Youth Basketball Camp To Be Held At Westminster College

The Historic Gymnasium on the campus of Westminster College will be the site of the 2009 Westminster College Basketball Camp from Monday, June 1, through Friday, June 5. The camp runs each day from 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. and provides individual instruction, station work and competitive games for boys and girls in the third grade through incoming freshman.

For additional information contact: Tracey Braden, Westminster College Women’s Basketball Coach, at 573-592-5345, or access an entry form on the Westminster web site (click for form). 

Westminster Basketball Players Honored for Academics

Six Westminster College basketball players have been named to the 2008-09 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SLIAC) All-Academic Team. The recipients were varsity members of the men's and women's basketball squads. Other selection criteria include: (1) Minimum 3.5 cumulative grade point average, (2) At least sophomore academic standing and (3) Have at least one full year at current institution (first year transfers and true freshmen are not eligible).

Men's Basketball:
Mike Crawford, Sr., Jefferson City, Mo./Jefferson City, Business/Marketing/Finance
Buddy Sodemann, Sr., Chesterfield, Mo./Parkway West, Physical Education
Jason Warncke, Sr., St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central, Biochemistry/Pre-Med

Women's Basketball:
Heather Collums, Sr., Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville, Physical Education
Vicki Flynn, So., Little Rock, Ark./Mount St. Mary, Biology/Pre-Med
Whitney Griffin, Jr., Jefferson City, Mo./Helias, International Business

Click for SLIAC Release

Westminster Players And Coaches Honored By The SLIAC

Both Westminster College basketball teams are well represented on the all-conference teams recently announced by the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

Three Westminster women and Coach Tracey Braden were honored. Senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) and freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) earned second-team all-conference recognition. Stanfill, who averaged a team-high 11.6 points and 5.9 rebounds a game this season, also was named to the all-tournament team for her play in the conference tournament. Backes averaged 10.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and two assists a game in her first collegiate campaign. Senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) was named to the all-defensive team. Collums averaged 7.4 points and 2.9 rebounds a game. Coach Braden, who is in her second year at Westminster, has been named 2009 SLIAC Co-Coach of the Year. Braden led the Blue Jays (12-13) to a tie for second in the league standings at 11-5, the best league finish in the 17-year history of the women’s basketball program.

Four Westminster men and Coach Matt Mitchell were recognized. Junior Stanley Crawford (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central/Meramec CC) and senior Jason Warncke (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) were named to the all-conference second team. Crawford averaged a team-high 14.9 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 steals a game, and also earned a spot on the all-defensive team. Warncke averaged 12 points a game and finished his career with 816 points. Junior Ky Millard (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) was named to the all-defensive team for the season and the all-tournament team for his play in the conference tournament. Millard averaged 8.7 points and 4.4 rebounds a game this season. In two tournament games, Millard averaged 20 points, seven rebounds and 6.5 assists. Sophomore Kurt Kovach (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) averaged 10 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists in two tournament games to earn a spot on the all-tournament team. Coach Mitchell, who is in his 11th year at Westminster, is the 2009 SLIAC Men’s Coach of the Year. This is his first coach of the year award and the first honor for a Westminster men's basketball coach. Mitchell led the Blue Jays (20-7) to a share of the regular season title at 12-4, the first SLIAC league title for the Westminster men.

Click for SLIAC Release

Season Comes To An End In SLIAC Tournament (click for stats)

The 2008-09 women’s basketball season came to an end for Westminster College with a 71-52 loss to Fontbonne University Thursday in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament semi-final at Maryville University in St. Louis. The Blue Jays, who recorded their highest-ever conference finish with a second-place tie at 11-5, finish the season at 12-13 overall.

