GUNNISON, Colo.  Thirteen unanswered points to begin the game was the quick start Western Colorado was looking for on Senior Night against visiting Westminster University, and it propelled the Mountaineers to a 77-59 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball win Tuesday night.

The victory was the Mountaineers' seventh straight and the 20th of the season, a win total last achieved in the 20-win, 2019-20 season.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: Western def. Westminster, 77-59
Records: Western 20-6 overall (15-4 RMAC), Westminster 6-21 (5-14)
Location: Paul Wright Gym, Gunnison, Colo.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Both teams missed chances in the opening minutes, Rachel Cockman finally breaking the two-minute drought with a layup at the 8:03 mark.
• That opened the door in the offensive end for the Mountaineers while they kept it slammed shut on the Griffins in the defensive end.
• Cockman added a jumper followed by layups from Ivey Schmidt, Alyssa Eckroth and Chloe Daniels as the Western inside game was making its mark.
• The score had grown to 13-0 before Westminster could hit its first basket, finally getting on the scoreboard with only 53 seconds left in the first quarter.
• The Mountaineers built the advantage to 19 points late in the second quarter and took a 33-17 lead into the halftime break.
• Westminster came out of recess with renewed vigor, though, trimming its deficit to 11 just two minutes into the quarter. But Western regained some of that first-half momentum to close out the frame with a 51-35 lead.
• Both teams caught fire in the fourth quarter with 20-plus points apiece, but the Mountaineers were able to stay in command to finish out the 18-point win.

COURT NOTES

• Prior to the game Western honored Cockman, Rachel Novak, Brooke Seymour and Jayde Tschritter with a Senior Night ceremony. With each on the court late in the fourth quarter, head coach Adam Jacobson subbed them out one by one in the final minutes to the applause of the home fans.
• Schmidt finished the night with a game-high 21 points, her second consecutive game and third in the last four with 20 or more points. Cockman added to Western's total with 17 points and Eckroth chimed in with 15, her second consecutive double-digit game. The trio combined for 53 of the Mountaineers' 77 points.
• Westminster was able to keep its upset hopes alive with a strong night off the glass, out rebounding the RMAC-leading Mountaineers, 41-39. The Griffins' 14 offensive rebounds turned into 18 second-chance points.
• Those second-chance points were vital as Western had a solid night shooting, finishing at 48 percent. They limited Westminster to a 33% evening, skewed, though, by a 1-for-17 first quarter.

NEXT UP

• Western will close out the regular season with a trip to Grand Junction, Colo., to take on 25th-ranked Colorado Mesa University on Saturday at 1 p.m.
• The Mountaineers have clinched at least the No. 2 in next week's RMAC tournament and will host a first-round game on Tuesday, March 4, against a to-be-determined opponent.