GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team looks to continue its winning ways as the Mountaineers hit the road to take on Chadron State on Friday. The Mountaineers' game set for Saturday at Black Hills State has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocol.

Scheduling notes:

• Friday's game has been moved to 6 p.m. (originally was at 7:30 p.m.)
• Saturday's game at Black Hills State has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocol
• Jan. 22 game at Adams State has been postponed due to COVID-19 protocol

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
Western made it two wins in a row after defeating Colorado Christian 102-87 on Saturday. The Mountaineers drained 18 3-pointers against the Cougars, tied for the fourth most in program history while Western reached the 100-point mark for the first time in nearly three years. Avery Rembao led the way with a career-high 28 points to go along with five rebounds and three assists while Jaelan McCloud had 20 points (going 6-for-9 from 3-point range), Matthew Ragsdale had 19 points, Jonathan McCloud had 14 points (going 4-for-4 from 3) and Cole Sienknecht had 11 points, eight assists and six rebounds.

Western is second in the RMAC and 24th in the nation in 3-pointers per game at 10.2. The Mountaineers are fourth in the conference in turnover margin (+1.67) and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (+1.15). 

Ragsdale leads the Mountaineers and is fifth in the RMAC in scoring at 18.0 points per game and is fifth in the RMAC in 3-pointers per game (2.3). Sienknecht is second on the team in scoring (12.8) while leading the team in assists (4.0 - fifth in the RMAC), Rembao is averaging 12.7 points and 5.8 rebounds while Jackson Ehrlin is averaging 10.8 points, a team-high 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 blocks.

CHADRON STATE HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Eagles are coming off a 65-60 loss Saturday at Westminster - a game where CSC trailed by as much as 18 before cutting it to four points with a minute left before the Griffins held on for the win. Teddy Parham, Jr., and Jacob Jefferson led the team with 16 points apiece while Deundra Roberson added 13 points.

CSC is third in the RMAC in points allowed per game at 68.0, but are 12th in the conference in scoring at 66.2 points per game. The Eagles are also third in the RMAC in 3-pointers made per game (9.0).

Jefferson leads the team in scoring at 14.4 points per game to go along with 6.2 rebounds per contest. Parham, Jr., is averaging 14.0 points per game, and Marcus Jefferson is averaging 12.6 points, 3.4 assists and 3.2 rebounds per game.

LAST SEASON VERSUS CSC, BHSU
Western defeated Chadron State 69-66 last season at home - holding off a late charge by the Eagles. Graduated senior James Willis led five players in double figures with 16 points. A game earlier this season in Gunnison was postponed.
 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- RAGSDALE NAMED RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (JAN. 11, 2021) (FULL STORY)
Matthew Ragsdale was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Jan. 11 after the sophomore averaged 25.5 points and shot 45 percent from 3-point range during the week in helping the Mountaineers win a pair of games. The Monument, Colorado, product scored a career-high 32 points against South Dakota Mines on Tuesday - hitting seven 3-pointers, tied for the second most 3-pointers in a game in Mountaineer history. Ragsdale followed it up by scoring 19 points in a 102-87 win over Colorado Christian - the first time Western hit the 100-point mark since 2018. Overall, Ragsdale went 9-for-20 from 3-point range during the wins over the Hardrockers and Cougars.

This is Ragsdale's first RMAC Player of the Week honor and it's the second time a Mountaineer has won a conference player of the week award this season as Jackson Ehrlin was named the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week on Dec. 9. Ragsdale is the first Mountaineer to win RMAC Offensive Player of the Week since current Mountaineer assistant coach Ben Beauchamp won the honor Nov. 20, 2017.

- RAGSDALE'S SEVEN 3-POINTERS VS SOUTH DAKOTA MINES ONE OFF SCHOOL RECORD
Sophomore Matthew Ragsdale just missed tying a school record as he drained seven 3-pointers against South Dakota Mines on Jan. 5 at Paul Wright Gym. It's the second time Ragsdale has drained seven 3-pointers in a game for the Mountaineers, doing it his freshman year against Regis on Feb. 14, 2020. A Mountaineer has hit seven 3-pointers in a game 17 times in program history with five players doing it twice. The record is eight 3-pointers hit by Nate Allen against Fort Lewis during the 1995-96 season.

- 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 135 career 3-pointers up to this point, 22 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 since the start of last season are 12-4 at Paul Wright Gym - the highest collegiate gym in the world at 7,723 feet. 

- 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.

- 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