SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team controlled the second half at Westminster College Saturday and collected a 63-53 win over the Griffins.  The Mountain Lions rebounded after Friday's setback to nationally-ranked Dixie State University to notch their eighth win of the season (8-4, 4-3 RMAC).
 
Both teams traded leads until Enzo Sechi drained a three-pointer at 8:15 in the first half that gave the Mountain Lions a 24-22 lead they would not relinquish.  Sechi's trey also sparked a 10-2 run by UCCS that they used to take a 31-29 lead into halftime.
 
The Mountain Lions controlled the second half, holding Westminster to only a 26.9 field goal shooting mark (7-of-26), including 20 percent from long range (3-of-15) and only 38.9 percent from the free throw line (7-of-18).  Early in the second half, UCCS went on a 13-4 run over a six-minute span and went on to tally their largest lead of the game, 52-38, with just over nine minutes left in regulation.
 
UCCS shot 44.8 percent from the floor in the first half and sank 37.5 percent in the second half.  After not having a free throw attempt in the first 20 minutes of action, UCCS finished the game making 8-of-10 from charity stripe.
 
Alijah Comithier led four Mountain Lions in double figures.  Comithier made 5-of-9 from the floor as part of his 13 points and added two rebounds, three assists and a steal.
 
Blend Avdili and Parker Gaddis each netted 12 points.  Avidli chipped in five rebounds, five assists and a steal, while Gaddis was one rebound shy of double-double. 
 
Padiet Wang closed out the game with his own double-double, snagging 11 rebounds and scoring 10 points to go with three dimes and a steal.
 
Joonas Tahvanainen paced the Griffins with 13 points.
 
UCCS ruled the boards, out-rebounding the Griffins by 12, 42-30.
 
The Mountain Lions will play host to Fort Lewis College and Adams State University Jan. 10-11.  Both games will tip-off at 7:30 p.m. from Gallogly Events Center.