GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team hits the road to take on fifth-ranked Colorado School of Mines 7 p.m. Friday at Lockridge Arena while the Mountaineers' Saturday game at Regis has been postponed due to COVID-19 concerns.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO FRIDAY | SEASON STATS
Western is coming off a 74-72 loss at MSU Denver on Saturday as a pair of free throws by the Roadrunners with 13 seconds remaining turned out to be the difference. Matthew Ragsdale led the Mountaineers with 22 points - all in the second half - while Avery Rembao had 14 points and six rebounds while Jackson Ehrlin turned in a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds. The Mountaineers shot just 5-for-23 from 3-point range, however, while MSU Denver was 13-for-33.

Through three games, Ragsdale leads the team in scoring at 14.7 points per game while Ehrlin is averaging 13.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.7 blocks. Cole Sienknecht is averaging 12 points, 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists while Rembao is at 11.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 1.3 assists per contest.

Western - one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the RMAC from last season - is still looking to find its stroke from long distance as the Mountaineers are shooting 32.3 percent from 3-point range and just 39.1 percent from the field overall. Compare that to their opponents shooting 50.8 percent from the field this season and 40.6 percent from 3-point range.

#5 MINES HEADING INTO FRIDAY | SEASON STATS
The Orediggers are coming off a pair of double-digit wins last week, beating Regis on the road 73-50 on Dec. 10 (led by 20 points from Brendan Sullivan) while they defeated UCCS 64-54 at home on Saturday - getting 17 points from Michael Glen and 16 points from Ben Boone. In fact, Saturday's 10-point win was the closest game of the season for Mines as it has won its four games this year by an average of 22 points per game.

A big part of that is the team is shooting 50.2 percent from the field while holding teams to 31.9 percent shooting. 

Sullivan leads the team in scoring at 13.0 points per game while averaging a team-high 2.5 assists and 2.3 steals per game. Kobi Betts is second on the team in scoring at 12.4 points per game while Boone is third at 10.0 points per contest.

LAST SEASON VERSUS MINES
The Mountaineers lost 85-67 on the road in their lone game against the Orediggers last season (Dec. 6, 2019). Ehrlin and Ragsdale led Western with 17 points apiece while Sienknecht added 15. 
 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- EHRLIN NAMED RMAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 9, 2020) (FULL STORY)
Western Colorado forward Jackson Ehrlin was named RMAC Defensive Player after the 6-foot-9 senior averaged 11 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game for the Mountaineers in their two games - grabbing 11 rebounds in each contest while setting a career high with four blocks against Fort Lewis. Ehrlin also averaged 13 points and 2.5 assists per game. It is Ehrlin's first RMAC Player of the Week Honor and the third time in the last two seasons a Western player has earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week with Monroe Porter earning the honor twice during the 2019-20 campaign.

- MOUNTAINEERS PICKED TO FINISH 10TH IN THE RMAC (FULL STORY)
The Western Colorado men's basketball team was selected tied for 10th in the RMAC's Preseason Men's Basketball Coaches poll. The Mountaineers are tied with Westminster for the 10th spot with 91 points, seven points behind No. 9 CSU Pueblo and 37 points ahead of No. 12 South Dakota Mines. Colorado School of Mines was picked to win the conference with 13 of the 15 first-place votes and 195 points while Black Hills State was picked second with two first-place votes and 172 points followed by UCCS, Colorado Mesa and Fort Lewis in the top five.

- SIENKNECHT CHASING ALL-TIME 3-POINT TOP-7 AT WESTERN
While just a junior, Cole Sienknecht has a chance to reach the top seven in Western history - even in this COVID-shortened season. The Colorado Springs product has 127 career 3-pointers up to this point, 30 behind the No. 7 spot on the Western all-time list by Mike Legg (157 from 1994-99). The all-time mark is 307 set by Wil Pierce from 1992-96. The No. 2 spot you ask? Current Western assistant coach Ben Beauchamp with 209 (2015-18).

- ELEVATED RECORD AT THE HIGHEST COLLEGIATE GYM IN THE WORLD IN 2019-20
The Mountaineers last season went 10-3 at Paul Wright Gym - the highest collegiate gym in the world at 7,723 feet. 

- WESTERN IN SEASON OPENERS SINCE 2009
The Mountaineers are now 2-10 in season openers since 2009.

• 2020-21 - L, 89-69 at Fort Lewis
• 2019-20 - L, 96-85 at UTPB
• 2018-19 - W, 77-72 vs. #4 West Texas A&M
• 2017-18 - L, 84-77 at #11 UTPB
• 2016-17 - L, 89-78 vs. Wayland Baptist
• 2015-16 - L, 92-68 at Arkansas-Fort Smith
• 2014-15 - L, 77-63 vs. Midwestern State (in Pueblo, Colo.)
• 2013-14 - L, 75-65 at Hawaii Pacific
• 2012-13 - L, 62-42 at Wyoming
• 2011-12 - L, 78-39 at Wyoming
• 2010-11 - L, 78-52 at Boise State
• 2009-10 - W, 94-79 vs. Northern New Mexico