Box Score

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — On the road just hours after Thanksgiving, the Crusaders ran into a bit of "Turkey-lag" Friday afternoon.

After an even start to the game, Northwest Nazarene saw the host Griffins pull away during a four-minute surge that changed the day's momentum and led to an 88-60 win for Westminster, a fledgling NCAA Division II program transitioning from the NAIA level.

Senior point guard Taylor Simmons gave the Crusaders an early 8-5 edge, knocking down a free throw, and a layup by Simmons 40 seconds into the second quarter tied the game, 17-17.

Then the Griffins struck in the blink of an eye, putting together a 15-2 run over a four minute stretch that saw NNU (1-4 overall) go 1-for-5 from the field and commit just two turnovers.

It was just enough for Westminster (3-1) to take control, going up 32-19 with 5 minutes left until halftime.

The Crusaders never managed to battle out of the hole as NNU struggled on offense, hitting just 32.4 percent of its shots (22-of-68).

Meanwhile, the Griffins clicked offensively, sinking 57.4 percent (31-of-54) of their chances to deny any sort of a Crusader comeback.

Lexi Tubbs led the way for NNU with 10 points in the game, while Katie Swanson scored two points and had team-highs of five rebounds and four steals.

The Crusaders now make a quick stop in Nampa before returning to the court at Central Washington on Tuesday night in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference opener for both programs.