SALT LAKE CITY – The 15th-ranked Westminster men's basketball team travels to Idaho this weekend to play a pair of road contests. Westminster will play at College of Idaho on Friday before taking on Northwest Nazarene University (Idaho) on Saturday.
On the Web: Both games will be available to watch online and have live stats available. Links for the live features are available at WestminsterGriffins.com.
Griffin Fast Break: Westminster will look to snap a four-game losing streak to open the season. This is the first time in school history the team has been 0-4 to open a season and they have never started worse than 2-4 through six games. The Griffins have only held a lead for 25:02 minutes of play this season or 15.6 percent of the total action.
Offense Notebook: The Griffins are scoring just 63.75 points per game through the first four games of play and they are eighth in the Frontier Conference in scoring average. The team shoots 41.3 percent from the floor and 34.1 percent from beyond the arc. They place 46th in the NAIA by making 7.0 threes per game and they notch 12.75 assists per contest.
Defense Notebook: Westminster opponents are putting up 77.25 points per game and they are shooting 45.9 percent from the field. Three of the four opponents have scored at least 70 points and two shot above 50 percent from the floor. The Griffins rank 33rd in the NAIA by holding opponents to 30.6 percent from beyond the arc. They are creating 13.75 turnovers pre night and getting 6.0 steals per game.
Leaders: Jordan Pryor and
Kenny Woodard are tied for the team lead in scoring at 11.5 points per game.
Quincy Bair is right behind them at 10.3 points per game.
Nick Jenson leads all Griffins with 26 rebounds, including nine offensive boards. Woodard has team highs in assists (15) and steals (5) while Jenson and
Isaiah Tademy are tops with two blocked shots.
Looking Back: The Griffins dropped two games at the Las Vegas Tipoff last weekend. The trip began with a 74-62 loss against No. 1 Vanguard University (Calif.) and then was followed with a 67-52 loss to Concordia University (Calif.). Woodard averaged 15 points per game during the two games to lead the Griffins.
Casey Evans averaged 11 points in the two games and Jenson finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Concordia.
In the Polls: Westminster carries a No. 15 national ranking according to the 2014 - 15 NAIA Division I Men's Basketball Coaches' Preseason Top 25 Poll, the national office announced on Oct. 28. The Griffins received 115 points to sit tied with Dalton State (Ga.). They have now been ranked in 72 polls all-time and in the previous six polls dating back to last season.
Frontier Favorites: In a poll of the Frontier Conference coaches, Westminster was selected as the favorite to win the conference title this season. They received four first-place votes and finished with 42 total points to take the top spot. Defending regular season and tournament champion Rocky Mountain (Mont.) was picked to finish second after receiving 41 points and two first-place votes. Montana State-Northern and Montana Western each received one first-place vote.
Busy Home Slate: Head Coach
Adam Hiatt has put together a challenging schedule that features 15 home games and four teams that made the 2014 NAIA National Championships. Eight of those 15 home contests come before the end of 2014, including a span of five straight from Nov. 28 – Dec. 20.
Home Dominance: Westminster has been tough to beat in the Behnken Field House since it opened in 2006. While the Griffins have always been good at home, going 164-32 (.837) since the program was reinstated in 1999, they have compiled a 99-17 (.853) mark in their current home.
Playing Ranked Opponents: After falling to top-ranked vanguard on Friday, Westminster will now look forward to upcoming games against teams ranked in the NAIA Coaches' Top 25 Poll. Friday's opponent, College of Idaho, is currently No. 7 in the NAIA D-II poll. The Griffins will then face D-I ranked foes in No. 6 St. Gregory's University (Okla.) and No. 3 Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 28 and 29 respectively at the Westminster Thanksgiving Classic.
Bombs Away: Through the first four games of the season, Westminster has been using the three-point shot as a key part of the offense. They have made 28 threes so far this season and they are fifth in the Frontier Conference by making seven treys per game. That average ranks 46th in the NAIA and they sit 47th in the country by shooting 34.1 percent from three-point territory.
Performance from Pryor: After scoring a career-high 312 points last season, expectations are high this season for
Jordan Pryor. The junior was named preseason all-conference after being selected as the Frontier Sixth-Man of the Year last season. Pryor is currently scoring 11.5 points per game and making 2.75 threes per outing. He opened the season with 20 points against Colorado School of Mines and then scored 18 against Colorado State University-Pueblo. Pryor has made at least one triple in six straight games dating back to last season.
Crashing Jenson: Nick Jenson is averaging 9.3 points per game this season and he leads all Griffins with 26 rebounds. His 6.5 rebounds per game rank fifth in the Frontier and he also sits fifth by grabbing 2.25 offensive rebounds per night. Jenson is shooting 72 percent from the floor on the year and notched his fourth career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Concordia on Saturday.
Give and Take: Kenny Woodard has started at point guard in all four games this season. After being held scoreless in the opener against Colorado Mines, Woodard has gone for 46 points in the past three games and is currently tied for the team lead at 11.5 points per game. He has a team-best 15 assists and five steals on the season and ranks third in the conference at 3.75 assists per game. Woodard also places 39th in the NAIA by shooting 83.3 percent at the foul line, going 15-of-18 so far this season. He scored a career-high 21 points with eight rebounds, four assists and one steal against Vanguard on Friday.
Bits for Bair: Quincy Bair has been involved in a little bit of everything for the Griffins this season. He currently sits third on the team in scoring at 10.25 points per game and he is shooting 45.7 percent from the floor. Bair has grabbed 15 rebounds and has eight assists, three steals and one block on the year. He finished with a season-high 18 points against Colorado State-Pueblo on Nov. 7.
Walker Debut: William Walker has scored 18 points with 11 rebounds on the season while averaging 12.5 minutes per game off the bench. He went for 10 points and five rebounds in his Westminster debut against Colorado Mines on Oct. 31.
Shoot the Moon: Colton Moon plays his senior season among the top 10 in school history in six statistical categories. His 113 career made threes are the sixth-most in school history as are his 295 attempted triples. He ranks 10th all-time with 179 assists and his 113 career steals ranks fourth in school history. This season, Moon has recorded seven assists and six steals, including three against Concordia on Saturday.
Bamgartner off the Bench: Trevor Bamgartner leads all reserves with an average of 22.5 minutes per game off the bench. The junior averages 3.75 points per game and is shooting 37.5 percent from beyond the arc. He has pulled in 12 rebounds on the season, including four on the offensive end. Bamgartner scored a career-high nine points with six rebounds in the loss to CSU-Pueblo on Nov. 7.
Follow the Griffins: Fans are encouraged to follow the Westminster men's basketball team on their Instagram and Twitter feeds for fun behind the scenes information from the team. You can also get all of the latest news about the Griffins through the Westminster Athletics social media outlets. You can find all of the social media information at WestminsterGriffins.com.
Looking Ahead: Westminster returns to the Behnken Field House next weekend as they play host to the annual Westminster Thanksgiving Classic. The Griffins face No. 6 St. Gregory's on Nov. 28 before battling No. 3 Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 29.
