WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- UT Tyler led at halftime before Westminster rallied to win in the second half, posting a 61-54 victory over the Patriots Saturday to wrap up the opening weekend of the 2019-20 women's basketball season at the Ashbrook Classic hosted by Midwestern State.

Beezy Birchette was back in double figures for the second straight game, scoring a team-high 14 points to go with 9 rebounds as she was named to the all-tournament team. The Patriots featured a balanced scoring effort, with five other players scoring at least six points, and Lauren Riles grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds.

With the defeat, UT Tyler dropped to 0-2 on the young season, while Westminster improved to 2-0.

How It Happened: UT Tyler answered an early Westminster three-pointer with a 7-0 run, as Beezy Birchette hit a three at the other end and followed it with a layup with an assist from Lauren Riles the next trip down the court. The Patriots trailed by an 11-10 margin after the opening quarter, but Addyson Moseley knocked down a pair of three-pointers in the second quarter as UT Tyler took a 24-21 halftime lead.

The second half started just like the first half, as the teams traded three-pointers, with Birchette hitting another three-pointer with 8:58 left in the third quarter to give UT Tyler a 26-24 lead. From there, the Griffins scored nine straight, taking the lead for good while extending the lead into double digits, 39-28, on a Kaylee Carlsen three-pointer later in the third quarter. Moseley and Tyreesha Blaylock each hit three-pointers in the final 1:11 of the third quarter to close the gap to 41-37 after three quarters.

Kelsey Crouse opened the fourth quarter with a three-pointer, cutting the lead to 41-40, but Westminster responded with a 10-3 run to push the lead back to eight points, 51-43, with 5:21 remaining in the game. The closest the Patriots got the rest of the way was in the final minute, when a Crouse layup with 43 seconds left pulled UT Tyler within three, 57-54, but Westminster went 4-for-4 from the free throw line down the stretch to hang on for the win.

Turning Point: Westminster gained separation in the fourth quarter during a 4-minute, 36-second stretch between UT Tyler field goal makes. Lauren Riles scored with an assist from Birchette with 8:41 remaining in the game, but the Patriots only scored one point on a free throw over the next 4:36, as Westminster scored seven during the stretch to extend the lead to eight points, 51-43. That provided just enough of a cushion to keep the Griffins in front down the stretch.

UT Tyler Standouts: Beezy Birchette tallied 14 points and 9 rebounds en route to all-tournament honors, finishing the opening weekend with 26 points and 18 rebounds. Lauren Riles grabbed a game-high 13 rebounds and scored 6 points with 2 blocks, while Tyreesha Blaylock added 11 points for the Patriots. Kelsey Crouse scored 8 points and added team-highs of 3 assists and 2 steals , and Addyson Moseley hit 3-of-6 three-pointers to finish with 9 points.

Westminster Standouts: Mariah Martin scored a game-high 21 points for the Griffins, while Sarah McGinley added 17 points and 8 rebounds. Kaitlin Toluono was Westminster's leading rebounder, grabbing 10 boards while scoring 8 points, and Kaylee Carlsen tallied 7 points to go with a game-high 5 assists.

By The Numbers: Westminster finished with the better overall shooting percentage in the contest, shooting 38 percent (21-for-56) to UT Tyler's 33 percent (19-for-58)… However, the Patriots were better from long distance, hitting 11-for-27 (.407) on three-pointers while the Griffins were 10-for-29 (.345) from distance… Only six players appeared in the game for Westminster, with all five starters logging over 30 minutes while the lone substitute, Rian Rawlings, played 22 minutes… UT Tyler claimed the edge in rebounds with a 39-36 margin, converting 14 offensive rebounds into a 14-8 edge in second chance points… Westminster registered a 23-8 advantage in points off turnovers.

What's Next: UT Tyler returns to action for its home opener on Monday, Nov. 11, when the Patriots host Texas College at the Herrington Patriot Center at 5:30 p.m.