GUNNISON, Colo. – Western State Colorado University men's basketball has two more home games this weekend in Paul Wright Gym. The Mountaineers host New Mexico Highlands University at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Colorado State University Pueblo at 7 p.m. on Saturday night.
 
Western (3-7, 1-3 RMAC) is coming off an overtime loss to No. 15 Fort Lewis College last Saturday. The Mountaineers fell to the Skyhawks 93-92 in the team's third overtime game of the season.
 
The Mountaineers are ranked top-four in the conference for scoring average, three-point field goals made and free-throw percentage. Western is averaging 83.4 points per game which ranks fourth best in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. The Mountaineers are also averaging 10.4 three-point field goals per game, which ranks second, while a 79.8 percent (154-of193) free throw percentage is top in the conference.
 
Four Western players are averaging more than 12 points per game this season. Leading the way is Collin Smith, averaging 15.7 points per game. Smith is the RMAC's 12^th leading scorer.
 
Currently, the Mountaineers are one of six teams tied at 1-3 in the conference standings. One of those teams is Friday's opponent, New Mexico Highlands University.
 
NMHU (6-4, 1-3 RMAC) fell to Westminster College, 73-75, in their last game.
 
The Cowboys are in the middle of the conference in terms of offense and defense. NMHU is averaging 81 points per game, while allowing teams to score 75.7 points per game. Both figures rank eighth in the RMAC.
 
Leading the NMHU scoring attack is Jacob Holland. The junior from New Mexico is averaging 15.5 points per game, shooting 46 percent (52-of-113) from the field and 42.4 percent (14-of-33) from beyond the arc.
 
Last season, the Mountaineers defeated NMHU in the final regular season game of the year, 94-81.
 
On Saturday, Western hosts CSU-Pueblo (3-7, 0-4 RMAC). The Thunderwolves enter the weekend winless in the RMAC. CSU-Pueblo will face Colorado Mesa University on Friday before making the trip to Gunnison.
 
The Thunderwolves are currently riding a four-game losing streak. CSU-Pueblo is 1-1 on the road this season.
 
Leading the conference in made three-pointers, CSU-Pueblo has converted 108 three-point attempts, averaging 10.8 made three-point field goals per game.
 
Will Newman is the conference's seventh leading scorer, averaging 16.8 points per game for the Thunderwolves.
 
The last Mountaineer win over CSU-Pueblo came on Jan. 7, 2012. Western defeated the Thunderwolves 76-72 in Paul Wright Gym. The Mountaineers would advance to the conference tournament that season.
 
This weekend's games will be two of three final games played in 2017. The last game will be played on Dec. 30 against the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs. All admission will be free of charge to everyone on the Dec. 30 games.
 
For those unable to attend this weekend's two home games, fans can follow online by clicking the links provided above.