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SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster men's basketball team completes the 2011 regular season with two road games within the Frontier Conference. No. 16 Westminster plays Montana State-Northern on Friday, February 25 and then Great Falls on Saturday, February 26. Both games will begin at 8 p.m.
Westminster enters the final weekend at 20-4 overall and 8-4 in the Frontier Conference. They are in a four-way tie for first in the league and can clinch at least a share of a fourth straight title with two wins. Westminster is 4-4 in road games this season and 2-3 in road conference games. They are coming off a 95-81 win over Lewis-Clark State on the road last Saturday.
The Griffins are scoring 77.4 points per game to lead the Frontier Conference. They also shoot 50% from the floor to rank fifth in the NAIA while the 76.1% they shoot at the foul line is second nationally. Defensively, Westminster holds the opposition to 67.2 points per game and a shooting percentage of 44.3%.
Michael Stockton leads the team in scoring at 18.2 points per night and shoots 55.4% from the field.
Jake Orchard averages 16.8 points per contest and leads the Frontier a 56.1% field goal percentage.
About the Lights
Montana State-Northern begins the week at 19-8 overall and 8-4 in the Frontier Conference. They suffered a 56-47 loss at Carroll last Saturday to snap a four-game winning streak. The Lights are 12-0 at home this season including 5-0 in Frontier Conference games. Shaun Tatarka leads the team in scoring at 12.9 points per game while also posting 77 assists and 52 steals. He ranks 21st in the NAIA with 2.6 makes from beyond the arc per game.
About the Argonauts
Great Falls enters the final weekend at 11-16 overall and 4-8 in the Frontier Conference. They snapped a two-game losing streak with an 83-77 win over Rocky Mountain College last Saturday. The Argos are 7-4 at home this season and 3-2 in conference. Mark Celaya leads the Argos at 16.1 points per game while Melvin Williams leads the NAIA in steals with 89 and 3.3 per game.
Video Streaming
Both games will be available to watch online with live video streaming. Fans can access the live video by visiting WestminsterGriffins.com on game day and following the links provided.
Live Stats
Live Stats will be available for both games during the road trip. The stat feed is available through the DakStats Web Cast site at www.dakstats.com/naia or by visiting WestminsterGriffins.com.
Conference Tournament
Westminster has clinched a home game during the quarterfinals of the Frontier Conference Tournament. They are still in the hunt for home games throughout the whole tournament depending on results from this weekend. The quarterfinals will be held on Wednesday, March 2 at the home of the top four seeds. The semi-finals and championship will be held on Saturday, March 5 and Tuesday, March 7 respectively. All games will begin at 7 p.m.
Dynamic Duo
Westminster holds one of the top 1-2 punches in the NAIA entering the final weekend.
Jake Orchard and
Michael Stockton combine to average 34.92 points per game with each shooting above 55% from the field. They are the fifth-highest scoring duo in the NAIA and the only two teammates in the top 15 in field goal percentage. The pair can also be found in the NAIA top 50 in free throw percentage and steals. Stockton also ranks in the top 50 in assists and assist-to-turnover ratio.
Quest for Four
Westminster is looking for a fourth consecutive Frontier Conference championship in 2011. The Griffins have won seven conference titles since the program was reinstated in 1999. They enter this week tied with three other teams for first in the league at 8-4. Should they win out, Westminster will clinch at least a share of the regular season title.
Nothing but Net
Westminster is rated in the Frontier Conference's top five in all three shooting percentage categories. The Griffins lead the conference in field goal percentage by shooting 50% from the field. They are also tops in the conference at the foul line at 76.1% and fifth in 3-point shooting at 35.3%. They rank fifth nationally in field goal percentage and second in free throw percentage. The Griffins have a True Shooting Percentage of 61%. True shooting percentage is a measure of shooting efficiency that takes into account field goals, 3-point field goals, and free throws.
Massey Ratings
Westminster is rated 14th in the latest Massey Ratings that were released on February 19. The Griffins have a rating of 0.854 and are the top rated team in the Frontier Conference. According to the ratings, Westminster has played at 15th-toughest schedule and the Frontier Conference is the second-best conference.
NAIA Coaches' Poll
After falling out of the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll two weeks back for the first time in 31 polls, Westminster has now been ranked for two consecutive weeks. Westminster is ranked No. 16 in this week's poll which is up six spots from last week. Montana Western is in the poll at No. 21 with MSU-Northern and Carroll among the others receiving votes.
Home Cooking
Since the Behnken Field House opened in 2005, Westminster has gone 71-7 at home. The .910 winning percentage is tops in the Frontier Conference during that time. The Griffins are 12-1 at home this season. Westminster is 38-4 (.905) at home in Frontier Conference action in Behnken. The two home losses last season was the first time the team had lost twice at home in a season in that time span.
Looking Ahead
Westminster will play host to a quarterfinal game of the Frontier Conference Tournament on Wednesday, March 2. The opponent is yet to be determined and the game will begin at 7 p.m. in the Behnken Field House.
