SALT LAKE CITY – It took an extra five minutes, but the fifth-ranked Westminster College women’s basketball team defeated College of Idaho, 60-56, on Saturday night in the Behnken Field House.
Both teams were playing their third games in as many nights and neither team would hold more than a five point advantage. Westminster (2-1) trailed for much of the first half and never led by more than four points in the game.
“This game was a battle,” head coach Shelley Jarrard said. “There was some fatigue, but we did a much better job in the second half and responded to the situation.”
The Griffins shot 36.8 percent from the field in the game and made five threes. They dominated on the glass with a 42-29 edge in rebounding with 18 boards on the offensive end, which resulted in 10 second chance points. Westminster shot 44.4 percent from the field in the second half and went 7-of-8 at the foul line after intermission.
Three Griffins scored in double figures with Nicole Yazzie and Kelsi Wells scoring 17 points apiece. Yazzie added five rebounds and four assists, while Wells finished with seven rebounds. Cydney Tibbitts had her second double-double of the season with 13 points and 13 rebounds. She grabbed eight rebounds on the offensive end.
After trailing 25-20 at halftime, Westminster would draw even at 29-29 on a Tibbitts hoop with 15:38 to play in the second half. The Griffins would put together a 10-5 run over a four minute span that turned a 32-29 deficit into a 39-37 advantage with 9:37 to play.
College of Idaho (3-1) wouldn’t lead for the remainder of regulation, but a Felicity Jones layup with 1:11 to play tied the game. Amy Krommenhoek missed a three on the Griffins final possession of regulation and then Jones missed a pull-up 15-footer as time expired to send the game into overtime.
Westminster held the Yotes without a field goal in overtime and limited them to just two points in the extra session. Sienna Edmundson made the two free throws with 2:47 to play to put CI ahead, but Wells converted a three-point-play on the other end and the Griffins would not trail again. Brooke Larsen would sink two freebies with 22 seconds left to seal the win.
Chakala Carthen led the Yotes with 15 points, and she grabbed six rebounds. Jones added 11 points, two assists and two steals.
Westminster will now hit the road for back-to-back weekends. The Griffins open the stretch on Thursday in New Orleans, La., against Southern-New Orleans at 5 p.m.