GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team plays its final regular season home game 5:30 p.m. Monday against Black Hills State at Paul Wright Gym in a game that was postponed earlier this season due to COVID-19 protocols

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
Western is coming off a week where it went 2-1 with a pair of wins over CSU Pueblo (107-82 at Pueblo on Tuesday, 86-81 at home on Friday) before falling to Adams State 94-82 on Saturday night.

The Mountaineers' standing in the latest RPI rankings in the RMAC will be released Monday with the top eight teams at the end of the regular season (which is Saturday) making the tournament. The Mountaineers were 12th last Monday, but had their average RPI ranking move up from 10.72 to 10.86 - which would still have the Mountaineers out of the top eight according to last week's numbers (South Dakota Mines was eighth at 11.12 last week). But with four games this week - three on the road (which gain more RPI points than home wins) - the Mountaineers have a chance to gain ground.

The Mountaineers are third in the RMAC in scoring at 78.4 points per game while allowing 82.5 points per game - 13th in the RMAC. The Mountaineers are second in the RMAC in 3-point percentage at 39 percent and 3-pointers per game (10.1).

After a week that saw him average 31.3 points per game - including tying a school record with 46 points last Tuesday at CSU Pueblo - Matthew Ragsdale has moved to fifth in the RMAC in scoring at 20.3 points per game. He's averaging 2.5 3-pointers per game (sixth in the RMAC) and is hitting 38.4 percent of his 3-pointers. Avery Rembao has increased his scoring average to 14.4 points per game to go along with 4.4 rebounds per contest and hitting 39.7 percent of his 3-pointers. Cole Sienknecht isn't far behind at 13.9 points per game while averaging 3.5 rebounds and 3.1 assists. Grant Wilkinson continues to lead the team in assists (3.3) and steals (1.1) to go along with 6.1 points per game while Elijah Davidson leads Western with 1.1 blocks per game to go along with 5.4 points, 5.7 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game.

BLACK HILLS STATE HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Yellow Jackets are riding a four-game win streak heading into Monday after defeating Chadron State 74-53 last Tuesday behind 15 points apiece from Joel Scott, Trey Whitley and Sindou Cisse. BHSU's contest set for Thursday against South Dakota Mines was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols.

The Yellow Jackets are tied for fourth in the RMAC in scoring at 77.7 points per game while allowing 71.3 points per contest (sixth in the RMAC), a scorign margin of 6.4 - third in the RMAC. BHSU leads the RMAC in field goal percentage (51.0) as well.

Scott leads the team and is fourth in the RMAC in scoring at 20.5 points per game while also leading BHSU in rebounding at 6.5 boards per game. Cisse is averaging 15.9 points per game while Whitley is avaeraging 13.2 points per contest. Adam Moussa leads the Yellow Jackets in assists (3.4) and steals (2.3) to go along with 8.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.

EARLIER THIS SEASON VS BLACK HILLS STATE
The Mountaineers fell on the road to BHSU 79-53 on Jan. 22. Wilkinson and Rembao led the Mountaineers with 12 points apiece while Scott led the Yellow Jackets wit h18 points and nine rebounds.
 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- RAGSDALE TIES SCHOOL RECORD FOR POINTS IN A GAME AGAINST CSU PUEBLO
Sophomore Matthew Ragsdale had a night only two other Mountaineers have had in the long history of Western Colorado men's basketball on Feb. 16, 2021. The 6-foot-4 wing tied the school record with 46 points - going 19-for-25 from the field, including 6-for-9 from 3-point range. Ragsale tied current assistant coach Ben Beauchamp (who did it 2017) and George Rausch (who did it 1965) for the most points in a game in Western history. It was the seventh time a Mountaineer has reached the 40-point mark in a game and Ragsdale was the sixth player to do it (Nate Allen did it twice). Ragsdale's 19 field goals is the second most in a game in Western history - only behind Rausch's 21.
 
- 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 151 career 3-pointers up to this point, six 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 946 points in 71 career games (13.3 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 14-5 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