CEDAR CITY, Utah - Dec. 17 - Southern Utah women's basketball snapped a seven-game losing skid with a 58-54 win over the Pilots of the University of Portland on Monday night. Anne Westwood led the way with a game-high 21 points and 10 rebounds for her third double-double of the season as SUU improved to 2-7 while UP dropped to 7-5.

"I thought we showed a great deal of maturity tonight," head coach Steve Hodson said after the game. "Each run was countered with a run and we executed well down the stretch."

Neither team held much of an advantage in the first half as the lead swapped hands on three occasions with the score tied seven times in the first 20 minutes. Portland maintained a lead for the first 10 minutes of the game until a Westwood layup and an Erin Heuett jumper tilted the scales to the Thunderbirds' favor.

The Pilots countered with another run and built a seven-point lead with four minutes in the half, but SUU once again answered and finished the half on an 11-4 run to tie the game at 27-27 going into the break.

Following the locker room speeches, Southern Utah carried over its momentum of the first half and built its largest lead of the game at six (38-32) five minutes into the half. UP's Allyson Sievers hit a jumper with six minutes remaining on the clock to cap a 9-3 run over a four-minute span for the Pilots to tie the game for the eighth time during the evening. The score was once again knotted at 52-52 with two minutes remaining on the clock, but Southern Utah did not fold as Westwood's layup and two free throws bookended a Heuett jumper to seal the win for the Thunderbirds.

Heuett joined Westwood in double figures with 12 points, eight rebounds and three steals. Laiken Dollente led the Pilots with 12 points, two assists and block and a steal.

Southern Utah will finish the week at Idaho State on Thursday night before breaking for the Christmas Holidays. Tip-off for the game with the Bengals is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.

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