday night. Taking the lead from the beginning of the game, the final score was 75-64.
The two leading scorers were junior Hunter Krebs with 25 points and Martin with 23 points.
The Griffins started the game with a 9-2 lead. By the start of the final quarter, Westminster held a nine-point advantage. Martin scored at the start of the quarter, securing an 11-point lead.
Colorado Springs scored nine straight points, closing the gap. But, the Griffins responded coming out victorious.
The Griffins finish the week with an RMAC record of 6-1 and an overall record of 11-2. They return to the court next week against Chadron College and MSU Denver.
