The Westminster women's basketball team returns to Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action this weekend as they host a pair of games. On Friday, the Griffins host Black Hills State. They will then welcome South Dakota Mines to town on Saturday.
 
Both games will begin at 5:30 p.m. MT in the Behnken Field House. Tickets for both games are available at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets. Fans can purchase tickets to Friday's game for $5 online when using the promo code NewYears at checkout.
 
3 THINGS
>Westminster enters the week with a 3-game losing streak, its longest since the 2011-12 season
>The Griffins dropped an exhibition game at Weber State, 79-46, on Tuesday in Ogden
>Saturday will be the 500th game in program history with the Griffins going 307-191 (.616) all-time
 
COVERING THE GRIFFINS
Both of this weekend's game will be broadcast live on Griffins TV with Mike Lageschulte calling the play-by-play. Griffins TV is available online and is optimized for mobile devices in the Game Central portal available at portal.stretchinternet.com/Westminster.
 
There will also be live stats available during both games at sidearmstats.com/westminster/wbball.
 
FOLLOWING WESTMINSTER WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Make sure to like Westminster Griffins on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and You Tube for the latest news about the Griffins. Game updates are provided on Twitter by following @wc_griffins.
 
Fans can stay connected with Westminster women's basketball by following @westminster_womens_basketball on Instagram.
 
ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster returns to action at 4-5 on the season and 1-4 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. They have dropped three straight outings for the first time since the 2010-11 season. The Griffins are 2-2 in the Behnken Field House this season and 1-2 in home RMAC games.
 
The Griffins are scoring 57.3 points per game as a team and they shoot 37.3 percent from the floor. They average 5.8 made 3-pointers per contest and shoot 28 percent from beyond the arc. The team is allowing 57.6 points per night with opponents shooting 35.1 percent from the field.
 
Denise Gonzalez leads the team in scoring at 11.2 points per game. The freshman also is tops on the team with 31 assists and 18 steals. Natalie Parsons averages 10.4 points per game. Mika Pinner leads the team with 53 rebounds and 20 blocked shots.
 
LOOKING BACK
Colorado Christian followed an 18-11 second quarter with a 21-7 third quarter to help them claim a 69-45 win over the griffins on December 18. Westminster shot just 28.6 percent from the field and committed 21 turnovers in the loss. Riley Reidhead led the team with 16 points off the bench.
 
Colorado Mines would give Westminster a third straight loss with a 59-57 win on December 19. The Griffins trailed by 20 in the fourth quarter and scored the game's final 17 points, but they came up short. Denise Gonzalez led the team with 16 points while Aubrie Vale and Sicilee Williams scored 15 and 12 respectively.
 
Weber State handed Westminster a 79-46 loss in an exhibition game for the Griffins on Tuesday night at the Dee Events Center. Vale and Williams scored 12 points apiece off the bench to lead the Griffins.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
•Black Hills State – The Yellow Jackets will come to town at 8-1 overall this season and one of three teams in the RMAC at 5-0 in league play. They have won six straight games and are outscoring conference opponents by 19.4 points per game. BHSU leads the conference by allowing just 49.1 points per game. Christine Thorn leads the team in scoring at 11.1 points per game while Bailey Kusser adds 9.6.
 
•South Dakota Mines – The Hardrockers begin the week at 5-4 overall and 3-2 in RMAC play. They have gone 2-2 on the road this season and 1-2 in road conference games. SDSMT is scoring 70.1 points per game and holding opponents to 63.9 points per outing. Megan Rohrer averages 14.3 points per game to lead the team. Kahlie Peterson adds 11.0 points per night with Devyn Asche  scoring 10.3.
 
SERIES NOTES
The Griffins will face both of the team's on this week's schedule for the first time in team history.
 
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Denise Gonzalez has taken over point guard duties from the start of the season and she currently leads the team in scoring, assists, and steals. The freshman scores 11.2 points per game – 17th in the RMAC – and she has scored in double figures six times. She currently ranks fourth in the conference at 3.4 assists per game and ninth at 2.0 steals per game. Gonzalez is the only player in the conference in the top 20 for scoring and top 10 in assists and steals.
 
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
Mika Pinner has recorded at least one block in seven of the team's games this season and she had multiple blocks in six outings. The senior currently leads the RMAC at 2.2 blocks per game and with 20 total blocks. Pinner was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on December 14 after recording eight blocks and four steals in previous weeks' two games. She begins the week fifth in team history with 49 career blocks and her 1.29 blocks per game would be a new school record.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Natalie Parsons has quickly become the focal point of the Griffin offense in her first season with the team. The senior transfer is second on the team by scoring 10.4 points per game and she has scored in double figures four times. Parsons has twice scored 20 points in a game, including a career high 24 at Dixie State on November 24. She also ranks second on the team with 23 assists and 12 steals.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Westminster hits the road next weekend as they play a pair of conference games in Colorado. The Griffins visit UCCS on January 8 in Colorado Springs, Colo., before facing MSU Denver on January 9 in Denver.