Junior guard Payton Gruber came off the bench to tally a game-high 19 points as the Westminster College Lady Blue Jays trampled the Blackburn (Ill.) College Lady Beavers in Saturday's 88-45 SLIAC home romp.
The runaway victory was the second in a row for Westminster College (7-4, 3-2 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference), which shot a blistering 63 percent (19-of-30) in the first half and rolled into halftime with an imposing 56-16 lead.
Gruber was 7-of-12 from the field - burying 5-of-9 3-pointers - to power four players in double figures for the Lady Blue Jays, who shot 53 percent (31-of-58) overall and 52 percent (14-of-27) from behind the arc. Senior guard Mackenzie Haddox recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 assists, while junior forward Andrea Zalis chipped in with 12 points and senior guard Kasey Gatson provided 10.
Zalis and junior forward Krista Armontrout both had seven rebounds to lift Westminster to a dominant 46-29 advantage on the boards.
Angela Andrews logged 12 points in a reserve role to guide Blackburn College (2-10, 2-3), which shot a dreadful 28 percent (16-of-57) from the field. Candace Pollock also had 11 points.
The Lady Blue Jays travel to St. Louis for a SLIAC encounter with Webster University at 6 p.m. Wednesday.