GUNNISON, Colo. --- The 14th-ranked Western Colorado women's basketball team looks to secure its first RMAC regular season title since 1987 as it hits the road against a pair of strong opponents in Colorado Mesa on Friday and Westminster on Saturday.

With COVID-19 protocols and numerous canceled games preventing a balanced conference schedule, the NCAA RPI is being used to determine the conference champion. The Mountaineers have an RPI average of 15.50 - just ahead of Colorado School of Mines and its 15.44. The Mountaineers can't be caught if they win both contests this weekend - with both victories worth 20 points to go toward Western's average (a loss on the road would be eight points according to the NCAA RPI average index). CSM travels to only play Adams State on Friday (its game versus CSU Pueblo was canceled due to COVID-19 protocols) with a win over the Grizzlies worth 14 points (a loss would be worth five points).

The Mountaineers - no matter what happens - are still likely to host the opening round of the RMAC Tournament on Tuesday. If Western wins the regular season RMAC and wins its opening round, the Mountaineers would host the RMAC Tournament semifinals and finals. Western would also host the if it wins the opening round and is the highest remaining seed available (i.e. if the top seed loses).

RMAC Women's Basketball RPI Standings (as of Thursday, Feb. 25)
1. Western Colorado - 15.50
2. Colorado School of Mines - 15.44
3. Westminster - 14.14
4. Black Hills State - 13.39
5. Colorado Mesa - 13.32
6. MSU Denver - 13.23
7. South Dakota Mines - 13.18
8. Regis - 11.80
9. Fort Lewis - 10.13
10. Adams State - 8.92
11. CSU Pueblo - 8.75
12. Colorado Christian - 8.44
13. UCCS - 7.81
14. Chadron State - 6.45

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
Western is coming off a pair of wins over the weekend, defeating CSU Pueblo 62-57 on Friday and Adams State 83-70 on Saturday. In the win over the Grizzlies, Emmery Wagstaff set a new Western record with nine 3-pointers made and scored 33 points - tied for the sixth most in program history.

The Mountaineers are second in the RMAC in scoring at 70.9 points per game (just 0.2 behind Westminster) while the team ranks third in points allowed at 60.7 points. The Mountaineers also rank in the top three in field goal percentage (43.2 - second), field goal percentage defense (36.8 - third), 3-point percentage (38.3 - first in RMAC, 11th in nation), 3-pointers made (7.1 - third) and turnover margin (plus-2.87).

Hannah Cooper leads the team and is sixth in the RMAC in scoring at 16.1 points per game to go along with 4.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists (fourth in the RMAC) and 1.5 steals per contest. She's also second in the RMAC in free throw percentage (87.6). Wagstaff moved up to No. 8 in the RMAC in scoring at 14.3 points per game while leading the RMAC in 3-point percentage (47.3 - 16th in the nation) and second in 3-pointers per game (2.9 - 20th in the nation). She also leads the team in rebounding at 5.8 boards per game to go along with 1.1 steals per contest. Samantha Coleman is averaging 12.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 38.9 percent from 3-point range. Mikaela Parker is averaging 9.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game (fifth in the RMAC).

COLORADO MESA HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Mavericks dropped a pair of games on the road last week, falling at Regis 65-59 on Friday and at then-No. 25 Colorado School of Mines 70-51 on Saturday. 

CMU is sixth in the RMAC in scoring at 66.2 points per game while allowing 55.0 points per game. The Mavs lead the RMAC in field goal percentage defense at 33.3 percent and is tied for first in rebounding margin at plus-6.4.

Natalie Bartle leads the team in scoring at 15.3 points per game while averaging 5.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.5 steals. Kylyn Rigsby is averaging 13.9 points, 4.7 rebounds and a team-high 2.8 assists per game while last season's leading scorer Daniella Turner returned from injury last week after missing nine games and is averaging 12.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists. Kelsey Siemons leasd the team in rebounding (6.0) and blocks (1.6 - tops in the RMAC) while averaging 8.9 points per game.

WESTMINSTER HEADING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Griffins are coming off a weekend where they went on the road and upset No. 17 Colorado School of Mines 67-62 on Friday - a game it led by 16 points heading into the fourth quarter - before falling on the road to Regis in overtime on Saturday, 81-78.

Westminster leads the RMAC in scoring at 71.1 points per game while allowing 64.3 points per contest - seventh in the RMAC. The Griffins lead the RMAC by a wide margin in field goal percent - shooting a scorching 49 percent this season, including 37.1 percent from 3-point range (third in the RMAC).

