SALT LAKE CITY  A four-point deficit was erased by a 6-0 run across the middle of second-half action, and visiting Western Colorado never again trailed in its 76-67 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball win Friday evening over Westminster College.

Those six unanswered points flipped a 47-43 Griffins lead into not only a 49-47 Mountaineer advantage, but also a reversal of momentum. In a game within which the difference on the scoreboard was most often two points or less, Western outscored Westminster 33-20 over the final nine minutes.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western Colorado def. Westminster, 76-67
Records: Western Colorado 5-13 (4-8 RMAC), Westminster 8-11 (6-7)
Location: Behnken Field House; Salt Lake City, Utah

HOW IT HAPPENED

• A Matthew Ragsdale runner down the left side of the key initiated that turnaround run.
• Avery Rembao dropped in a pair of free throws to tie the game, and Ragsdale made a steal and easy layup on Westminster's ensuing possession to elevate the Mountaineers in front.
• A jumper from Ragsdale pushed the lead and then consecutive 3-pointers by Ragsdale fueled the momentum.
• Over the final 3:30 Western rained in consecutive 3s by Remboa, Will Willis and again by Rembao, then registered an 8-for-8 free throw string down the stretch to cement the victory.

COURT NOTES

• Ragsdale finished with a game-high 25 points, while Willis chimed in with 17 and Rembao added 16.
• Elijah Davidson scored six points, but his nine rebounds – seven in the defensive end – and four blocks were major contributors to the victory.
• Westminster saw three players reach double digits in scoring, paced by Reme Torbert's 15 points.
• The rebounding edge leaned slightly in Western's favor, 40-36, but the Mountaineers' defensive efforts were a bigger factor, limiting the Griffins to a 38 percent night from the floor.

UP NEXT
Western continues its weekend road trip with a Saturday conference game at Colorado Mesa University.
Westminster hosts Fort Lewis College Saturday in an RMAC match-up.