Westminster grabbed the early lead in the game, but Fontbonne rallied back to go up 32-28 at intermission. The Blue Jays tied the score 38-38, however Fontbonne took advantage of Westminster's 27 percent shooting from the field and pulled away for the win. Blue Jay senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) scored a team-high 14 points and pulled down five rebounds in her final collegiate contest. Junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) added eight points and three rebounds, and freshman Liz Klaffenbach (Battle Ground, Wash./Prairie) tossed in eight points to aid the Blue Jay cause. Two other Westminster players made their final appearance. Senior Brittney Scott (Sand Springs, Okla./Charles Page) tallied five points, five rebounds and two assists, and senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) finished with three points, three rebounds and two assists.

Fontbonne (13-13), which advances to Saturday's 1:00 p.m. conference tournament championship game against host Maryville, got 15 points each from Calli Collier and Kathryn Kirby.

SLIAC Tournament Brackets Set (click for more information)

Westminster Drops Finale, SLIAC Tournament Next (click for stats)

The Westminster College women closed out the regular season with an 88-79 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss to Fontbonne University Tuesday in St. Louis. Despite the loss, the Blue Jays (12-12, 11-5 SLIAC) record their highest league finish ever, tying Fontbonne for second in the standings. Ironically, Westminster will not need a scouting report on its conference tournament opponent. Fontbonne is the second seed and Westminster is the third seed, and the two teams meet again in a conference tournament semi-final a 6:00 p.m. Thursday at Maryville University.

Fontbonne (12-13, 11-5 SLIAC) used free throw shooting to secure Tuesday’s win. Fontbonne made 26-of-30 charity shots while Westminster went 12-of-16 at the free throw line. Freshman Heather Letourneau (Smithton, Mo./Smithton) paced the Blue Jays with 20 points and seven rebounds, and Westminster freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) added 13 points. Lauren Crain scored 22 points for Fontbonne.

Blue Jay Seniors Win Career Home Finale (click for stats)

The Westminster College women used a 12-4 run to open the second half on the way to an 81-68 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory over Eureka College in front of a Senior Day crowd Saturday in Fulton. Westminster has qualified for the women’s conference tournament and with Saturday’s win the Blue Jays can still grab the second seed. Westminster closes the regular season Tuesday at Fontbonne University.

The Blue Jays (12-11, 11-4 SLIAC) overcame a see-saw first half to go ahead 42-37 at halftime. Westminster built up a lead Eureka (4-20, 2-13 SLIAC) could not overcome in recording a win in the final home appearance for the three members of the senior class. Senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) recorded a double-double, scoring a team-high 17 points and grabbing a team-high 12 rebounds. Senior Brittney Scott (Sand Springs, Okla./Charles Page) finished with 11 points and junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) added 10 points. Senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) scored eight points in her final home appearance. Lindsey Crum led Eureka with a game-high 31 points.

Westminster Rallies In Closing Minutes For Win (click for stats)

The Westminster College women grabbed their final lead in the closing minutes and held off Principia College 66-63 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference action Wednesday in Fulton. With the win the Blue Jays even their overall record at 11-11 and move to 10-4 in conference play, making the first time in school history the Westminster women have recorded 10 wins in league play in a season.

Westminster squandered a 10-point lead in the second half to trail 58-56. With 2:40 remaining, sophomore Vicki Flynn (Little Rock, Ark./Mount St. Mary), who led the Blue Jays with 14 points, hit a 3-pointer to give Westminster the lead 59-58. Following a Principia turnover, junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) scored the last two of her 13 points, but Principia tied the game 61-61. With 1:08 remaining, Flynn hit again from long range to give the Blue Jays a 64-61 edge. Principia scored to trail 64-63, but England came up with a key block and freshman Heather LeTourneau (Smithton, Mo./Smithton) scored her only points at the charity stripe for the final margin. Principia’s final game-tying shot was off the mark, spoiling Christina Speer’s 28-point and 11-rebound effort.

Blue Jays Overcome Slow Start In 79-64 SLIAC Win (click for stats)

Westminster College led just 38-37 at intermission, but broke the game open in the second half in topping MacMurray College 79-64 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference women's basketball Saturday afternoon in Fulton.

