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SALT LAKE CITY – The third-ranked Westminster College women's basketball team remains at home for a pair of games this week starting with a Thursday contest with Rocky Mountain (Mont.). The Griffins will then host No. 14 Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) on Saturday in the NAIA Game of the Week. Both games will tip at 5:30 p.m. MST from the Behnken Field House.
FOLLOW THE ACTION
Both games will be carried live on Griffins TV and will also be shown on Comcast 6 in northern Utah. Mike Lageschulte handles the play-by-play with analyst Lance Barton. Live stats will also be available for both of the games. Links for all of the live features are available by
clicking here.
GRIFFIN NOTES
The Griffins enter the week at 12-2 on the season and riding a season-long five-game winning streak. They are a perfect 6-0 in Frontier Conference action and are currently one-half game behind Lewis-Clark State for first place. The Griffins are 5-0 at home during the year, including a 76-43 win over Montana Western last Saturday.
With a scoring average of 69.21 points per game, Westminster ranks fifth in the Frontier while leading the conference by shooting 45.9 percent from the field. The Griffins are the nation's top 3-point shooting team by making 40.8 percent from deep while making 8.21 threes per night to place ninth in the country. They are averaging 16.14 assists per night and are second in the NAIA with a 1.37 assist-to-turnover ratio.
The Griffins are one of the top defensive teams in the country and are currently holding the opposition to 55.79 points per game to place fifth in the NAIA. Griffin opponents shoot 39.5 percent from the floor and 31.8 percent from beyond the arc. Westminster allows just 30.21 rebounds per game while forcing 15.64 turnovers per game with an average of 8.50 steals.
Alli Blake is sixth in the Frontier in scoring at 14 points per game. She leads the conference by shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and is also recording 4.64 assists per game.
Shelby Ellsworth scores 11.29 points per game while grabbing a team-best 6.36 rebounds during games.
Tia Pappas gets 9.43 points and leads the team with 29 steals.
NATIONAL RANKING
Westminster received 230 points and moved up one position to No. 3 in the fourth edition of the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll that was released on Tuesday. This is the highest the Griffins have been ranked this season and matches the highest they have ever been ranked. They last held the No. 3 spot in the poll was Feb. 19, 2013 and that was the only other time they had been this high. The Griffins have now been ranked in the Top 25 for a school-record 28 consecutive polls dating back to Dec. 12, 2011. They have also spent the last 17 polls inside the top five which is the longest active streak in the country.
BOMBS AWAY
Westminster continues its hot shooting from beyond the arc this season. The Griffins rank ninth in the NAIA by making 8.21 triples per contest and they lead the country by making 40.8 percent from beyond the arc. They have recorded at least five threes in every game and hit at least eight treys on nine occasions.
Alli Winters is the top 3-point shooter in the NAIA as the junior makes 60.3 percent of her long range attempts. She is 19th in the country by making 2.50 triples per outing and has made three or more in a game eight times. During a five game span earlier this season, Winters went 18-of-24 (75%) with a season-high six at Montana Western on Dec. 7.
Amy Krommenhoek is shooting 45.0 percent from long range to place eighth in the NAIA with
Kelsi Wells placing 34th by making 38.3 percent from deep.
FRONTIER DOMINANCE
Going back to the start of the 2008-09 season, Westminster has dominated the Frontier Conference to the tune of a 72-5 (.935) mark. They have won five straight regular season titles and have only dropped more than one league game one time. During that span, only Lewis-Clark State (Idaho) at 55-23 (.705) and Montana State-Northern at 41-38 (.519) have winning records in Frontier action. The Griffins have won 17 straight home conference games, going undefeated at home in league play for two straight seasons.
BALL CONTROL
While the Griffins are fifth in the Frontier by scoring 69.21 points per game, they are efficient with the basketball. Westminster is averaging 108.3 points per 100 possessions while posting 16.14 assists per game to place 15th in the NAIA. They rank second in the country with a 1.37 assist-to-turnover ratio and fifth by holding the opposition to 55.79 points per night. Griffin opponents are scoring 87.3 points per 100 possessions and are committing 15.65 turnovers per game.
THE BLAKE SHOW
Senior
Alli Blake has been doing a little bit of everything for the Griffins this season. She currently leads the team in scoring at 14 points per game to place sixth in the Frontier. Blake has been named the Frontier Conference Player of the Week two times in the past four weeks. During that seven game span, Blake is averaging 16.3 points, 6.4 rebounds and 4.7 assist per game. She has scored in double figures 10 times this season and twice gone for at least 20, including a 29 point performance in the win at MSU-Northern on Jan. 11.
Blake is sixth in the NAIA by shooting 53.6 percent from the floor and 17th by handing out 4.64 assist per game. She has led the team in assists in nine games while twice going for at least seven assists. Blake is also averaging 5.07 rebounds per night with 30 of her 71 total rebounds coming on the offensive end.
WELCOME BACK ELLSWORTH
Sophomore
Shelby Ellsworth returns after sitting out last season with a knee injury. Ellsworth posted the first 20-20 game in school history when she had 23 points and 20 rebounds in a game versus Cal Maritime in 2010. This season, Ellsworth is second on the team in scoring at 11.29 points per game and she has been in double figures on 10 occasions. She recorded her first double-double of the year with 14 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Great Falls (Mont.) on Jan. 10.
LOOKING AHEAD
It's back to the road next week for games at Dickinson State (N.D.) on Jan. 30 and then at Rocky Mountain on Feb. 1.
