THIS WEEK
The Westminster women's basketball team will look to extend its two-game winning streak when it returns to the road this weekend for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games. The Griffins will play at South Dakota Mines on Friday in Raid City, S.D. They will play Black Hills State on Saturday in Spearfish, S.D.
 
Both games of the weekend trip will begin at 5:30 p.m. MT.
 
3 THINGS
>Westminster starts the week having won three of its past four games
>The Griffins swept a conference weekend last week for the first time since joining the RMAC
>This trip completes a season-long four-game road trip
 
COVERING THE GRIFFINS
Both of this week's games will be carried on Griffins TV. The video feed is being produced by the host institution. Griffins TV is available online and is optimized for mobile devices in the Game Central portal available at portal.stretchinternet.com/Westminster.
 
Live stats will be available in the Game Central portal on Friday. The link for live stats during Saturday's game is available at WestminsterGriffins.com/live.
 
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 will start the final two-game rod weekend of the season with a 9-12 overall record and at 6-11 in RMAC play. They have won consecutive games for the first time since November and are winner of three of the past four games played. The Griffins are 3-7 on the road this season.
 
For the season, Westminster is averaging 59.0 points per game and shooting 38.8 percent from the field. They shoot 30.4 percent from beyond the arc and average 6.0 3-pointers per contest. The Griffins rank third in the RMAC by making 73.0 percent at the foul line and they tally 12.9 assists per game.
 
The Griffins are holding the opposition to 61.2 points per game and 38.9 percent shooting. Westminster is third in the conference by allowing just 28.9 percent shooting from three and they force 12.9 turnovers per game while blocking 2.76 shots.
 
Aubrie Vale leads the Griffins in scoring at 10.4 points per game. She has a team-leading 36 makes from beyond the arc and she shoots 31.6 percent from three Denise Gonzalez averages 9.9 points per game while leading the team with 74 assists and 36 steals.
 
Jessica Sorensen leads the team with 128 rebounds and she is tied for third in the conference by getting 3.2 offensive rebounds per game. Mika Pinner has 119 rebounds and is fourth in the RMAC by averaging 1.9 blocked shots per contest.
 
LOOKING BACK
Westminster snapped a six-game road losing streak with a 75-68 win at New Mexico Highlands on Friday. Mika Pinner made a pair of 3-pointers in the final minutes as the Griffins scored the final 13 points of the game. Aubrie Vale led the team with 19 points, including 11 in the first half.
 
The Griffins would then win at Western New Mexico, 66-60, on Saturday night to earn consecutive wins for the first time since November. Westminster led 32-28 at halftime before erupting for a 21-10 third quarter. They scored 10 of the final 12 points of the quarter and then held off a late rally to secure the win. Pinner led the team with 18 points and three blocked shots.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
•South Dakota Mines – The Hardrockers will enter Friday's game at 10-11 overall and 7-10 in the RMAC. They are -5 at home this season and they snapped a three-game losing streak with a 5843 win over Adams State on Saturday. Megan Rohrer averages 151 points per game to lead the team and rank fifth in the RMAC.
 
•Black Hills State – The Yellow Jackets will start the week tied for the top spot in the RMAC with a 14-3 mark in league play. They are 17-4 overall and have secured a spot in the RMAC Shootout. BHSU is 11-2 at home on the year and riding a four-game winning streak overall. They lead the RMAC in scoring defense by holding opponents to 54.6 points per game.
 
SERIES NOTES
This weekend will mark the second time this season the Griffins have faced to two South Dakota schools. The Griffins are 1-0 against South Dakota Mines after a 71-49 win in the Behnken Field House on January 2. Blck Hills State won the meeting in SLC, 76-55, on January 1. Those are the only other times the teams have faced each other.
 
500 GAMES PLAYED
Westminster played the 500th game in program history on January 2 against South Dakota Mines. The Griffins won 308 times in those 500 outings with nine 20-win seasons. This is the 17th season of women's basketball at Westminster and the program has gone 312-198 in that time to record a .612 winning percentage.
 
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Denise Gonzalez has taken over point guard duties from the start of the season and she currently ranks second on the team in scoring at 9.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures 11 times. Gonzalez is sixth in the conference by averaging 3.5 assists per game while ranking 15th at 1.7 steals per game.
 
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
Mika Pinner has recorded a team-best 39 blocked shots and has had multiple blocks in a game 12 times. She currently ranks fourth in the RMAC by blocking 1.9 shots per game. Her 39 blocks are second-most in a season in team history. Pinner is fifth in school history with 68 career blocks and her 1.36 blocks per game is on pace to establish a new school record.
 
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Natalie Parsons has been a focal point of the Griffin offense in her first season with the team. The senior transfer is scoring 9.5 points per game to place third on the team and she has scored in double figures nine 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 61 assists and with 23 made 3-pointers.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Westminster will play at home for the final time this season when they post a pair of conference games in the Behnken Field House next weekend. The Griffins will host Regis University on February 19 and then Chadron State College on February 20. Both games will begin at 5:30 p.m. MT and tickets are available at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.