GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team has knocked off a top-10, undefeated team once this season at home.

The Mountaineers look to do it again - this time against the top-ranked team in the country as Western hosts No. 1 Colorado School of Mines 7 p.m. Saturday at Paul Wright Gym.

The Mountaineers just two weeks ago No. 6 and undefeated Colorado Mesa 78-72 at Paul Wright Gym thanks to four Western players reaching double figures - led by 24 points from Matthew Ragsdale.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
Western last played Feb. 4 - a 99-97 overtime road loss to UCCS in a game that was sent to overtime thanks to a last-second 3-pointer by Western's Cole Sienknecht. The junior led the Mountaineers with 26 points while Ragsdale added 23 points and seven rebounds in a game that saw five Western players foul out.

Western is eighth in the RMAC in scoring at 74.5 points per game while allowing 79.7 - 12th in the RMAC. The Mountaineers continue to shoot it well from beyond the arc as they are second in the RMAC and 28th in the nation in both 3-point percentage (39.1) and 3-pointers per game (10.1). The Mountaineers also rank fourth in the RMAC in assists per game (12.6).

Ragsdale leads the team and is ninth in the RMAC in scoring at 17.3 points per game while grabbing 3.8 boards a game. Sienknecht is second on the team in scoring at 13.2 points per game while averaging 3.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Avery Rembao is also averaging double figures at 12.3 points per game while Grant Wilkinson lead the Mountaineers in assists (3.5) and steals (1.2) to go along with 6.5 points per game.

COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Orediggers haven't played since Feb. 1 - an 84-52 win over Regis at home behind 19 points from Brendan Sullivan. Mines has only played two games (both at home) since its last road game - an overtime win at Black Hills State.

The Orediggers are third in the conference in scoring at 76.9 points per game and are the top defensive team when it comes to allowing points in the RMAC at just 59.9 per game - second in Division II. Their scoring margin of plus-17.0 points is first in the RMAC and eighth in the nation. They also rank in the top five in the country (and lead the RMAC) in field goal percentage (52.6 percent - fourth in D-II) and field goal percentage defense (37.4 percent - second in D-II) as they remain one of 12 teams undefeated in Division II.

Sullivan leads the team in scoring at 18.8 points per game while averaging 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. Kobi Betts is averaging 11.9 points followed by Ben Boone (11.5) and Michael Glen (9.6). Austin Means leads the team in rebounding at 6.1 rebounds per game.

EARLIER THIS SEASON VS. MINES
Western lost on the road to the Orediggers 67-57 on Dec. 18 in Golden. Ragsdale had 13 points while Sienknecht, Rembao and Jackson Ehrlin had 11 points apiece for the Mountaineers. Sullivan paced the Orediggers with 24 points to go along with eight rebounds.

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- SIENKNECHT CHASING ALL-TIME 3-POINT TOP-7 AT WESTERN, 1,000-POINT MARK
While just a junior, Cole Sienknecht has a chance to reach the top seven in 3-pointers made in Western history - even in this COVID-shortened season. The Colorado Springs product has 145 career 3-pointers up to this point, 12 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).

Sienknecht is also looking to hit the 1,000-point mark in his career as he sits with 882 points in 67 career games (13.2 points per contest). 

- RAGSDALE NAMED RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (FEB. 1, 2021) (FULL STORY)
Matthew Ragsdale on Monday was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.

The sophomore averaged 22.5 points, shot 51.6 percent from the field, was 8-for-19 (42.1 percent) from 3-point range and was a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line in helping the Mountaineers go 2-0 on the weekend - including a win over No. 6 and previously undefeated Colorado Mesa. In the win over the Mavericks on Saturday, Ragsdale had a game-high 24 points - going 9-for-17 from the field and 4-for-9 from 3-point range. In a victory over Westminster on Thursday, Ragsdale scored 21 points and was 7-for-14 from the field and 4-for-10 from 3-point range.

- ELEVATED RECORD AT THE HIGHEST COLLEGIATE GYM IN THE WORLD IN 2019-20
The Mountaineers since the start of last season are 14-4 at Paul Wright Gym - the highest collegiate gym in the world at 7,723 feet. 

- 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.

- 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