The Blue Jays (10-11, 9-4 SLIAC) remain tied for second in the conference standings with three games remaining in the regular season. Freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) paced the Westminster attack with 17 points, senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) added 11 points, and senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Taylor Vollmer scored a game-high 24 points for MacMurray (6-16, 4-9 SLIAC).

Westminster Women's Basketball Team Supports Pink Zone
 
The Westminster College women's basketball squad is supporting the WBCA Pink Zone initiative to promote breast cancer awareness. The WBCA Pink Zone(tm) dates for 2009 are February 13-22, and Westminster has selected February 14 when the Blue Jay women and men host MacMurray College in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play beginning at 1:00. The Westminster women will accent their uniforms with pink and t-shirts will be on sale prior to and throughout the games. The proceeds will be donated to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund.

The WBCA Pink Zone(tm) initiative is a global, unified effort for the Women's Basketball Coaches Association's (WBCA) nation of coaches to assist in raising breast cancer awareness on the court, across campuses, in communities and beyond. The WBCA began the WBCA Pink Zone(tm), formerly known as "Think Pink", in 2007 as an initiative to raise breast cancer awareness in women's basketball, on campuses and in communities. In 2007, more than 120 schools unified for this effort and helped make the inaugural year a success. In 2008, over 1,200 teams and organizations participated, reaching over 830,000 fans and raising over $930,000 for breast cancer awareness and research.

Click for more: http://www.wbca.org/pinkzone.asp

Free Throw Shooting And Rebounding Key To Win (click for stats)

The Westminster College women made 24-of-30 free throws in a 75-61 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference road win over Greenville College Saturday in Greenville, Illinois. With the win, Westminster sweeps the season series with Greenville and remains alone in second place in the conference standings.

The Blue Jays (9-11, 8-4 SLIAC), who led 34-28 at halftime, used the 80 percent free throw shooting and a 48-27 rebounding advantage to secure the win. Senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) scored a team-high 20 points, junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) finished with 12 points and six rebounds, senior Brittney Scott (Sand Springs, Okla./Charles Page) added 11 points, and senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) contributed eight points and a game-high nine rebounds for Westminster. Meredith Banal scored a game-high 22 points for Greenville (6-14, 3-9 SLIAC).

WC Women Fall On Road To League Leader (click for stats)

The Westminster College women fell to St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference leader Maryville University 93-72 Wednesday in St. Louis.
 
The Blue Jays (8-11, 7-4 SLIAC) fell behind 46-33 at intermission and could not recover. Senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) scored a game-high 21 points and senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) finished with 15 points for Westminster. Sara Wemlinger scored 19 points to lead Maryville (14-5, 10-0 SLIAC).

Failure To Reach Charity Stripe Costly In Home Loss (click for stats)

The Westminster College women were out scored 15-3 at the charity stripe and dropped a 60-56 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference contest to Blackburn College Saturday in Fulton. It was Westminster's third consecutive home loss in conference play.

The Blue Jays (8-10, 7-3 SLIAC) led 34-28 at halftime, but were out scored 32-22 in the second half. Senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) finished with 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds for Westminster, while senior Brittney Scott (Sand Springs, Okla./Charles Page) and sophomore Vicki Flynn (Little Rock, Ark./Mount St. Mary) each scored 10 points. Natalia Gregory scored a game-high 20 points for Blackburn (8-11, 6-4 SLIAC).

Blue Jay Women Use Strong Finish In Road Win (click for stats)

The Westminster College women outscored host Webster University 14-3 over the final five minutes of play to capture a 72-61 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference victory Wednesday in St. Louis.

