GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team looks to build off Tuesday's win over South Dakota Mines as the Mountaineers host Colorado Christian 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO SATURDAY | SEASON STATS
Western picked up its first win of the season Tuesday as the Mountaineers defeated South Dakota Mines 75-64 at Paul Wright Gym. Western led 24-22 at the half before starting the second half on an 8-0 to build a 10-point advantage - which eventually grew to 18 points before settling at 11 points. Matthew Ragsdale scored a career-high 32 points to go along with seven 3-pointers - tied for the second-most in a game in program history. Cole Sienknecht added 19 points while Jackson Ehrlin had 11 points.

Ragsdale leads the team in scoring at 17.8 points per game (sixth in the conference) followed by Sienknecht (13.2) and Ehrlin (12.2). Ehrlin leads the team at 8.8 rebounds (third in the RMAC) and 1.4 blocks per game (third in the RMAC), Sienknecht is averaging 3.2 assists (second on the team) and a team-high 1.2 steals. Grant Wilkinson leads the team in assists at 3.8 per game (fifth in the RMAC).

COLORADO CHRISTIAN HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Cougars, who take on Fort Lewis on Friday before heading to Gunnison, have dropped four straight games - including falling to Adams State 82-78 at home on Sunday. Ross Williams led the team with 31 points - going 6-for-11 from 3-point range - while Andy Stafford had a double-double with 19 points and 11 rebounds while Justin Engesser had 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists.

Williams is the RMAC's leading scorer heading into the weekend at 23.3 points per game thanks to averaging a conference-high 4.4 3-pointers. He also leads the team at 2.7 assists per game. Stafford is second on the team in scoring at 17.7 points per game (seventh in the RMAC) and leads the team at 7.6 rebounds per game. Engesser is third on the team in scoring at 10.5 points per game 

LAST SEASON VERSUS CCU
The Mountaineers split a pair of games against the Cougars last season, losing at CCU 94-92 (Ragsdale had a team-high 21 points) on Jan. 31 while winning at home 90-78 (Sienknecht had a team-high 23 points) on Feb. 15.
 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- 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 133 career 3-pointers up to this point, 24 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).

- 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.

- ELEVATED RECORD AT THE HIGHEST COLLEGIATE GYM IN THE WORLD IN 2019-20
The Mountaineers since the start of last season are 11-4 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