SALT LAKE CITY – The Westminster men's basketball team will return to action this weekend with a pair of non-conference home games against Concordia-Alberta in the Behnken Field House. The first game is set for 6 p.m. MT on Friday with the second game slated for 4 p.m. on Saturday.
 
On the Web: Both games will be shown live in Griffins TV with Mike Lageschulte (play-by-play) and Eric Johnson (analyst) calling the action. Griffins TV is available online and on mobile devices and Roku players through the Livestream app. There will also be live stats available for the games with links for all of the live features available on the Westminster athletics web site.
 
Griffin Fast Break: Westminster heads into the week's action at 3-6 on the season and 2-3 in home games. They have won two straight games against unranked opponents and three of their last four outings overall. Five of their six losses this season have come against teams currently ranked in the NAIA polls or NCAA D-II teams.
 
Offense Notebook: The Griffins are scoring 70.22 points per game to rank eighth in the Frontier Conference in scoring average. The team shoots 44.3 percent from the floor and they are 30th in the NAIA by making 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. They rank 26th in the country by making 7.89 threes per game and they notch 13.78 assists per contest – 43rd in the country – with a 0.76 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Defense Notebook: Westminster opponents are putting up 72.67 points per game and shooting 44.5 percent from the field. Five of the nine opponents have scored at least 70 points and three shot above 50 percent from the floor. The Griffins rank 35th in the NAIA by holding opponents to 32.8 percent from beyond the arc and they are creating 15.3 turnovers per night and getting 7.56 steals per game.
 
Leaders: Three Griffins are averaging in double figures in scoring with Kenny Woodard leading the way at 12.78 points per game. Quincy Bair is scoring 11.89 points per game and Jordan Pryor is getting 10.56 per contest. Nick Jenson has grabbed a team-best 62 rebounds and he lead the Frontier Conference at 6.89 rebounds per game. Woodard leads all Griffins with 30 assists while Colton Moon as a team-best 16 steals. Casey Evans has recorded seven blocked shots to lead the team in that department.
 
Looking Back: Westminster had five players score in double figures as they defeated Saint Katherine (Calif.) College, 81-69, on Dec. 3 in the Behnken Field House. The Griffins used a 16-2 run in the second half to put the game out of reach. Woodard led all Griffins with 19 points after making 11 of his 12 attempts at the foul line. Bair scored 15 points and grabbed a team-best eight rebounds. Jenson had 13 points with Pryor and Moon scoring 12 and 10 respectively.
 
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.
 
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 166-33 (.834) since the program was reinstated in 1999, they have compiled a 101-18 (.849) mark in their current home. The Griffins are 2-3 in the Behnken Field House this season and they have won five straight Frontier Conference home games.
 
Challenging Schedule: The Griffins have faced one of the toughest schedules in the country so far this season. The slate has featured three NCAA D-II teams and four teams that are ranked in the top 10 of the NAIA Preseason Coaches' Poll for D-I and D-II. The only unranked teams the Griffins have faced is Vanguard (Calif.), who was ranked at the time of the game, and Saint Katherine. The Massey Ratings rank the Griffins as having played the ninth-toughest schedule in the NAIA so far this season.
 
Bombs Away: Through the first nine games of the season, Westminster has been using the three-point shot as a key part of the offense. They have made 71 threes on the season and they are 26th in the country by making 7.89 treys per game. The Griffins are shooting 36.4 percent from long range which is 30th national and they have made at least five triples in all but one outing this season.
 
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 10.6 points per game and making 2.22 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 11 straight games dating back to last season.
 
Crashing Jenson: Nick Jenson is averaging 8.7 points per game this season and he leads all Griffins with 62 rebounds. His 6.89 rebounds per game leads the Frontier Conference and he is 38th in the nation by pulling 5.11 defensive boards per game while also getting 1.78 offensive rebounds per night. Jenson is shooting 60 percent from the floor on the year and notched his fourth career double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds against Concordia (Calif.) on Nov. 15. He ranks 11th in school history with 89 offensive rebounds and is currently 22nd all-time with 247 total rebounds.
 
Give and Take: After a slow start to the season, Kenny Woodard has come on lately and currently leads the team in scoring at 12.78 points per game. He has scored in double figures six times this season and had a career-high 21 points against Vanguard on Nov. 14. Woodard also leads the team with 30 assists and he has 10 steals on the year. He ranks eighth in the NAIA by making 88.5 percent at the foul line.
 
Bits for Bair: Quincy Bair has been involved in a little bit of everything for the Griffins this season. He currently sits second on the team in scoring at 11.89 points per game and he is shooting 50 percent from the floor and 45.5 percent from beyond the arc. Bair has grabbed 29 rebounds and has 16 assists, eight steals and four blocks on the year. He has scored in double figures six times this season and led the team in scoring twice.
 
Eyes on Evans: Casey Evans has transitioned into the starting lineup this season and is currently averaging 8.2 points per game. The sophomore shoots 53.8 percent from the field and he has made seven threes while shooting 43.8 percent from deep. He has scored in double figures four times while grabbing 4.7 rebounds per night. Evans leads the team with seven blocked shots and he has 14 assists and nine steals. He scored a career-high 16 points against Cal State San Marcos on Nov. 29.
 
Shoot the Moon: Colton Moon plays his senior season among the top 10 in school history in six statistical categories. He currently sits sixth in school history in made threes (122) and attempted threes (316). Moon ranks ninth all-time with 187 assists and his 123 career steals ranks fifth in school history. This season, Moon is scoring 4.6 points per game and he has been in double figures three times. He leads the team with 16 steals while also recording 15 assists.
 
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: The Griffins will head to Santa Barbara, Calif. for games at the Tom Byron Classic hosted by Westmont (Calif.) College on Dec. 29-30. They face Victoria (Canada) and Saskatchewan (Canada) over the two days.