GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team continues to battle for a postseason spot as it has road games at Colorado Mesa on Friday and at Westminster on Saturday to end the regular season.

Due to COVID-19 and the inability to use a balanced schedule with numerous games being postponed and canceled, the RMAC is using RPI standings with points awarded based on strength of wins or losses and whether they were on the road or at home. The Mountaineers sit 11th in the RMAC with an NCAA RPI average of 10.4 as the top eight teams get into the RMAC Tournament. Western has two road games has the chance to make up ground as the No. 8 spot (eight teams make the RMAC Tournament) is held by South Dakota Mines with an NCAA RPI average of 11.12.

RMAC RPI Standings:
1. Colorado Mesa - 16.65
2. Colorado School of Mines - 16.23
3. Black Hills State - 12.85
4. MSU Denver - 12.08
5. Adams State - 11.93
6. Chadron State - 11.4
7. UCCS - 11.14
8. South Dakota Mines - 11.12
9. Westminster - 11.00
10. Fort Lewis - 10.5
11. Western Colorado - 10.4
12. Regis - 10.31
13. CSU Pueblo - 8.0
14. Colorado Christian - 6.47

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
Western dropped a home contest to Black Hills State, 91-70, on Monday night in its final home game of the season. The Mountaineers held a 48-43 lead early in the second half, but a 9-0 run by the Yellow Jackets put them in the lead for good as they continued to increase the lead the rest of the contest. Matthew Ragsdale, named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week after averaging 31.3 points per game in three games the previous week, led the team with 21 points while Jonathan McCloud added 15 points.

COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Mavericks, whose only loss this season is to the Mountaineers, are riding a five-game winning streak after beating Regis on Friday and then-No. 1 Colorado School of Mines on Saturday - the program's first win over a top-ranked team. CMU trailed by seven points at the half before outscoring the Orediggers 40-27 in the second half. The Mavs were led by Ethan Menzies (17 points, eight rebounds, two blocks), Georgie Dancier (17 points, six rebounds, five assists) and Christopher Speller (13 points, 3-for-4 from 3-point range).

WESTMINSTER HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Griffins split on the road last week, falling at No. 1 Colorado School of Mines 63-50 on Friday before bouncing back for a 66-56 win at Regis. In the win over Regis, Joey Andrews had a double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds while Brandon Willardson came off the bench to go 6-for-6 for 12 points in just 12 minutes of action.

EARLIER THIS SEASON VERSUS CMU, WESTMINSTER
The Mountaineers handed Colorado Mesa - ranked sixth at the time - its only loss this season on Jan. 30 with a 78-72 victory. Ragsdale paced the Mountaineers with 24 points while Sienknecht had 18, Rembao had 11 and Wilkinson finished with 10.

Western also defeated Westminster earlier this season, beating the Griffins 78-74 on Jan. 29 in Gunnison. Ragsdale had a team-high 21 points while Rembao had 19 points and Sienknecht had 14.
 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- RAGSDALE NAMED RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK FOR THIRD TIME THIS SEASON (RELEASE)
Western Colorado's Matthew Ragsdale on Monday, Feb. 22, was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week for the third time this season in a week that included a historic performance from the Mountaineer sophomore.

Ragsdale averaged 31.3 points, shot 62.7 percent from the field - including 50 percent from 3-point range (9-for-18) in helping the Mountaineers go 2-1 this past week. The Monument, Colorado, native tied a Western record and had the fourth-highest scoring game in NCAA men's basketball (regardless of division) this season with 46 points against CSU Pueblo on Tuesday in Pueblo, going 19-for-25 from the field (the second-most field goals made in Western history) and 6-for-9 from 3-point range. He followed it up with 31-point night three days later against the ThunderWolves.

Ragsdale also earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Feb. 1 and Jan. 11 this season  - becoming the first Mountaineer to win the conference's offensive weekly honor since current assistant coach Ben Beauchamp won it in 2017. Western's Jackson Ehrlin won RMAC Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season on Dec. 9 - giving the Mountaineers four honors this season. 

- 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 953 points in 72 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 15-7 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.

- 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