The Blue Jays (8-9, 7-2 SLIAC) won the battle of the boards 36-29 and shot 46 percent from the floor in sweeping the season series from Webster (9-8, 4-5 SLIAC). Junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) led all scorers with 17 points, while freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) finished with 14 points. Senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) pulled down a team-high five rebounds and added four assists for a Westminster team which is alone in second in the league standings.

WC Men And Women Rebound On The Road (click for women's stats)

Both Westminster College basketball teams snapped back from mid-week losses to capture St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference roads wins over Eureka College Saturday in Eureka, Illinois.

The Blue Jay women (7-9, 6-2 SLIAC) led 33-32 at halftime and outscored Eureka by three points in the second half for a 62-58 victory. Senior Brittney Scott (Sand Springs, Okla./Charles Page) finished with 15 points and junior Whitney Griffin (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) came off the bench to hit 4-of-7 3-pointers and finish with 15 points. Lindsey Crum scored a game-high 17 points for Eureka (2-13, 2-6 SLIAC).

Four players scored in double figures for the Westminster men (14-3, 7-1 SLIAC), who maintain their lead in the conference standings with a 70-61 win over Eureka (6-10, 4-4 SLIAC). Junior Stanley Crawford (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central) netted 17 points, sophomore Kurt Kovach (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) came off the bench to score 15 points, senior Mike Crawford (Jefferson City, Mo./Jefferson City) added 13 points, and sophomore Jake Vislay (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) finished with 12 points off the bench. Michael Zasada tallied a game-high 21 points for Eureka.

Westminster Women Let One Slip Away At Home (click for stats)

After grabbing the early lead and holding a 32-30 advantage at intermission, the Westminster College women let the game slip away late in a 71-67 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference loss to Fontbonne University Wednesday in Fulton.
 
Westminster (6-9, 5-2 SLIAC), which has dropped back-to-back conference games at home, got 13 points from freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) and 11 points from freshman Heather Letourneau (Smithton, Mo./Smithton). Kendra Schilli scored a game-high 23 points for Fontbonne (6-11, 5-3 SLIAC).

Blue Jay Women Drop First Conference Contest (click for stats)

Westminster College trailed at halftime 38-31 and fell to defending St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference champion Maryville University 78-66 in women's action Saturday in Fulton.

The Blue Jays (6-8, 5-1 SLIAC), who had opened conference play with a school-best 5-0 start, were out rebounded 49-34 by Maryville (10-5, 6-0 SLIAC). Freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) paced the Westminster offense with 12 points. Junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) and senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) each finished with 10 points.

WC Squads Undefeated In 2009, 5-0 In SLIAC (click for women's stats)

Both Westminster College basketball squads are undefeated in 2009 and both teams are 5-0 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play after winning at Principia College Tuesday evening in Elsah, Illinois.

The Blue Jay women (6-7, 5-0 SLIAC) won their fourth game in a row with a 72-64 win over Principia. Freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) led Westminster with 19 points, sophomore Vicki Flynn (Little Rock, Ark./Mount St. Mary) added 13 points, and freshman Heather Letourneau (Smithton, Mo./Smithton) chipped in 11 points. Last year’s conference player of the year Christina Spear finished with a game-high 28 points and 15 rebounds for Principia (3-9, 1-4 SLIAC).

The Westminster men (12-2, 5-0 SLIAC) captured their 12th win in a row with a 77-66 victory over their Principia counterpart. Senior Mike Crawford (Jefferson City, Mo./Jefferson City) and junior Ky Millard (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) each scored 15 points, sophomore Jake Vislay (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) tallied 13 points, and junior Stanley Crawford (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central) netted 11 points. Colin Angle scored a game-high 19 points for Principia (1-10, 0-5 SLIAC).

Westminster Women Rally For 67-61 SLIAC Win (click for stats)

The Westminster College women rallied from a 32-23 halftime deficit to defeat Greenville College 67-61 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday in Fulton. The Blue Jays (5-7, 4-0 SLIAC) are starting conference play 4-0 for the first time in school history.

