Cowgirls come up short at Westminster, 69-57

SALT LAKE CITY --- The New Mexico Highlands women's basketball team fell to first-place Westminster 69-57 Saturday night at Behnken Field House.
 
NMHU (3-9, 1-4) trailed just 27-24 with two minutes left in the first half against the Griffins (7-2, 5-0), but Westminster went on a 5-0 run to take a 32-24 lead into the break.
 
The Cowgirls hung around in the third quarter as free throws by Jordyn Lewis and Allyah George cut the Westminster lead to 46-40 with 1:30 left in the period. But a 3-pointer by the Griffins pushed the lead back to nine points heading into the fourth quarter.
 
NMHU didn't go away still as a Lewis drive and score capped a 9-0 run for the Cowgirls that got them to within three at 56-53 with 4:58 remaining, but Westminster answered with a 10-0 run capped by an Olivia Elliss jumper at the 3:31 mark to push the Griffins lead to 13 points as the Cowgirls couldn't get within striking distance again.
 

WBB | Don't look now but the Cowgirls are on an 8-0 run - capped by this Lewis drive and score - to cut the Westminster lead to three points at 56-53 with 4:51 remaining in the contest! #LetsRide pic.twitter.com/PuD8yxj4GN

— NMHU Athletics (@NMHU_Athletics) December 16, 2018

Lewis paced the Cowgirls with 18 points – including 3-for-5 from 3-point range – while George finished with 11 points, eight rebounds and three steals. The Cowgirls shot 42 percent from the field and were 6-for-13 from 3-point range while Westminster shot 45.3 percent from the field and was 8-for-19 from beyond the arc. The Griffins outrebounded the Cowgirls 41-24 – including grabbing 12 offensive rebounds compared to NMHU's four.
 
Elliss led Westminster with 18 points to go along with eight rebounds, three assists, two steals and two blocks.
 
NMHU is off for the holiday break and return to action Jan. 4 when the Cowgirls travel to take on Regis in Denver.