Sarah McGinley leads four Griffins averaging double figures in scoring at 14.2 points per game to go along with 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. Hunter Krems is averaging 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds, Mariah Martin is averaging 12.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and a team-high 4.5 assists per game while Lyndzi Rich is averaging 10.4 points per game coming off the bench - despite only playing 20 minutes per game.

EARLIER THIS SEASON VERSUS CMU, LAST SEASON VS WESTMINSTER
The Mountaineers scored the final five points of the game against Colorado Mesa on Feb. 9 to beat the Mavericks 53-51 in a game Western led by double figures at the half. Cooper led the Mountaineers with 19 points while Parker had 13 points and Coleman added 10. Bartle had 15 points and Rigsby had 14 for the Mavs.

This will be the first meeting between Western and Westminster with the Mountaineers winning both games last season, a 45-44 defensive showdown in Salt Lake City and a 66-57 win in Gunnison. 

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- WAGSTAFF BREAKS 3-POINT RECORD VS. ADAMS STATE, TIES FOR SIXTH ON SINGLE-GAME SCORING LIST
Junior Emmery Wagstaff broke the single-game 3-point record while tying for sixth on the single-game scoring list with her performance against Adams State on Feb. 20. She went 9-for-14 from 3-point range - breaking the record of seven that was tied by three different players (including current teammate Samantha Coleman) - and finished with 33 points, tied for sixth on the Western all-time single-game points list.

- S. COLEMAN BREAKS MOUNTAINEER ALL-TIME 3-POINT RECORD, REACHES 1,000-POINT MARK
Senior Samantha Coleman on Saturday against Colorado School of Mines on Feb. 13 with three 3-pointers broke the Western Colorado women's basketball all-time record for 3-pointers in a career of 181 set by Brooke Pendergraft (2008-12). Coleman now has 189 3-pointers and counting.

Coleman became the ninth player in Western history to reach 1,000 career points as she has now has 1,023 points. She's chasing Jade McIntosh (2011-15) and her 1,126 career points for the No. 8 spot.

- MOUNTAINEERS MOVE UP TO NO. 14 IN MEDIA POLL, STAY AT NO. 21 IN COACHES POLLS
Western moved up to No. 14 in the D2SIDA Division II Media Poll and stayed at No. 21 in the WBCA NCAA Division II Coaches Poll - both released Tuesday.

Western - 13-2 on the season - prior to this season has never been in the top 25 of either poll. It reached a high of No. 7 in the D2SIDA media poll and No. 14 in the WBCA coaches poll.

- ERICKSON MOVES TO SEVENTH ON MOUNTAINEERS' ALL-TIME ASSIST LIST
Senior Jessie Erickson is now seventh on Western's all-time assist list with 264 - eight behind the No. 6 spot of Cindy Gosage (272 - 1980-82). Lauri Nickolaus holds the all-time career mark with 400 set from 1983-87.

- WESTERN SETS NEW MARK FOR BEST UNDEFEATED AND ONE-LOSS START IN PROGRAM HISTORY
In defeating South Dakota Mines 79-72 on Jan. 4 , the Mountaineers went to 5-0 and set a new mark for the best undefeated start in program history - previously set by the 1980-81 team (4-0). While a Jan. 5 loss to the Hardrockers broke that streak, the Mountaineers at 10-1 after a win over Colorado Mesa at home on Feb. 9 have moved past the 1980-81 team for the best one-loss start in program history.

- ELEVATED SUCCESS FOR MOUNTAINEERS AT HIGHEST COLLEGIATE GYM IN THE WORLD SINCE 2019-20
The Mountaineers are 19-3 at Paul Wright Gym - the highest collegiate gym in the world at 7,723 feet - since the start of the 2019-20 season.

- WESTLING MOVING UP MOUNTAINEER WINS LISTS, REACHES 100 CAREER WINS AS A HEAD COACH
Lora Westling even at just her fifth season at the helm of the Mountaineers has already cemented herself as one of the winningest coaches in program history. Her 65 career victories is tied for third in program history, behind James Hahn (113 - 1982-92) and Phile Swille (69 - 1978-82) and tied with Latricia Trammell (65 - 2007-12). Her 54 RMAC wins is second in Western history, only behind Hahn (62).

Westling has led the Mountaineers to back-to-back winning seasons - the first time the program has accomplished that since James Hahn did it in 1985-86 and 1986-87.