After trailing at intermission, Westminster fought back and sophomore Vicki Flynn hit a 3-pointer to give the Blue Jays a 45-44 lead they would not relinquish, but it was not easy. With Westminster leading 61-59, senior Ashley Stanfill made two free throws with 22 seconds remaining and freshman Rachel Backes went 4-for-4 from the charity stripe in the final 14 seconds to help preserve the win.

Flynn (Little Rock, Ark./Mount St. Mary) came off the bench to score 10 points and Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) finished with 10 points. Meredith Banal scored a game-high 14 points for Greenville (4-7, 2-3 SLIAC).

Blue Jays Win Non-Conference Pair (click for women's stats)

Both Westminster College basketball squads stepped out of conference play for the night and picked up wins over Lincoln Christian College Wednesday in Fulton.

The Blue Jay women (4-7) forced 45 turnovers in winning 98-21 over Lincoln Christian (1-9), winning by 77 points to set a new school record for widest margin of victory. The previous record was 71 points which came in a 100-29 win over Stephens College in 1999. Thirteen players played and scored Wednesday. Freshman Lee Goatley (Springfield, Ky./Washington Co.) and freshman Liz Klaffenbach (Battle Ground, Wash./Prairie) each finished with a game-high 14 points.

Westminster (10-2) captured its tenth men’s victory in a row with an 81-67 win over Lincoln Christian (3-10). Sophomore Jake Vislay (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) scored a game-high 26 points off the bench and senior Jason Warncke (St/ Peter, Mo./Francis Howell Central) finished with 18 points.

Westminster hosts Greenville College in a St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference doubleheader Saturday. The women’s game begins at 1:00, followed by the men’s contest.

Basketball Squads Pick Up SLIAC Wins (click for women's stats) 

Westminster College picked up a pair of St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference wins with a sweep of MacMurray College Saturday in Jacksonville, Illinois.

The Blue Jay women (3-7, 3-0 SLIAC) rallied for a 72-64 win over MacMurray (1-9, 0-2 SLIAC). Freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) scored a game-high 25 points, junior Markie England (Central, Mo./Centralia) added 12 points and eight rebounds, and senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) added 10 points and eight rebounds as Westminster remained first in the conference standings.

Westminster (9-2, 3-0 SLIAC) captured the men’s game 84-62, winning its ninth game in a row. Junior Stanley Crawford (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central/Meramec) led all scorers with 22 points. Senior Jason Warnacke (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) finished with 17 points and sophomore Jake Vislay (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) added 15 points. MacMurray falls to 2-9 overall and 1-1 in league play.

Both Westminster squads step out of conference play Wednesday when Lincoln Christian College visits Fulton for a non-conference doubleheader beginning at 5:00.

Blue Jays Close 2008 With Non-Conference Loss (click for stats)

The Westminster College women closed out 2008 with an 83-55 non-conference loss to NCAA Division II Missouri S&T Tuesday in Rolla, Missouri.

The Blue Jays (2-7), who trailed 43-29 at halftime, won the battle of the boards 31-30, but could not contain a hot-shooting Missouri S&T squad (7-3), which shot 58 percent from the floor and 63 percent (12-of-19) from 3-point range. Freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) and senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) each finished with 11 points and four rebounds to lead Westminster, and junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) added eight points for the Blue Jays.

Westminster, which is 2-0 in St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play, travels to Jacksonville, Illinois, Saturday to face MacMurray College in SLIAC action. The Blue Jay women play at 1:00 p.m. followed by the men at 3:00.

D3hoops.com Names Westminster's Stanfill To Team Of The Week

The honors continue to come in for Westminster College senior Ashley Stanfill. After being named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week Monday, Stanfill was named Tuesday evening to the D3hoops.com Team of the Week for December 1-7.

