Griffins Set to Begin RMAC Play
The Westminster men's basketball team begins play in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference this weekend with a pair of home games. The Griffins will welcome Western State Colorado to the Behnken Field House on Friday night. They will then host Colorado Mesa on Saturday in the final home game of the 2016 calendar year.
Both games of the weekend are slated for a 7:30 p.m. MST tipoff with tickets for both games available at
WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.
Mike Lageschulte will call the play-by-play of both games on the RMAC Network with Westminster head coach
Norm Parrish joining the broadcast during the Pepsi Pregame and Postgame shows. Live stats will also be available during the action. The RMAC Network is available at
RMACsports.tv and all live links can be found at
WestminsterGriffins.com/live.
About the Griffins
Westminster enters conference play with an 0-2 overall record. They won three preseason games at home in their only home contests of the season. The Griffins are coming off losses to Western Oregon and Sonoma State last weekend at the Dixie State/Wingate Thanksgiving Classic.
The Griffins start the week scoring 57.5 points per game and shooting 35.6 percent from the field. They are making 24.0 percent from beyond the arc and lead the RMAC by shooting 77.0 percent at the foul line. The team is making 3.0 threes per game and averages 9.0 assists and 16.5 turnovers per game.
Dayon Goodman leads the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game while
Zerrion Payton adds 12.5 per outing.
Travis Devashrayee and
Marcus Bryce contribute 8.0 points per contest with Devashrayee shooting 71.4 percent from the field.
Westminster is allowing a conference-best 62.0 points per game to the opposition. They are second in the RMAC by holding opponents to 38.8 percent shooting and they are giving up 36.1 percent from three. The Griffins collect 33.5 rebounds per game and get 7.0 steals per game.
Goodman is third in the RMAC with an average of 7.5 rebounds per game. Bryce adds 6.0 rebounds per game and is second in the league by blocking 2.0 shots per outing.
Casey Evans leads the team with four steals and is third in the league at 2.0 per game. Payton is 10th in the conference at 3.5 assists per game.
Count on 10
In this 18th season of the current era of men's basketball, Westminster teams have recorded a double-digit win total every season. They have recorded a winning record in every year except two (1999-00 and 2014-15) with 12 seasons recording at least 20 wins. There have been 34 seasons with 10-plus wins in the 40 years of program history, including 30 winning seasons.
Immediate Impact
Junior
Dayon Goodman has made an immediate impact on the team during his first year with the program. Goodman currently leads the Griffins in scoring at 13.5 points per game while grabbing a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game. He ranks in the RMAC top 10 in five statistical categories entering the week, including third in rebounds. Goodman scored in double figures in both games last weekend and had 17 points and 10 rebounds against Sonoma State.
Mr. Everything
After leading the team in scoring and being named second team all-conference last season,
Zerrion Payton is scoring 12.5 points per game this season. He leads the Griffins with seven assists and has added eight rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and one blocked shot. Payton scored a team-high 16 points against Western Oregon and made 10 of 12 free throws in that game.
Man in the Middle
Marcus Bryce is tied for third on the team in scoring at 8.0 points per game and he ranks second by grabbing 6.0 rebounds per game. Bryce recorded a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds against Western Oregon in the opener. He is second in the RMAC in blocks at 2.0 per game and tied for the league lead by making 6 of 6 at the foul line. Bryce had 30 career blocks with the Griffins to rank 10th in team history.
Opponent Info: Western State Colorado
• Western State enters Friday at 2-3 overall and 1-0 in the RMAC.
• The Mountaineers haven't played a true road game this season.
• They are coming off a 76-75 win over Colorado Mesa at home on Tuesday.
• Ben Beauchamp had 22 against Mesa and leads the team at 15.4 points per game.
• Westminster is 7-0 all-time against the Mountaineers and 4-0 at home.
• The Griffins won last season's meeting, 86-77, in the Behnken Field House.
Opponent Info: Colorado Mesa
• Colorado Mesa comes to won at 1-6 overall and 0-1 in the RMAC.
• The Mavericks have gone 0-2 on the road this season.
• They lost at Western State on a last second half-courter on Tuesday, 76-75.
• CJ Davis leads the Mavericks in scoring at 16.3 points per game.
• CMU leads the all-time series 3-2 and the teams are 1-1 in SLC.
• The teams split two meetings last season with each winning at home.
Following the Griffins
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 men's basketball by following @griffinbasketball on Instagram.
Looking Ahead
Westminster will follow this weekend with five straight road games to close 2016. The stretch begins at New Mexico Highlands on December 9 at 7 p.m. MST. The Griffins will then play at Colorado State – Pueblo on December 10 at 7:30 p.m. MST.
