RMAC Play Begins with Western State and Mesa
The Westminster women's basketball team opens play in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference by hosting a pair of games in the Behnken Field House this weekend. On Friday, the Griffins welcome Western State Colorado to town. Westminster will then host Colorado Mesa on Saturday in the final home game of the 2016 calendar year.
 
Both games will tip at 5:30 p.m. MST and tickets are available at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.
 
Mike Lageschulte will call the play-by-play of both games on the RMAC Network with Westminster head coach Shelley Jarrard 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 begins conference play after completing a 2-2 non-conference season. The Griffins are 1-0 at home this season after defeating Dixie State, 69-58, last Friday in the Behnken Field House.
 
Entering the weekend, Westminster is averaging 63.8 points per game and they lead the RMAC by shooting 44.8 percent from the field. They have shot above 47 percent in three of the four games, including 50 percent against Dixie State. The Griffins are making 7.5 3-pointers per game and shoot 36.1 percent from beyond the arc to rank second in the conference in each category. They also place second in the league by hitting 81.4 percent at the foul line.
 
Sydnee Taylor leads the Griffins in scoring at 13.8 points per game and she ranks fifth in the conference with that average. Aubrie Vale adds 10.5 points per outing with Denise Gonzalez and Sicilee Williams at 8.5 and 7.8 per game respectively. Vale leads the team with eight threes and Taylor has seven.
 
Westminster is giving up 66.5 points per game to the opposition and holding them to 42.3 percent shooting. The Griffins grab 32.2 rebounds per game and are second in the RMAC by allowing just 31.5 rebounds per game to their opponents. They are sixth in the league at 12.5 assists per game and tied for sixth at 7.0 steals per game.
 
Vale is the Griffins' leading rebounder at 5.0 per game with 20 total rebounds. She also leads the team with 14 assists and is eighth in the RMAC at 3.5 per game. Gonzalez has a team-best nine steals and her 2.3 per game is second-best in the league.
 
Shoot the Rock
Westminster is currently leading the RMAC in field goal percentage by making 44.8 percent of their shot attempts. They currently rank 33rd in the NCAA in that category. They also rank second in the RMAC by making 36.1 percent from three and 81.4 percent at the foul line. Those percentages rank 58th and sixth in the NCAA respectively. The Griffins have a 55.2 true-shooting percentage and 51.9 effective field goal percentage.
 
From Way Downtown
The Griffins start the week second in the RMAC by making 7.5 threes per game. They have made at least six triples in every game this season with at least 20 attempts in three of those outings. They rank 62nd in the NCAA in threes per game and second in the RMAC by making 36.1 from deep.
 
Immediate Impact
Sydnee Taylor is the Griffins' leading scorer through four games at 13.8 points per game. Taylor is fifth in the RMAC with that average and she is ninth in the conference by shooting 52.6 percent from the field. Taylor has scored in double figures during three of the four games, including 25 points on 10 of 15 shooting against Concordia (Ore.) on November 18. She has gone 8 of 8 at the foul line to match teammate Sicilee Williams for tops in the RMAC.
 
Triple Threat
Aubrie Vale is scoring 10.5 points per game to rank second in the team and tied for 22nd in the conference. She has scored in double figures three times and has scored 14 in each of the last two games. Vale also leads the team by grabbing 5.0 rebounds per game and with 14 assists. She is currently tied for eighth at 3.5 assists per game and tied for sixth by making 2.0 threes per game.
 
Take the Rock
Denise Gonzalez is third on the team by scoring 8.5 points per game and second with 10 assists. Gonzalez is taking 2.3 steals per game on the year to place second in the RMAC. She has at least one steal in all four games and three games with multiple steals. Gonzalez had a season-high four steals against Dixie State last Friday.
 
Opponent Info: Western State Colorado
• Western State comes to town at 1-4 on the season and 0-1 in RMAC play.
• The Mountaineers haven't played a true road game this season.
• They are coming off a 71-42 loss to Colorado Mesa at home on Tuesday.
• Harlie Williams leads the team in scoring at 12.3 points per game.
• Westminster has split six all-time meetings against the Mountaineers.
• The Griffins are 2-1 at home in the series and have won three straight overall.
 
Opponent Info: Colorado Mesa
• Colorado Mesa will visit SLC at 4-1 overall and 1-0 in the RMAC.
• The Mavericks are 2-0 on the road with wins at Dixie State and Western State.
• They defeated Western State 71-42 on Tuesday.
• Bryanna Adams is second in the RMAC by scoring 16.8 points per game.
• The Griffins are 1-4 all-time against Mesa and are coming off a 69-62 overtime win last February on the road.
• The Griffins are 0-2 at home in the series.
 
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 women's basketball by following @westminster_womens_basketball on Instagram.
 
Looking Ahead
The Griffins will play their next five games away from home. They begin the stretch at New Mexico Highlands on December 9 at 5 p.m. MST. They will then play at No. 12 Colorado State – Pueblo on December 10 at 5:30 p.m. MST.