Stanfill, a senior center from Columbia, Missouri (Rock Bridge), averaged a double-double last week, scoring 18.5 points a game and pulling down 11 rebounds a game in two Westminster wins. She also shot 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the floor as the Blue Jays opened conference play with back-to-back victories. Stanfill tallied 13 points and five rebounds in a 77-74 home victory over Webster University. And she capped the week, scoring a game-high 24 points and grabbing a Westminster individual single-game record 17 rebounds in a 73-66 road win at Blackburn College.

D3hoops.com Team of the Week (click below):
http://www.d3hoops.com/tow/

Stanfill Receives Player Of The Week Award From Conference

Westminster College's Ashley Stanfill, a senior center from Columbia, Missouri (Rock Bridge), has been named the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of December 1-7.

Stanfill averaged a double-double last week, scoring 18.5 points a game and pulling down 11 rebounds a game in two appearances. She also shot 68.2 percent (15-of-22) from the floor. Stanfill had 13 points and five rebounds in a 77-74 home victory over Webster University. She capped the week, scoring a game-high 24 points and grabbing a Westminster individual single-game record 17 rebounds in a 73-66 road win at Blackburn College.

News/Notes: Stanfill is seventh on the career scoring list with 779 points and she is third on the career rebounding chart with 520 caroms...Junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia) has moved into 14th on the career rebounding chart (305), senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) has moved into 16th on the career scoring chart (536), and junior Whitney Griffin (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) is now 19th on the career assist list (78)...Click for women’s career leaders.

Blue Jays Let Non-Conference Game Slip Away Late (click for stats)

Spalding University scored in the closing seconds to grab a 61-59 win from the Westminster College women in non-conference action Monday in Fulton.

Freshman Rachel Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) scored a team-high 17 points to lead the Blue Jays (2-5) and was joined in double figures by senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) who scored 11 points. Westminster freshman Laci Luff (Pea Ridge, Ark./Pea Ridge) added eight points and eight caroms. Jackie Skaggs finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds for Spalding (4-3).

Stanfill Breaks Record In Westminster Road Win (click for stats)

Senior Ashley Stanfill scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed a school record 17 rebounds in leading the Westminster College women to a 73-66 St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference win over Blackburn College Saturday in Carlinville, Illinois. The Blue Jays (2-4, 2-0 SLIAC) held a 37-32 halftime lead and went on to win their second game in a row which drops Blackburn to 1-7 overall and 0-2 in league play.

Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) went 10-of-12 from the field and 4-of-7 from the free throw line, but her 17 rebounds set an individual single-game school record and enabled Westminster to win the battle of the boards, 43-29. Senior Heather Collums (Bartlesville, Okla./Bartlesville) finished with 16 points to join Stanfill in double figures.

Blue Jay Women Get First Win In SLIAC Opener (click for stats)

Both Westminster College basketball squads opened St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play with three-point wins over Webster University Wednesday in Fulton.

The Blue Jay women (1-4, 1-0 SLIAC) overcame an eight-point first half deficit, led 36-35 at halftime, built an 11-point second half lead and held on for a 77-74 victory over Webster (2-3, 0-1 SLIAC). Junior Markie England (Centralia, Mo./Centralia), finished with a team-high 15 points and six rebounds to pace the Blue Jays. Senior Ashley Stanfill (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) added 13 points and five rebounds and in the process moved up a spot to seventh on the career scoring list (744 points) and moved from fourth to third on the career rebounding chart (497 rebounds). Freshman Liz Klaffenbach (Battle Ground, Wash./Prairie) scored 10 points and went 6-for-6 at the charity stripe for a Westminster team that shot 50 percent from the floor and made 24-of-31 free throws.

