CALDWELL, Idaho – A 11-4 run in the final four minutes of the game enabled the Westminster College-Salt Lake City Griffins to edge the George Fox University Bruins 50-41 in the first game of the Best Western Caldwell Inn & Suites Lady 'Yote Women's Basketball Classic here at the College of Idaho's Albertson Activities Center Friday evening.

Westminster, which was ranked 10th in the NAIA Division I pre-season poll, improved to 10-1 with its ninth straight win.  George Fox, ranked 4th in the first regular-season NCAA Division III poll by the WBCA and 10th in pre-season polls by D3hoops.com and DIII News, fell to 3-2 with its second straight setback.

Both teams struggled to put the ball in the hoops all game long, resulting in the lowest-scoring game in the 11-year history of the Classic.  The Griffins shot .266 (17-64) from the field, including .208 (5-24) on three-pointers, and .524 (11-21) from the line.  The Bruins' numbers were almost identical as they hit only .267 (16-60) on field goals, .200 (4-20) on threes, and .455 (5-11) on free throws.  George Fox also committed 26 turnovers to 16 for Westminster. 

The Griffins actually hit three-pointers on their first two shot attempts of the game by Allie Eastman and Nicole Yazzie around a layup by the Bruins' Hannah Munger to take an early 6-2 lead.  The Bruins tied it 6-6 with 15:16 to go in the half on a jumper and a layup by Hayley Cusick, but a free throw by Jenteal Jackson at 15:05 broke the tie and the Griffins led the rest of the way, though they were never able to put the Bruins away until the very end.

Westminster led 15-12 after Arianna Mohsenian hit two free throws to bring the Bruins within three with 9:46 left, but the Griffins held the Bruins scoreless over the next five minutes while scoring six points to extend the margin to 21-12 with five minutes remaining.  A three by Cusick ended the Westminster run, but the Griffins took a 26-19 lead into the locker room after a three by Brooke Larsen with 48 seconds left.

George Fox closed within two to open the second half on a three by Mohsenian and a putback by Munger, but Westminster went on an 8-2 run, capped by a Jackson layup, to take a 34-26 lead with 13:15 left.  The Griffins were then held scoreless for almost six minutes, but the Bruins were unable to take much advantage of the Westminster lull, scoring only a three by Cusick and a layup by Megan Arnoldy to cut it to 34-31 with 8:28 to go. 

A free throw by Michelle Pace snapped the Griffins' drought, but Arnoldy got a tipin to make it 35-33 Westminster with seven minutes left.  After trading a pair of two-point possessions, Pace ignited a game-clinching 9-0 run with a three-pointer at the 3:50 mark and ended it with two free throws for a 48-37 Griffins' lead with 38 seconds to go.

Cusick led the Bruins with 12 points and three assists, and Keisha Gordon added 11 points with three steals.  Munger's 12 rebounds led the Bruins to a 50-49 edge on the boards, and she added four blocked shots.

Eastman was the only Griffin to score in double figures with 11, but Yazzie, Jackson, and Pace had nine each.  Olivia Pierce-Eiselein had 11 rebounds and five blocks, Jackson handed out three assists, and Dana Bates made three steals. 

NEXT: George Fox faces the host College of Idaho (4-2), which played Whitworth University Friday night in the second game of the tournament, Saturday at 5:00 p.m. Mountain Standard Time (4:00 p.m. Pacific).  Westminster and Whitworth play Saturday at 3:00 p.m. MST.