Box Score
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – For much of the season, Minot State University has been plagued with slow starts.

That wasn't the case Friday against No. 10  ranked NAIA Division I Westminster College as the Beavers led by as many as 10 in the first half.

But the Beavers struggled for a seven minute stretch in the second half and that was all the Griffins needed as they fended off MSU 87-74 in the second game Westminster Tournament Friday at Behnken Fieldhouse.

Westminster used a 19-0 run spanning the end of the first half and the start of the second to erase an early MSU lead to go up 39-31. The Griffins stretched it to 46-35 on a basket by Orchard with 15:43 to play in the second half.

MSU (1-11 overall) didn't go away, cutting the lead to two possessions multiple times in the second half but couldn't get closer than four, the final time on a free throw by Adam Randall (R-Fr., G, Steele, N.D.) to cut the lead to 57-53 with 8:52 to play.

The Beavers shot the ball well most of the night, hitting 48 percent (27 of 56) of their shots from the floor, including 8 for 18 on 3-pointers. But Westminster (11-2 overall) was simply better on offense, knocking down 56 percent from the floor and 74 percent of its free throws in the win. Westminster outscored MSU 17-12 from the free-throw line despite taking one less shot from the charity stripe.

Ben Walker paced five Griffins in double figures with 19 points. Orchard added 18 points, Jordan Hayter 15 and Alex Drecksel and Drew Phillips chipped in with 10 each.

Josh Johnson (Jr., F, Lufkin, Texas) scored 19 points to pace the Beavers. Randall added 15 points, while Jonas Pollard (Sr., G, Mesa, Ariz.) finished with 11. Thomas Korf (R-Fr., F, St. Cloud, Minn.) led the Beavers with seven rebounds and added eight points. Yonas Behre (Jr., G, Toronto, Ontario) scored nine points and finished with a team-high five assists for the Beavers.

Minot State will finish the tournament with a 5 p.m. (MT) game against Rocky Mountain College (Mont.).