WP Defeats #9 Westminster, Goes 2-0 at Tourney
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - Warner Pacific outscored Westminster 15-5 over the final 5:28 of the game to hand the No. 9 Griffins an 82-72 loss on Saturday night.
The loss is just the second all-time to a non-conference opponent in the Behnken Field House and snaps 11-game winning streak in the same situation. Westminster falls to 1-1 on the season with the defeat.
Warner Pacific (2-0) started the game strong behind a 12-2 run over the game’s first five minutes. They continued to use excellent inside defense to force the Griffins into tough shots and eventually opened up a 12-point lead with 11:48 to play in the first half. That final 11:48 belonged to the Griffins as they went on a 16-3 lead and took a 42-20 lead into the intermission.
The second half was a back-and-forth affair with neither team opening up more than a four point cushion through the first 14:32. That is when Warner Pacific forced the Griffins into four turnovers and four more missed jumpers. The Knights went just 3 of 6 from the line during the stretch, but cam away with six offensive rebounds and turned them into eight points.
Reggie Gyuton led Warner Pacific with a game-high 28 points. Guyton was 5 of 9 from beyond the arc and added eight rebounds and four assists. Kaylone Riley had 19 points, 13 rebounds, and eight blocked shots.