Westminster Returns Home for Two Games
The Westminster women's basketball team will play at home for the first time in over a month when they host a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games in the Behnken Field House this weekend. The Griffins host Colorado Christian on Friday before a second game in eight days against Colorado School of Mines on Saturday.
 
Friday's game starts at 5 p.m. MST – 30 minutes earlier than normal – with Saturday's game returning to the normal 5:30 p.m. MST tipoff time. Tickets for each game are now available at WestminsterGriffins.com/tickets. Youth can receive free admission by wearing their recreation league jersey to Saturday's game.
 
Both of the weekend's game will also be broadcast live on the RMAC Network. Mike Lageschulte calls the play-by-play and is joined by head coach Shelley Jarrard during the Pepsi Pre- and Postgame show. Live stats will also be available for both games. Links for all live features are available at WestminsterGriffins.com/live and the RMAC Network is found at RMACsports.tv.
 
About the Griffins
Westminster returns to the home court on Friday at65-5 overall this season. They are currently tied for sixth in the RMAC with their43-3 record in conference games. The Griffins have alternated wins and losses in their past seven games and they are 2-1 at home this season. They enter Friday having won seven straight games played on a Friday.
 
The Griffins are scoring 64.3 points per game to rank seventh in the RMAC in scoring offense. They are fifth in the RMAC by shooting 40.9 percent from the floor while placing third by hitting 34.8 percent from beyond the arc. The team leads the conference in free throw percentage at 81.8 percent and by making 7.7 3-pointers per game.
 
Sydnee Taylor leads the Griffins in scoring at 13.5 points per game. That average ranks seventh in the RMAC. Dense Gonzalez is second on the team by scoring 10.2 points per night while Aubrie Vale adds 9.8 per game. Riley Reidhead leads the RMAC lead by hitting 44.4 percent from three and Vale and Taylor are 1-2 in the conference by making 92.6 and 92.3 percent at the foul line respectively.
 
Westminster is allowing 65.6 points per game with opponents shooting 41.7 percent from the floor. The Griffins grab 34.2 rebounds per contest and give up 35.1. They are seventh in the conference at 12.0 assists and sixth with 7.5 steals per game.
 
Vale has a team-leading 58 rebounds and 37 assists. She is eighth in the conference with her average of 3.4 assists per game. Taylor has added 46 rebounds and leads the team with 19 3-pointers made. Gonzalez is second in the conference with her 2.1 steals per game and Vale is tied for eighth at 1.5.
 
Shoot the Rock
The Griffins are one of the top shooting team in the conference. They rank in the 15-team league's top five in all three shooting categories, including leading the conference by hitting 81.8 percent at the foul line. The Griffins have a 51.8 true-shooting percentage – tied for second in the RMAC – and a 47.9 effective field goal percentage. They have an offensive rating (points per 100 possessions) of 94.5.
 
From Way Downtown
The Griffins continue to shoot the ball well from beyond the arc by making 7.7 threes per game to lead the RMAC. They are third in the conference by making 34.8 percent from deep. The team has made at least six threes in every game this season and have gone for seven-plus in each of the past six outings.
 
Road Warriors
The Griffins wrapped-up a five-game road swing that started on December 9 with a 72-61 win at Colorado Mines. The team has played just three home games this season and only have four home games on tap through February 9. Westminster traveled 7,130 land miles in November and December. The team is 4-3 in road games this season with all four wins coming on Fridays.
 
Immediate Impact
Sydnee Taylor currently leads the Griffins in scoring at 13.5 points per game and she ranks seventh in the conference in that category. Taylor has scored in double figures eight times on the year and led the team in scoring during three games. She is shooting 46.1 percent from the field and is second in the RMAC by making 92.3 percent at the foul line. Taylor also grabs 4.2 rebounds per game and has made a team-best 19 treys.
 
Triple Threat
Aubrie Vale is scoring 9.8 points per game to rank third in the team. She has scored in double figures six time, including three straight times. Vale leads the Griffins with 58 rebounds and 37 assists. She is eighth in the RMAC with 3.4 assists per game and with a 1.2 assist-to-turnover ratio. Vale recorded a double-double with 23 points and 15 rebounds at Colorado Mines on December 30. The 15 rebounds are the most in a game by a Griffins since Tia Pappas in November of 2012.
 
Take the Rock
Denise Gonzalez is scoring 10.2 points per game to rank second on the team. She is averaging 11.7 points per game over the last six outings and raised her season average by nearly two points per game during the span. Gonzalez has a team-best 23 steals and ranks second in the RMAC by getting 2.1 steals per game.
 
Opponent Info: Colorado Christian
• Colorado Christian comes to SLC at 5-8 overall after splitting two home games last weekend.
• The Cougars are 3-5 in RMAC games to sit tied for ninth.
• Alex Nelson scores 13.1 points per game to rank eighth in the RMAC.
• CCU leads the all-time series 1-0.
• They defeated the Griffins 69-45 last December in Lakewood.
 
Opponent Info: Colorado School of Mines
• Colorado Mines enters Saturday at 8-9 overall and 2-3 on the road.
• The Orediggers are 4-4 in RMAC action to place eighth in the standings.
• They have dropped three straight game overall.
• Four players average double figures with Emily Bailey leading the team at 11.8 per game.
• The series is tied 1-1 overall and they have never met in SLC.
• Westminster won in Golden 72-61 last Friday.
 
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 is back on the road next weekend as they travel to Chadron State on January 13 and then Regis on January 14. Both games will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network.