GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado women's basketball team hosts No. 24 Colorado Mesa in a matchup of the top two teams in the RMAC 5:30 p.m. Friday at Paul Wright Gym.

The Mavericks at 19-2 have clinched the RMAC regular-season title while the Mountaineers at 17-4 are guaranteed the No. 2 spot in the RMAC Tournament - even if Westminster ties WCU as the Mountaineers own the head-to-hea, sweeping the Griffins this season.

More importantly, this game has regional ranking implications as the Mountaineers are No. 5 in the latest South Central regional polls while Colorado Mesa is No. 4. These rankings are used to select the eight schools that compete in the NCAA Tournament South Central Regional. The South Central region is made up of the RMAC and Lone Star Conference with each winner of the conference tournament getting an automatic bid. This makes it key to stay in the top six in the regional rankings as if one of the teams not in the top eight win one of those conference tournaments, it will knock out the No. 8 (and No. 7 if both conference tournament winners are not in the top eight in the regional rankings).

This Friday is also WCU's senior night as the team honors senior Gabie Doud and junior Payton Paro (who is graduating early and is moving into the professional sector). The ceremony will take place after the women's game and prior to the men's game.

PREVIOUS MATCHUPS THIS SEASON
The Mountaineers fell to the Mavericks 44-36 in Brownson Arena on Dec. 20 in Grand Junction - a season low for points for WCU. The Mountaineers led 27-26 midway through the third quarter before an 11-0 run by CMU gave the Mavs the lead for good. Doud had a team-high nine points for WCU while Daniella Turner had a game-high 22 points for CMU.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
WCU moved its win streak to six games (the third time this season its had a six-game win streak, tied for hte longest streak since 2007-08) as the Mountaineers went on the road and defeated Adams State on Friday behind 16 points and seven rebounds from freshman Hannah Cooper before beating Fort Lewis 76-64 on Saturday - getting 24 points (including six 3-pointers), four rebounds and three steals from Samantha Coleman.

Coleman leads the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game while she ranks in the top 10 in the RMAC in 3-pointers made (56 - ninth) and 3-pointers per game (2.24 - ninth). Hannah Cooper is second on the team in scoring at 9.6 points per game while she leads to team (10th in the RMAC) in assists at 3.2 per game and in steals at 1.4 per game. Gabie Doud is third in scoring at 9.5 points per game while leading the team in rebounding at 6.0 per contest and Katie Dalton is fourth on the team in scoring (9.0) and leads the team and is fifth in the RMAC at 1.1 blocks per contest.

The Mountaineers are second in the RMAC and ninth in the nation in scoring defense - allowing 53.8 points per game. They are second in the RMAC and 19th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (34.8) and are seventh in the nation and first in the RMAC in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 25.3 percent.

COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Mavericks bounced back from a 77-64 loss at home to Regis on Feb. 15 by beating Fort Lewis 63-60 on Friday night in Durango, led by 16 points from Kelsey Siemons, before defeating Adams State on Saturday night in Alamosa - getting 20 points from Turner.

Turner, who comes off the bench for the Mavs, leads the team in scoring at 15.7 points per game - seventh in the nation. Siemons is second on the team in scoring at 10.1 points per game,has hit a team-high 61 3-pointers (shooting 39.1 percent from beyond the arc) and leads the team and RMAC at 1.6 blocks per game while Kylyn Rigsby is third in scoring at 10.0 points per game. Sydni Brandon leads the team in rebounding (6.3), assists (4.5 - second in the RMAC) and steals (2.9 - first in the RMAC) while averaging 7.1 points per game.

The Mavericks - much like Western Colorado - are led by their defense as they are first in the RMAC and in Division II in points allowed at 48.7 per game. They are first in the RMAC and 12th in the nation in field goal percentage defense (33.9 percent) and are strong at avoiding the turnover as they are first in the RMAC and ninth in the nation at 12.1 turnovers per game.