Westminster head women's basketball coach Shelley Jarrard announced the 2017-2018 schedule Monday. The schedule includes 11 home games, three in-state matchups and 22 conference games.
The three exhibition contests include Utah State, Weber State and Idaho State. The non-conference slate has road games against Concordia-Irvine, Davenport, Northern State and Dixie State.
Westminster travels to Irvine, California, on Nov. 10, to face Concordia-Irvine. On Nov. 17-18, the Griffins will play in the 34th Annual Al Kaly Shrine Classic in Pueblo, Colorado, hosted by fellow RMAC member CSU-Pueblo where they will face Davenport University and Northern State University. Prior to the Thanksgiving holiday, they take on Dixie State on Nov. 24, in St. George.
In Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action, 22 games will decide the leagues regular season champion with 11 of those contests being played at home in the Behnken Field House. The 2017-18 conference campaign begins in Grand Junction as Westminster plays Colorado Mesa on Nov. 30. The Maveriks finished second in the RMAC last season, posting a 17-5 conference record. Westminster heads to Gunnison, Colorado, to take on Western State Colorado on Dec. 2.
The RMAC home opener is Friday, Dec. 8, against the 2016-17 RMAC regular season champions, Colorado State Pueblo. The Thunderwolves received an NCAA II postseason bid last season and advanced out of the first round beating West Texas A&M. The Thunderwolves were ranked third in the nation last season and undefeated coming into their contest with Westminster at the Behnken Field House where the Griffins defeated them, 85-81, on Feb. 10.
Westminster hosts its next three conference contests versus New Mexico Highlands on Dec. 9, Fort Lewis on Dec. 15 and Adams State on Dec. 16, prior to the holiday break. The Griffins return to action on Dec. 28, when they take on Idaho State in an exhibition contest before resuming conference action at home against Colorado Mines on Dec. 30.
After the new year, the Griffins travel to Lakewood, Colorado, to face Colorado Christian and Colorado Mines, which finished seventh in the RMAC last season after winning the regular season the year before. They return home Jan. 12, to host Regis, which received a postseason bid last year and finished fifth in the RMAC regular season. Westminster hosts Chadron State on Jan. 13, before traveling to South Dakota to take on Black Hills State on Jan 18, and South Dakota Mines on Jan. 20.
Westminster returns to the Behnken Field House for its next four games against MSU Denver on Jan. 26, UCCS on Jan. 27, Western State Colorado on Feb. 2 and Colorado Mesa on Feb. 3.
The Griffins conclude their 2017-18 regular season with five road games against New Mexico Highlands on Feb. 8, Colorado State Pueblo on Feb. 10, Regis on Feb. 17, and then finish the season with a two-game stint at Adams State on Feb. 22 and Fort Lewis on Feb. 24.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER:
Westminster is a private, independent, and comprehensive college in Salt Lake City, Utah. The intercollegiate athletics program is a provisional member of NCAA II and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).