GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team opens 2020 on the road as the Mountaineers travel to take on Black Hills State on Friday and South Dakota Mines on Saturday.

The Mountaineers sit at 2-3 in RMAC play, a game behind BHSU which is in a tie for fourth while they are a game up on Mines. Dixie State leads the RMAC at a perfect 5-0 while Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines on Saturday.

THE MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | 2019-20 SEASON STATS
Western Colorado capped 2019 with a 71-49 road loss to Colorado Mesa on Dec. 20, a game the Mountaineers led 28-24 at the half before being outscored 47-21 in the final 20 minutes. Cole Sienknecht led WCU with 15 points while James Willis had 11 points, three rebounds and three steals.

Sienknecht, a sophomore, leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 13.5 points per game and has hit a team-high 19 3-pointers. He's also averaging 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists. Jackson Ehrlin is second on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game while leading the team in rebounding (7.2 - fourth in the RMAC), assists (2.7) and blocks (0.5) per contest. Monroe Porter is averaging 8.1 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists and a team-high 0.7 steals per game.

As a team, the Mountaineers are allowing 76.5 points per game (11th in the RMAC) while they are scoring 68.5 per game.

BLACK HILLS STATE HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Yellow Jackets enter Friday's contest having won three games in a row (all at home) - beating Adams State 81-66 on Dec. 13, Fort Lewis 81-70 on Dec. 14 and a non-RMAC contest against Dickson State, 90-62, on Dec. 20.

Joel Scott leads four BHSU players in double figures in scoring at 17.1 points per game as the 6-foot-7 forward is shooting 60.2 percent from the field, including 54.5 percent from 3-point range (12-for-22) to go along with 5.2 rebounds per game. Tyler Oliver has been the Yellow Jackets' top overall player as the 6-3 guard is averaging 14.5 points, 9.1 rebounds (second in the RMAC), 5.0 assists (third in the RMAC) and 1.6 steals per game (eigth in the RMAC).

The Yellow Jackets are sixth in the RMAC in scoring (77.1 ppg) while they are fifth in scoring defense (70.7).

SOUTH DAKOTA MINES HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Hardrockers split their final weekend of 2019 at home, losing to Fort Lewis 77-73 on Dec. 13 and defeating Adams State 72-69 on Dec. 14. In the win over Adams State, the Hardrockers trailed 69-67 with 1:36 remaining before a Troy Brady 3-pointer at the 1:14 mark gave Mines the lead, the Grizzlies missed a pair of of free throws with four seconds left with a chance to take the lead and the Hardrockers hit a pair of free throws with a second left to secure the win.

Three players are averaging double figures for the Hardrockers, led by Allec Williams at 11.7 points per game followed by Mitchell Sueker (11.6) and Logan Elers (10.5). As a team, Mines lets it fly from 3-point range as they are second in the RMAC with 107 3-pointers - shooting them at a 39.3 percent clip (fourth in the RMAC).

The Hardrockers are 12th in the RMAC in scoring (73.9 ppg) while they are fourth in scoring defense (68.4 ppg).