The Westminster men (4-2, 1-0 SLIAC) jumped out to an 18-point first-half lead, withstood a second-half rally in which the Gorloks tied the game three times and held on for an 85-82 win over defending conference champion Webster (1-2, 0-1 SLIAC). Junior Stanley Crawford (St. Louis, Mo./Hazelwood Central/Meramec) led Westminster with 23 points and made 3-of-4 free throws in the final 32 seconds to ice the game. Senior Jason Warncke (St. Peters, Mo./Francis Howell Central) added 21 points while Jake Vislay (Jefferson City, Mo./Helias) chipped in 13 points and a team-high five rebounds. Sophomore Kurt Kovach (St. Peters, Mo./Fort Zumwalt South) and junior Ky Millard (Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge) each finished with 11 points for a Blue Jay squad which went 27-of-32 from the foul line.

Backes Nets A Game-High 23 Points In Road Loss (click for stats)

Freshman Rachel Backes scored a game-high 23 points, but it was not enough as the Westminster College women fell 82-61 in non-conference basketball action to Graceland University Tuesday evening in Lamoni, Iowa.

The Blue Jays (0-4) trailed 50-24 at halftime and could not recover. Graceland (2-3) made 8-of-14 3-pointers and 18-of-21 free throws to hold off Westminster, which made just 3-of-10 3-pointers and 6-of-14 charity shots. Backes (Tipton, Mo./Tipton) led all scorers with 23 points, hitting 10-of-13 field goals and 3-of-4 3-pointers, and sophomore Vicki Flynn (Little Rock, Ark./Mt. St. Mary) added nine points off the bench.
 
Westminster opens St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference play against Webster University at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, December 3, in Fulton.

Westminster Goes To Overtime, But Comes Up Short (click for stats)

The Westminster College women took Rhodes College into overtime before bowing 77-72 in the second day of play in the Rhema Tip-Off Classic Saturday in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.
 
The Blue Jays (0-3) trailed Rhodes at halftime 39-34, rallied, but could not pull out the win despite shooting 42 percent from the field and 84 percent from the charity stripe. Ashley Stanfill led Westminster with 18 points, Markie England added 14 points, Rachel Backes recorded a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds and was named to the all-tournament team, and Brittney Scott finished with 10 points. Rhodes improves to 2-1.
 
The Blue Jays turned the ball over 35 times in Friday's 70-50 loss to Hendrix. Scott took scoring honors with nine points, Stanfill contributed eight points and nine rebounds, and Backes tallied eight points.

Blue Jays Let Early Lead Slip Away In Season-Opening Loss

The Westminster College women could not hold a halftime lead and dropped a 75-66 season-opening non-conference decision to Central College of Iowa Saturday in Fulton.
 
The Blue Jays (0-1) led 40-36 at halftime, but Central (1-0) used a 21-14 advantage at the charity stripe to win the first-ever meeting between the two teams. Senior Brittney Scott paced Westminster with 14 points, freshman Rachel Backes added 11 points in her first collegiate contest, and senior Ashley Stanfill finished with 10 points and a game-high 12 rebounds.

Westminster Fifth And Sixth In SLIAC Pre-Season Polls

The Westminster College men’s and women’s basketball squads are picked fifth and sixth, respectively, in the pre-season polls of the St. Louis Intercollegiate Athletic Conference coaches.

Despite finishing 17-8 overall and tying for second in the league standings at 12-4 last year, the Blue Jay men are picked fifth. This ranking is due in part because of the loss of four starters. Defending conference tournament champion Fontbonne University is picked first, followed by; 2. Webster University, 3. Maryville University, 4. Greenville College, 5. Westminster, 6. Eureka College, 7. Blackburn College, 8. MacMurray College and 9. Principia College.

Surprisingly, the Westminster women are picked just sixth, after finishing 11-14 overall and fifth in league play last year at 6-10. Maryville is the top pick, followed by; 2. Fontbonne, 3 Blackburn and Greenville, 5. Principia, 6. Westminster, 7. Webster, 8. Eureka, and 9. MacMurray.

Both Blue Jay teams open the season this Saturday. The Westminster women host Central College (Iowa) at 2:00, while the men face The University of Central Missouri at 7:00 in Warrensburg.