Griffins Home to Face South Dakota Schools
The Westminster women's basketball team returns to action this weekend as they host a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games against the teams from South Dakota. On Friday, South Dakota Mines comes to town. Black Hills State makes the trip to the Salt Lake City on Saturday.
 
Both games will tipoff at 5:30 p.m. MST in the Behnken Field House on the Westminster College campus. Tickets for the games are now available at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets.
 
The RMAC network will carry both of the games this week live on the online channel. Mike Lageschulte calls the play-by-play and is joined by head coach Shelley Jarrard during the pregame show. Live stats are also available during each game. Links for all live features are available at WestminsterGriffins.com/live.
 
About the Griffins
Westminster returns home with a 6-9 overall record and looking to snap a season-long four-game losing skid. The Griffins are 4-7 in RMAC action and are currently in a tie for 11th-place. They have gone 2-3 at home this season with seven home games remaining on the year.
 
The Griffins start the week scoring 62.3 points per game and they are sixth in the RMAC by making 40.0 percent from the field. The team makes 7.4 threes per game and they are fifth in the league by shooting 33.5 percent from beyond the arc. They also place third in the conference in foul shooting at 74.6 percent.
 
Sydnee Taylor leads the Griffins in scoring at 11.4 points per game. Aubrie Vale is averaging 9.9 points per game while Denise Gonzalez is at 9.3 points per game. Vale leads the team with 24 made 3-pointers and she is tied with Taylor and Sicilee Williams by shooting 86.7 percent at the foul line.
 
Westminster is giving up 67.3 points per game with opponents shooting 40.8 percent from the field. The opposition connects at 32.4 percent from three and the Griffins grab 34.8 rebounds per game. Westminster is seventh in the RMAC at 11.6 assists per game and they record 6.9 steals per outing.
 
Vale has a team-leading 87 rebounds and 48 assists. She is sixth in the conference with her average of 3.3 assists per game. Taylor is second on the team with 57 rebounds and 21 makes from deep. Gonzalez has a team-best 28 steals and is second in the RMAC at 1.9 steals per game.
 
Shoot the Rock
The Griffins are one of the top shooting team in the conference. They rank in the 15-team league's top six in all three shooting categories, including placing third in the conference by hitting 74.6 percent at the foul line. The Griffins are sixth in field goal percentage at 40.0 percent and fifth by making 33.5 percent from beyond the arc.
 
From Way Downtown
The Griffins continue to shoot the ball well from beyond the arc by making 7.4 threes per game to rank fourth in the RMAC. They are fifth in the conference by making 33.5 percent from deep. The team has made at least six threes in all but one game this season and have gone for seven-plus in nine of their last 10 games.
 
Road Warriors
After playing this week's two home games, the Griffins will return to the road for two weeks to complete a stretch that will see them play 11 of 15 games away from home. The team has played just five home games this season. Westminster has traveled 8,528 land miles this season and they have gone 4-5 in road games.
 
Immediate Impact
Sydnee Taylor currently leads the Griffins in scoring at 11.4 points per game and she ranks 18th in the conference in that category. Taylor has scored in double figures nine times on the year and led the team in scoring during three games. She is shooting 41.3 percent from the field and she makes 86.7 percent at the foul line. Taylor also grabs 3.8 rebounds per game and has made 21 triples.
 
Triple Threat
Aubrie Vale is scoring 9.9 points per game to rank second in the team. She has scored in double figures eight times, including five of the past seven games. Vale leads the Griffins with 87 rebounds and 79 assists. She is sixth in the RMAC with 3.3 assists per game. Vale has a pair of double-doubles this season and she grabbed 15 rebounds at Colorado Mines on December 30. The 15 rebounds are the most in a game by a Griffin since Tia Pappas in November of 2012.
 
Take the Rock
Denise Gonzalez is scoring 9.3 points per game to rank third on the team. She leads the Griffins with 28 steals and is second in the RMAC at 1.9 steals per game. Gonzalez has at least one steal in all but one game this season with multiple steals in a game 10 times.
 
Opponent Info: South Dakota Mines
• South Dakota Mines comes to Salt Lake at 8-10 overall this season and 3-5 on the road.
• The Hardrockers are 6-7 in RMAC play to tie for eighth in the conference.
• Megan Rohrer averages 10.4 points per game to lead the team.
• Westminster won the two previous meetings, both coming last season.
• The Griffins won in SLC, 71-49, on January 2, 2016.
 
Opponent Info: Black Hills State
• Black Hills State comes to town at 6-11 overall and 3-5 on the road.
• The Yellow Jackets have gone 6-7 in RMAC action to tie for eighth in the league.
• Kassidy Scott and Rachel Erickson are tied for the team lead at 8.8 points per game.
• BHSU leads the all-time series 2-0 with both meetings coming last season.
• The Yellow Jackets won 76-55 in Salt Lake City last season.
 
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
Westminster will embark on a four-game road trip over two weekends. That stretch of games begins on January 27 at UCCS before a game at MSU Denver on January 28. Both of those games will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network.