GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado women's basketball team looks to stay near the top of the RMAC as it continues conference play 5:30 p.m. Friday against CSU-Pueblo and 5 p.m. Saturday versus New Mexico Highlands at Paul Wright Gym.

The Mountaineers at 5-2 are tied for fourth in the RMAC as they sit behind Colorado Mesa (7-0), Westminster (6-1) and Fort Lewis (6-1).

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
WCU split a pair of road games in coming off the holiday break, falling to Black Hills State 49-47 on Friday in a game it led for the first 37 minutes before bouncing back to defeating South Dakota Mines 80-74 on Saturday behind a career day from freshman Hannah Cooper (24 points, six rebounds, six assists, three steals and two blocks).

The Mountaineers are fourth in the RMAC in scoring margin at plus-7.6 points - thanks in large part to their defense and allowing 54.1 points per game, second in the RMAC. WCU is also second in the RMAC in field goal percentage defense (33.4 percent) and 3-point field goal percentage defense (26.8 percent).

Individually, Samantha Coleman leads the Mountaineers in scoring at 9.6 points per game to go along with 4.5 reounds and 1.2 assists per contest while Cooper sits at 9.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists (ninth in the RMAC) and 1.3 steals. Gabie Doud (8.5), Katie Dalton (7.8) and Taytem Coleman (7.4) are also averaging 7-plus points per game with Doud leading the team with 5.7 rebounds per game, Dalton leading the team at 0.6 blocks per game and Taytem Coleman leading the team at 1.5 steals per contest.

CSU-PUEBLO HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The ThunderWolves started 2020 with a pair of home losses, falling to Colorado Christian 73-64 on Friday and to Regis 74-65 on Saturday. The two RMAC wins for CSU-Pueblo this season have come against Adams State (64-50 on Dec. 6) and to New Mexico Highlands (79-48 on Dec. 18).

The Thunderwolves have three players averaging double figures in JaNaiya Davis (15.3), Sydni Williams (11.5) and Khiya Adams (10.5). Davis is also averaging 5.9 rebounds while leading the team with 5.1 assists (first in the RMAC) and 2.5 steals (second in the RMAC). Williams leads the team at 7.7 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per contest.

As a team, CSU-Pueblo is averaging 58.1 points per game (13th in the RMAC) while allowing 68 points per game (13th in the RMAC).

NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Cowgirls enter this week having dropped a pair of games last week, losing at home to Regis (71-59) and Colorado Christian (60-46) to move their losing streak to seven games.

Jordyn Lewis is NMHU's top scorer and is second in the conference at 18.8 points per game (she's second in the RMAC with 35 3-pointers). She's also averaging 3.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 90.6 percent from the free-throw line (58-for-64). Freshman Ashley Antone is second on the team in scoring at 12.8 points per contest while also leading the team in rebounding (6.0) as she's hit 31 3-pointers this season. Fellow freshman Maiah Rivas is third on the team in scoring at 9.1 points per game while leading the team in assists (4.1) and steals (2.4).

The Cowgirls are 15th in the RMAC in scoring margin at minus-14.8 points per game as they are 14th in scoring (57.4 per game) and last in the RMAC in points allowed per game (72.3).
  WCU'S COLEMAN NAMED RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 2)
Western Colorado's Samantha Coleman's record-tying 3-point performance Saturday and strong overall weekend was rewarded Monday as the junior was named the RMAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week.

Coleman tied a Mountaineer women's record with seven 3-pointers and had a career-high 25 points in a 78-53 victory over University of the Southwest on Saturday at the CMU Holiday Inn - Airport Thanksgiving Classic in Grand Junction. She's the fourth Mountaineer to hit seven 3-pointers in a game with it most recently done last season by Chandler Willis against Fort Lewis.

MOUNTAINEERS UPEND D-I WEBER STATE IN EXHIBITION
The Western Colorado women's basketball team got key performances from veteran Samantha Coleman and newcomer Hannah Cooper and combined it with a strong defensive showing as the Mountaineers defeated Division-I Weber State 58-49 on Wednesday night at Dee Events Center.

Coleman, an All-RMAC performer last season for WCU, scored a game-high 22 points, went 5-for-12 from 3-point range, and added six rebounds while Cooper, a freshman from El Paso, Texas, displayed her all-around game with 12 points, seven rebounds, seven steals and six assists to lead the Mountaineers. Combine that with a defensive effort that saw WCU force Weber State into 20 turnovers while holding them to 39.1 percent shooting.

MOUNTAINEERS PICKED TO FINISH SIXTH IN THE RMAC
Coming off its postseason appearance in seven years, the Western Colorado women's basketball team was picked to finish sixth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll released Tuesday.

The Mountaineers are coming off a 16-11 season (12-10 in the RMAC) that saw them reach the RMAC Tournament for the first time since 2012. WCU has nine players returning from that roster. In the poll, Western Colorado finished behind Colorado Mesa (215 points - nine first-place votes), Westminster (209 - five first-place votes), Colorad School of Mines (192 - one first-place vote), MSU Denver (180) and a single point behind Black Hills State (151) while finishing nine points ahead of seventh-place Regis.