As a head coach overall, Westling reached the 100-win mark this season with a win over Colorado Mesa on Feb. 9 at Paul Wright Gym.

WESTLING'S HEAD COACHING CAREER

Season	School	Record	Conf.
2013-14	Illinois College	12-11	10-8
2014-15	Illinois College	14-10	11-7
2015-16	Illinois College	12-11	9-9
2016-17	Western Colorado	7-19	6-16
2017-18	Western Colorado	9-19	6-16
2018-19	Western Colorado	16-11	12-10
2019-20	Western Colorado	20-7	18-4
2020-21	Western Colorado	13-2	12-2
OVERALL	----	103-90	84-72
AT WESTERN	----	65-58	54-48
AT IC	----	38-32	30-24

- WESTLING NAMED WHOOPDIRT.COM COACH OF THE WEEK (DEC. 14, 2020) - (RELEASE)
Western Colorado women's basketball coach Lora Westling was honored for her team's performance during the week of Dec. 6-13 by being named the WHoopDirt.com Coach of the Week.

The week for the Mountaineers included an 84-69 win at home against Fort Lewis on Tuesday before defeating MSU Denver 67-51 on Saturday on the road thanks to outscoring the Roadrunners 29-9 in the fourth quarter. With the honor, Westling is now eligible for the WHoopDirt.com National Coach of the Year Award.

- COOPER NAMED RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK (DEC. 9, 2020) - (RELEASE)
Western Colorado's Hannah Cooper was named the RMAC Women's Basketball Offensive Player of the Week for the week of Dec. 9, 2020, after averaging 25.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists in a pair of wins for the Mountaineers. This includes a career-high 34 points to go along with 10 rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal to help the Mountaineers defeat Black Hills State on Friday. She went 9-for-15 from the field and 15-for-16 from the free throw line. The 34 points is tied for the fourth-most in Western history and the most points a Mountaineer has scored in a game in 23 years while her 15 made free throws tied a school record.

This is Cooper's first career RMAC Player of the Week honor and Western's first since Samantha Coleman earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 2, 2019.

- THAT'S THE WAY TO START THE SEASON ... RECORD NIGHT FOR COOPER
It was quite the start to the 2020-21 season for Hannah Cooper as the sophomore from El Paso, Texas, scored 34 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and dished out five assists in the Mountaineers' win over Black Hills State on Dec. 4 in Paul Wright Gym. The 34 points is tied for the fourth most in Western history - behind Shannon Smart (41 versus Chadron State and 36 against Adams State - both during the 1992-93 season) and Laurie Nickolaus (40 against New Mexico Highlands in 1985-86). It's the most points a Mountaineers has scored in a game since Jen Knight scored 34 against NMHU in 1996-97. Cooper tied the school record for most free throws made in a game as well, going 15-for-16 from the line.

- DALTON SIXTH ON WESTERN ALL-TIME BLOCKS LIST
Senior Katie Dalton now sits in sixth place on the Western all-time blocks list with 68. Sitting in fifth place is Paula Stumbaugh (1980-84) with 78. Dalton can move up several spots on the list this season, but likely won't reach the school and RMAC record of 319 set by Kris Ellerby (1984-88).

- COOPER BECOMES FIRST WESTERN RMAC FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR IN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Sophomore Hannah Cooper became the first Western Colorado women's basketball player in program history to earn RMAC Freshman of the Year since the conference started handing out the award in the sport in 1996-97. Cooper led the Mountaineers in assists (3.2) and steals (1.4), was second in scoring (9.7) and third in rebounding (4.3).

- MOUNTAINEERS PICKED TO FINISH SECOND IN RMAC (FULL STORY)
The Western Colorado women's basketball team was selected second in the RMAC Preseason Women's Basketball Coaches Poll. The Mountaineers - who picked up three first-place votes - finished behind defending RMAC champion Colorado Mesa in the preseason poll - the Mavericks getting eight first-place votes and 189 points total - while Western finished two points ahead of Westminster, which picked up four first-place votes. Westminster was followed by Colorado School of Mines, Black Hills State and then South Dakota Mines - the same exact order of finish the top six teams finished in the RMAC in 2019-20.

- MOUNTAINEERS IN SEASON OPENERS
The Mountaineers are now 14-29 all-time in season opener after their win over Black Hills State on Dec. 4 at home - their first time starting the season at home since 2006-07 when the Mountaineers beat Chadron State, 80-54. The Mountaineers are 7-5 all-time when starting the season at Paul Wright Gym.