No. 5 Westminster blasts Blue Hawks, 90-50

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SALT LAKE CITY — The No. 5-ranked team in NAIA Division I women’s basketball lived up to their billing Thursday night.

Westminster College captured its ninth consecutive victory as it shot 54 percent from the field, committed just six turnovers and had four players score in double figures during a 90-50 Frontier Conference victory over Dickinson State at Behnken Field House.

“Our kids played hard, we just got beat by a better team,” DSU first-year head coach Caleb Harrison said.

The Blue Hawks (5-14, 0-5 Frontier) got behind early and never recovered, committing 20 turnovers and hitting just 1 of 10 from 3-point range.

Jess Bygate and Marian Duran each scored 12 points for DSU as Janae Moore added 11.

Kristi Wells scored a game-high 22 points and had five rebounds for the Griffins (17-2, 6-0 Frontier). Cydney Tibbetts added 12 points, nine rebounds and six assists while Nicole Yazzie had 16 points and seven assists. Brooke Larsen added 11 points and six boards.

The Griffins shot 10 of 27 from 3-point range as seven players hit from deep. They also had 28 assists as a team.

“They’re a team where we’re definitely not at their level yet,” Harrison said. “It was good to see them. We definitely want to play like them in coming years.”

DICKINSON STATE (5-15, 0-5 Frontier): Yianna Nadeau 1-6 0-0 3, Mariah Duran 5-12 2-3 12, Ashley Jelly 2-3 0-1 4, Janae Moore 4-10 3-4 11, Jess Bygate 5-7 2-2 12, Lorna Shepherd 1-5 0-0 2, Dawne Degel 0-1 2-4 2, Lesina Manuatu 0-2 0-0 0, Jenna Cabello 2-3 0-0 4, Jalyn Klauzer 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 20-49 9-13 50.

WESTMINSTER COLLEGE (17-2, 6-0 Frontier): Allie Eastman 2-7 0-0 6, Nicole Yazzie 7-11 1-2 16, Kelsi Wells 8-9 4-4 22, Cydney Tibbitts 4-7 2-3 12, Brooke Larson 5-7 0-0 11, Katie Walker 1-4 0-0 3, Amy Krommenhoek 3-5 0-1 7, Tia Pappas 2-7 1-3 5, Brooke Blonquist 2-5 3-4 7, Olivia Peirce-Eiselein 35-63 12-19 90.

Halftime: WC 48-24. Total fouls: DSU 12, WC 12. 3-point goals: DSU 1-10 (Nadeau 1-4, Duran 0-3, Jelly 0-1, Shepherd 0-1, Manuatu 0-1), WC 10-27 (Eastman 2-5, Yazzie 1-5, Wells 2-3, Tibbitts 2-4, Larsen 1-1, Walker 1-3, Krommenhoek 1-3, Pappas 0-3). Rebounds: DSU 28 (three with 4), WC 37 (Tibbitts 9). Assists: DSU 8 (Degel 2, Nadeau 2), WC 28 (Yazzie 7). Steals: DSU 5 (Duran 2, Manuatu 2), WC 15 (Pappas 6). Blocks: DSU 1 (Degel), WC 4 (Larsen 2). Turnovers: DSU 20 (Moore 6), WC 6 (six with 1).

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