Westminster Set for Weekend in St. George
The Westminster men's basketball team will spend Thanksgiving Weekend in St. George, Utah, where they will play a pair of games at the Dixie State/Wingate Thanksgiving Classic. The Griffins will face Western Oregon of the GNAC of Friday. They will then battle Sonoma State from the CCAA on Saturday.
 
Both Westminster games this weekend will tip at 5 p.m. MST in Burns Arena on the Dixie State University campus.
 
Live video and stats will be available during both games with the video being produced by Dixie State. Links for the live video and stats are available by visiting WestminsterGriffins.com/live.
 
Fast Break
> Westminster is coming off a season that they went 14-12 overall and finished 10-12 in RMAC play.
> The Griffins were 8-6 in the Behnken Field House last season.
> The team returns eight players, including three that started every game.
> The Griffins won three preseason games at home last weekend.
 
About the Griffins
Westminster will begin its second season of play at the NCAA Division II level and as a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference on Thursday. The Griffins went 14-12 last season and placed ninth in the RMAC with a 10-12 record in league games. They were 8-6 at home a year ago and 3-0 in home non-conference games.
 
This season's team returns eight players that were on the roster last season and seven that played in at least one game. They have three players returning in Marcus Bryce, Casey Evans, and Zerrion Payton that started all 26 games last season.
 
The returning players accounted for 48 percent of the teams 71.8 points per game last year. That includes the top-two leading scorers in Payton (13.3 points per game) and Evans (12.0). The Griffins shot 44.3 percent from the field and 35.6 percent from beyond the arc a year ago.
 
Westminster opponents averaged 72.2 points per game in 2015-16 and they shot 42.4 percent from the floor. The Griffins grabbed 36.4 rebounds per game and averaged 14.6 assists and 13.2 turnovers.
 
Along with leading the Griffins in scoring, Payton was the team leader in rebounds, assists, and steals. He was second in the RMAC by averaging 4.3 assists per game and was second in the conference at 1.8 steals per game.
 
Fast Starters
Since the men's basketball program was reinstated for the 1999-2000 season Westminster has gone 15-2 in season openers. They have compiled a 14-3 record in home openers during that time and are 8-1 when they season opener is played at home. In all games played during the season's opening weekend the Griffins have gone 24-7. Last season, the Griffins defeated College of Idaho 77-64 in the season opener at the Behnken Field House.
 
Count on 10
Entering this 18th season of the current era of men's basketball, Westminster teams have recorded a double-digit win total every season. They have recorded a winning record in every year except two (1999-00 and 2014-15) with 12 seasons with at least 20 wins. There have been 34 seasons with 10-plus wins in the 40 years of program history at 30 winning season.
 
Mr. Everything
Zerrion Payton returns for his senior season after leading the Griffins in scoring, rebounds, assists, and steals last season. He was the only players in the RMAC to lead his team in all four of those categories and was one of five players that led their team in points and rebound. Payton was named second team all-conference after he scored in double figures 18 times during the season with three 20-point outings.
 
Exciting Evans
Casey Evans finished last season second on the team in scoring at 12.0 points per game. He was one of three Griffins that started all 26 games. Evans shot 47.8 percent from the field and 37.8 percent from three. He averaged 4.5 rebounds per game and had 31 steals and 13 blocked shots. Evans scored in double figures 18 times and led the team in scoring six times.
 
Man in the Middle
Marcus Bryce also started all 26 games last season and averaged 7.4 points per game. He led the team with 26 blocked shots – fourth-most for a single season in team history – and ranked eighth in the RMAC at 1.0 blocks per game. Bryce scored in double figures eight times and shot 50.3 percent from the floor.
 
Opponent Info: Western Oregon
• Western Oregon heads to St. George at 2-2 on the season and 1-0 in neutral site games.
• The Wolves went 0-2 at home last weekend with losses to San Francisco State and UC San Diego.
• Ali Faruq-Bey leads the team in scoring at 14.8 points per game.
• Westminster and Western Oregon will meet for the first time on Friday.
 
Opponent Info: Sonoma State
• Sonoma State starts the week at 3-1 overall and on a three-game winning streak.
• The Seawolves defeated Saint Martin's and Academy of Art at home last weekend.
• Jimmy Golden averages 15.5 points per game to lead the team.
• Westminster has never faced Sonoma State.
 
Following the Griffins
Make sure to like Westminster Griffins on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and You Tube for the latest news about the Griffins. Game updates are provided on Twitter by following @wc_griffins. Fans can stay connected with Westminster men's basketball by following @griffinbasketball on Instagram.
 
Looking Ahead
The Griffins are back in the Behnken Field House next weekend as they open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with two home games. They welcome Western State to town on December 2 and then face Colorado Mesa on December 3. Both games will begin at 7:30 p.m. MST. Tickets for the game are now available for purchaser at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.