Complete release in PDF format
SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster men's basketball team looks to snap a two-game losing skid with the final home games of the regular season this week. Westminster welcomes Rocky Mountain College to the Behnken Field House on Thursday, February 10 at 7:30 p.m. Carroll College comes to town on Saturday, February 12 again at 7:30 p.m.
Thursday's game is camper reunion night with all Westminster campers receiving free admission by wearing their camp shirt. Saturday is Senior Night with
Michael Stockton being honored prior to the game. Fans are encouraged to wear white as part of the “White Out” along with Tom Steinke being honored as the first Westminster Athletics Hall of Fame inductee at halftime of the men's game.
Westminster is 17-6 entering the week and fourth in the Frontier Conference with a 5-4 record. They have suffered back-to-back losses for the second time this season. The Griffins are scoring 75.4 points per game and shoot a conference-best 49.1% from the floor. The team also has a 1.14 assist-to-turnover ratio which is sixth nationally.
About the Battlin' Bears
Rocky Mountain will visit SLC with a 10-14 overall record and 3-5 in the Frontier Conference. They dropped a 71-62 decision with Carroll last Friday which snapped a two-game winning streak. Rocky blocks 3.7 shots per night and ranks 20th nationally in that category. EJ Ross leads the Bears in scoring at 14.8 points per game and shoots 41.9% from the field. Mark Desin has a team-best 40 assists and 21 steals.
About the Saints
Carroll enters the week at 15-6 overall and 5-3 in the conference. They are riding a two-game winning streak and are winners in three of the last four they have played. The Saints rank 17th in the NAIA in allowing just 65.2 points per game. Andy Garland leads the team in scoring at 18.2 points per game while grabbing a team-leading 7.7 rebounds. Nick Jones has a team-best 42 assists while Byago Diouf has 22 steals.
Griffins TV
Both games this week will be broadcast live on Griffins TV. Mike Lageschulte will handle the play-by-play duties with Lance Barton providing color commentary. The broadcast begins about 15 minutes prior to tipoff with the pregame show. Head coach Tommy Connor joins the guys in the postgame.
Live Stats
Live Stats will be available for both games this week. Fans can access the Live Stats at WestminsterGriffins.com with the feed going live about 10 minutes prior to tipoff.
All-American Numbers
Senior guard
Michael Stockton is a serious All-American candidate this season. Stockton ranks in the top 20 in the Frontier Conference in seven statistical categories. He is third in scoring at 17.6 points per game and tops in field goal percentage at 54.7%. He also ranks second in assists, second in assist/turnover ratio, third in free throw percentage, and third in steals. Stockton is also in the NAIA Top 50 in six of those categories including 29th in scoring and 20th in assists.
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 one game behind Montana Western for the top spot in the conference.
Playoff Picture
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, Westminster currently site fourth in the standings. If the playoffs started this week, the Griffins would host a quarterfinal game against Lewis-Clark State on Wednesday, March 2. The semi-finals are scheduled for Saturday, March 5 and the championship on Tuesday, March 8.
Massey Ratings
Westminster is rated 17th in the latest Massey Ratings that were released on February 6. The Griffins have a rating of 0.769 and are the top rated team in the Frontier Conference. According to the ratings, Westminster has played at 17th-toughest schedule and the Frontier Conference is the second-best conference.
NAIA Coaches' Poll
For the first time in 31 polls, Westminster is not ranked in this week's NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Westminster sits among the others receiving votes with seven points in the February 7 poll. The last time Westminster was not ranked in the top 25 was on March 5, 2008. The Griffins have received votes in 43 consecutive polls.
Home Cooking
Since the Behnken Field House opened in 2005, Westminster has gone 69-7 at home. The .908 winning percentage is tops in the Frontier Conference during that time. The Griffins are 10-1 at home this season. Westminster is 36-4 (.900) 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 begin the season-ending three-game road trip with a visit to Lewiston, Idaho to face Lewis-Clark State. The game will begin at 9:00 p.m. on Saturday, February 19.