GUNNISON, Colo. - Western State Colorado University women's basketball opens the regular season this Friday at the Colorado Mesa University Holiday Inn - Airport Thanksgiving Classic. The Mountaineers will first face Dixie State University at 1 p.m. on Friday in the four team tournament. All games will be held in Brownson Arena on the campus of CMU in Grand Junction, Colorado.

The Mountaineers will have two games in the Classic, with the second coming against Oklahoma Panhandle State University at 1 p.m. on Saturday. 

Western (0-0, 0-0 RMAC) began the season with three exhibition games against Division I opponents. Friday's and Saturday's games will also be the final games before Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games begin.

In Western's three exhibition games, Taylor Long (So., Moreno Valley, California) led the Mountaineers in scoring average at 11.7 points per game. 

Dixie State (0-3, 0-0 PacWest) is coming off a 61-55 loss to Westminster College on Monday. The tandem of Leslie Tademy and Taylor Mann lead Dixie State's scoring attack. Each are averaging 9.7 points per game.

The OPSU Aggies also enter the tournament with an 0-3 record (0-3, 0-0 Heartland). The Aggies have lost to two RMAC schools and most recently fell to Northwestern Oklahoma State University 72-63 on Monday at home. OPSU's leading scorer is Brittany Alavinejad. Alavinejad is averaging 10 points per game.

Fans will be treated to free admission at this weekend's Holiday Inn - Airport Thanksgiving Classic Basketball Tournament with a donation of a non-perishable food item. 

Every week, during the school year, Kids Aid (www.kidsaidcolorado.org) provides backpacks full of food to hungry school-aged kids.   The food is delivered to each school and distributed directly into the hands of the children to take home over the weekends.  What started in 2007 in one school, serving 10 students each week has grown to serve 2,158 students each week in 45 schools in the Grand Valley.  These students are going to school fueled and ready to learn rather than heading out the door hungry with thoughts on when the lunch bell will ring. 
 
Back Pack Items (all items are individual sizes):
 
Granola bars                               
Boxed Mac and Cheese
Cereal bars                                            
Ramen Noodles
Small Jars of Peanut Butter                                                    
Individual fruit cups/fruit roll-ups
Individual 5 oz. tuna/chicken packets
Peanut Butter or cheese filled crackers
Small trail mix or nut packages
Individual oatmeal packets