Complete Release | PDF

SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster College men's basketball team is back on the road this weekend as they travel to Klamath Falls, Ore. to play in the Midland Empire Classic. Westminster faces Southern Oregon on Friday at 4 p.m. MST before facing the host, Oregon Tech, on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. MST. Both games will be played at Danny Miles Court on the Oregon Tech campus.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
Every game of the Midland Empire Classic will be streamed live on the web and be available in HD. Live Stats are also available for the games. Links for all of the live features can be found by clicking here.

GRIFFIN NOTES
Westminster visits the Pacific Northwest at 4-2 on the season and coming off a 1-1 record last weekend at the Golden Rule Shootout. The Griffins lost to College of Idaho, 90-71, last Friday and then they defeated Eastern Oregon 73-66 on Saturday.

The Griffins are 3-1 this season in games played away from home. They are 2-0 in neutral site games and 1-1 in road games. Dating back to last season, Westminster is 6-4 over the last 10 games they have played and 3-2 in the past five contests.

For the season, the Griffins are averaging 72 points per game while shooting 40.4 percent from the field. They are off to a slow start from beyond the arc, making just 28.6 percent from deep. Westminster shoots 61.3 percent at the foul line while averaging nine assists per contest.

On the defensive end, Westminster is giving up 71.7 points per game and limiting the opposition to 40.6 percent shooting. In six games, Griffin opponents are making 32.7 percent from beyond the arc and 68.2 percent at the foul line. Westminster has forced 109 turnovers with 65 steals and 14 blocked shots.

Seniors Tallon Robertson and Blake Skidmore are the top two scorers on the team as they combine to average 32.3 points per game. Robertson is scoring 17.7 points per night and is second in the Frontier by collecting 8.17 rebounds per game. Skidmore scores 14.7 points per game and is shooting 43.2 percent from the field. Colton Moon leads the team with 15 assists and 13 steals.

NON-CONFERENCE SUCCESS
Westminster has been very successful in non-conference play during Adam Hiatt's tenure as head coach. Last season, Westminster compiled a 12-2 record in non-conference games. One of those losses came against eighth-ranked Westmont (Calif.) with the other coming in the quarterfinals of the Frontier Conference tournament. Over the past three season, the Griffins are 30-9 in non-conference games for a .769 winning percentage.

FAST STARTERS
The Griffins have a history of getting seasons off to a fast start. In the 14 seasons since the program was reinstated, Westminster is 14-1 in season openers and they have won 12 straight. They have also been stellar in games through the end of November. Since 1999, the Griffins have gone 93-38 (.710) through the end of November. They are 29-5 (.853) over the past four seasons during the opening month plus, including an 8-1 mark last season.

RUN THROUGH ROBERTSON
Senior Tallon Robertson looks to be the focal point of the Griffin offense this season. The forward is averaging 17.7 points per game this season and he has been the team's leading scorer in three of the games they have played. Robertson has been in double figures in all six games and three times gone for at least 20 points.

Robertson also is leading the team with 49 rebounds, including 21 on the offensive end. His 8.17 rebounds per game rank second in the Frontier and 38th in the NAIA. He is also 21st in the country in total rebounds and 29th by collecting 3.5 offensive rebounds per night. Robertson has been in double figures in rebounds in three contests and he is tied for the conference lead with three double-doubles.

SKIDMORE A STARTER
Blake Skidmore's transition to the starting lineup this season is off to a blazing start. The ranks second on the team with 88 points and he is shooting 43.2 percent from the field and 36 percent from beyond the arc. Skidmore has scored in double figures in four of the team's six games, including twice scoring at least 20.

SCORING OFF THE BENCH
Sophomore Jordan Pryor has made a solid contribution off the bench to start the season. The sophomore is averaging 9.2 points per game in 21.5 minutes per game off the bench. Pryor has gone 9-of-21 from beyond the arc and is 12th in the NAIA by shooting 42.9 percent from deep. He has been in double figures in three games with a season-high 16 against Azusa Pacific (Calif.) on Nov. 1.

CLOSING IN ON 50
Head Coach Adam Hiatt enters the week just three wins shy of 50 during his two-plus years as head coach of the Griffins. After starting 4-2, Hiatt now has a career record of 47-21 for a .691 winning percentage. Howard Richardson, Tom Steinke, and Tommy Connor all surpassed 50 wins as head coach at Westminster during their careers. Steinke, a member of the Westminster Hall of Fame, set the school record by earing win No. 50 in just the 69th game he coached.

LOOKING AHEAD
Westminster returns to the Behnken Field House to pay host to the Westminster Thanksgiving Classic. They face College of Idaho on Nov. 29 and Pacific Union on Nov. 30. Both games begin at 7 p.m. MST.