GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado women's basketball team goes for its first 3-0 start in 40 years when the Mountaineers travel to take on MSU Denver 2 p.m. Saturday at the Auraria Event Center.

There will be no spectators allowed at the game, but it will be available on the RMAC Network at GoMountaineers.com/live.

Western is looking to move one game short of the all-time best start to a season as that 1980-81 team started the season 4-0. That Mountaineer team eventually started the season 9-1 on its way to a 20-6 mark.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO SATURDAY | SEASON STATS
Western is coming off an 84-69 victory at home over Fort Lewis on Tuesday in a game where it led by double figures for 75 percent of the contest - including taking a 46-29 lead at the half. Three Mountaineers finished in double figures in Hannah Cooper (who was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week) with 17 points, six assists and five rebounds, Samantha Coleman with 15 points and Emmery Wagstaff with 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting (including 3-for-5 from 3-point range).

As a team, the Mountaineers are averaging 82.5 points per game in their first two games while allowing 71.5 per game. They are shooting 46 percent from the field, 41.5 percent from 3-point range and 80 percent from the free throw line. Western is still looking to improve its turnover margin as they are at minus-0.5, averaging 18 turnovers per game while forcing 17.5.

MSU DENVER HEADING INTO SATURDAY | SEASON STATS
The Roadrunners dropped their lone game last week, falling on the road to No. 24 Colorado Mesa 91-57 on Saturday in their RMAC opener after playing two non-conference games against RMAC opponents in Regis (78-72 win) and Colorado School of Mines (75-49 loss). MSU Denver was outscored by a combined 26 points in the second and third quarter in the loss. Allie Navarette led the team in scoring with 16 points while Maggie Justinak added nine - going 3-for-4 from 3-point range.

On the season, MSU Denver is averaging 61.3 points per game while allowing 79.3. The Roadrunners are shooting 34.5 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from 3-point range and 79.4 percent from the line.

Navarrette leads the team in scoring at 13.7 points per game to go along with 7.3 rebounds per game while Jaela Richardson is averaging 12.3 points and a team-best 8.0 rebounds per game. Alex Carlton (9.7 ppg), Kendra Parra (9.0 ppg) and Justinak (7.7 ppg) are also averaging more than seven points a game for the Roadrunners.

LAST SEASON VERSUS MSU DENVER
The Mountaineers went defeated MSU Denver 56-43 on Dec. 14, 2019, at home in the teams' only meeting. Gabie Doud led the team wit h19 points while Cooper had 15 points, five assists and four steals in the win. 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- COOPER NAMED RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 9, 2020) - (RELEASE)
Western Colorado's Hannah Cooper was named the RMAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 9, 2020, after averaging 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of wins for the Mountaineers. This includes a career-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal to help the Mountaineers defeat Black Hills State on Friday. She went 9-for-15 from the field and 15-for-16 from the free throw line. The 34 points is tied for the fourth-most in Western history and the most points a Mountaineer has scored in a game in 23 years while her 15 made free throws tied a school record.

This is Cooper's first career RMAC Player of the Week honor and Western's first since Samantha Coleman earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 2, 2019.

- MOUNTAINEERS IN THE REGIONAL RANKINGS, PICK UP VOTES IN NATIONAL RANKINGS
In the first regional and national rankings by D2SIDA this season, Western finds their name in both polls as the Mountaineers are No. 5 in the D2SIDA South Central Regional Rankings while they picked up votes in the Division II D2SIDA National Rankings.

- ELEVATED SUCCESS FOR MOUNTAINEERS AT HIGHEST COLLEGIATE GYM IN THE WORLD SINCE 2019-20
The Mountaineers are 13-1 at Paul Wright Gym - the highest collegiate gym in the world at 7,723 feet - since the start of the 2019-20 season.

- THAT'S THE WAY TO START THE SEASON ... RECORD NIGHT FOR COOPER
It was quite the start to the 2020-21 season for Hannah Cooper as the sophomore from El Paso, Texas, scored 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out five assists in the Mountaineers' win over Black Hills State on Dec. 4 in Paul Wright Gym. The 34 points is tied for the fourth most in Western history - behind Shannon Smart (41 versus Chadron State and 36 against Adams State - both during the 1992-93 season) and Laurie Nickolaus (40 against New Mexico Highlands in 1985-86). It's the most points a Mountaineers has scored in a game since Jen Knight scored 34 against NMHU in 1996-97. Cooper tied the school record for most free throws made in a game as well, going 15-for-16 from the line.

- S. COLEMAN RANKS FOURTH ON MOUNTAINEER 3-POINT ALL-TIME LIST
Senior Samantha Coleman continues to move up the Western all-time 3-point list as she currently has 157 - good for fourth in program history. Coleman is three 3-pointers behind Nikki Trujillo (160 - 2008-12), 12 behind Jen Knight (169 - 1993-97) and is 24 behind the all-time record of 181 set by Brooke Pendergraft (2008-12). 

Coleman  also has a chance to become the ninth player in Western history to reach 1,000 career points as she has 850 points. She can reach the top 10 in all-time scoring if she can surpass Taryn Brennan's 958 points.

- DALTON MOVES TO SIXTH ON WESTERN ALL-TIME BLOCKS LIST
Senior Katie Dalton with  another block on Tuesday moved to fifth place on the Western all-time list with 68 - moving past Val Elliott. Sitting in fifth place is Paula Stumbaugh (1980-84) with 78. Dalton can move up several spots on the list this season, but likely won't reach the school and RMAC record of 319 set by Kris Ellerby (1984-88).

- WESTLING MOVING UP MOUNTAINEER WINS LISTS
As Lora Westling enters her fifth season at the helm of the Mountaineers, she's already cemented herself as one of the winningest coaches in program history. Her 54 career victories is fourth in program history, behind James Hahn (113 - 1982-92), Phile Swille (69 - 1978-82) and Latricia Trammell (65 - 2007-12). Her 44 RMAC wins rank third in program history - behind Hahn (62) and Trammell (48).

Westling currently has led the Mountaineers to back-to-back winning seasons - the first time the program has accomplished that since James Hahn did it in 1985-86 and 1986-87.

- COOPER BECOMES FIRST WESTERN RMAC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Sophomore Hannah Cooper became the first Western Colorado women's basketball player in program history to earn RMAC Freshman of the Year since the conference started handing out the award in the sport in 1996-97. Cooper led the Mountaineers in assists (3.2) and steals (1.4), was second in scoring (9.7) and third in rebounding (4.3).

- MOUNTAINEERS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN RMAC (FULL STORY)
The Western Colorado women's basketball team was selected second in the RMAC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll. The Mountaineers - who picked up three first-place votes - finished behind defending RMAC champion Colorado Mesa in the preseason poll - the Mavericks getting eight first-place votes and 189 points total - while Western finished two points ahead of Westminster, which picked up four first-place votes. Westminster was followed by Colorado School of Mines, Black Hills State and then South Dakota Mines - the same exact order of finish the top six teams finished in the RMAC in 2019-20.

- MOUNTAINEERS IN SEASON OPENERS
The Mountaineers are now 14-29 all-time in season opener after their win over Black Hills State on Dec. 4 at home - their first time starting the season at home since 2006-07 when the Mountaineers beat Chadron State, 80-54. The Mountaineers are 7-5 all-time when starting the season at Paul Wright Gym.