SALT LAKE CITY – The 15th-ranked Westminster men's basketball team welcomes Saint Katherine College (Calif.) to the Behnken Field House on Wednesday at 6 p.m. (MT). The only game on the schedule this week is the first regular season home game on a Wednesday in school history.
 
On the Web: Wednesday's game will be shown live in Griffins TV with Mike Lageschulte (play-by-play) and Lance Barton (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 game with links for all of the live features available on the Westminster athletics web site.
 
Griffin Fast Break: Westminster enters the game at 2-6 overall this season and they have gone 1-3 at home on the year. The Griffins are in the middle of a five-game home stand and they are ranked No. 15 in the preseason NAIA Top 25 Coaches' Poll that was released on Oct. 28.
 
Offense Notebook: The Griffins are scoring 68.88 points per game and they are eighth in the Frontier Conference in scoring average. The team shoots 44.8 percent from the floor and they are 30th in the NAIA by making 36.4 percent from beyond the arc. They rank 24th in the country by making 7.88 threes per game and they notch 13.75 assists per contest with a 0.74 assist-to-turnover ratio.
 
Defense Notebook: Westminster opponents are putting up 73.12 points per game and shooting 44.9 percent from the field. Five of the eight 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 32.2 percent from beyond the arc. They are creating 14.5 turnovers per night and getting 6.88 steals per game.
 
Leaders: Three Griffins are averaging in double figures in scoring with Kenny Woodard leading the way at 12 points per game. Quincy Bair is scoring 11.5 points per game and Jordan Pryor is getting 10.4 per contest. Nick Jenson has grabbed a team-best 58 rebounds and he lead the conference at 7.25 rebounds per game. Woodard leads all Griffins with 28 while Colton Moon as a team-best 11 steals. Casey Evans has recorded seven blocked shots to lead the team in that department.
 
Looking Back: Westminster split two games against top-10 ranked opponents at the Westminster Thanksgiving Classic last weekend. They took down No. 6 St. Gregory's (Okla.), 86-56, on Friday before falling to No. 3 Cal State San Marcos, 72-69, on Saturday. Woodard led five Griffins in double figures with 15 against St. Gregory's while Evans scored a career-best 16 points in the loss to Cal State San Marcos.
 
In the Polls: Westminster sits with 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. The first regular season poll will be released on Dec. 9.
 
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 165-33 (.833) since the program was reinstated in 1999, they have compiled a 100-18 (.847) mark in their current home. The Griffins are 1-3 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 team the Griffins have faced is Concordia (Calif.), and they sit just outside the ranking as the top team among others receiving votes.
 
Bombs Away: Through the first eight games of the season, Westminster has been using the three-point shot as a key part of the offense. They have made 63 threes on the season and they are 24th in the country by making 7.88 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 10.4 points per game and making 2.25 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 10 straight games dating back to last season.
 
Crashing Jenson: Nick Jenson is averaging 8.1 points per game this season and he leads all Griffins with 58 rebounds. His 7.25 rebounds per game leads the Frontier Conference and ranks 46th in the NAIA. Jenson is 38th in the nation by pulling 5.25 defensive boards per game while also getting two offensive rebounds per night. Jenson is shooting 63 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 23rd all-time with 243 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 points per game. He has scored in double figures five times this season and had a career-high 21 points against Vanguard on Nov. 14. Woodard also leads the team with 28 assists and he has nine steals on the year. He ranks 14th in the NAIA by making 87.5 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 11.5 points per game and he is shooting 49.3 percent from the floor and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc. Bair has grabbed 21 rebounds and has 15 assists, eight steals and one block on the year. He has scored in double figures five 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 9.3 points per game. The sophomore shoots 59.6 percent from the field and he has made seven threes while shooting 50 percent from deep. He has scored in double figures four times while grabbing 4.6 rebounds per night. Evans leads the team with seven blocked shots and he has 12 assists and eight 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. His 120 career made threes are the sixth-most in school history as are his 312 attempted triples. He ranks ninth all-time with 183 assists and his 118 career steals ranks fifth in school history. This season, Moon is scoring 3.9 points per game and he has been in double figures twice. He leads the team with 11 steals while also recording 11 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: Westminster will have two weeks off before returning to the Behnken Field House for a pair of games against Concordia-Alberta on Dec. 19 and 20.