GUNNISON, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team looks to build off a pair of key wins last weekend - including knocking off then undefeated No. 6 Colorado Mesa - as the Mountaineers travel to take on UCCS 7:30 p.m. Thursday at Gallogly Events Center in Colorado Springs.

MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
Western is coming off two key victories over the weekend, defeating Westminster 78-74 on Friday behind 21 points from Matthew Ragsdale, 19 points from Avery Rembao and 14 points from Cole Sienknecht. On Saturday the Mountaineers handed sixth-ranked Colorado Mesa its first loss of the season, 78-72, with Ragsdale leading the way with 24 points and Sienknecht adding 17. Ragsdale for his effort was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week.

Western is eighth in the RMAC in scoring at 72.2 points per game while allowing 77.8 points per game - 11th in the conference. The Mountaineers rank third in the RMAC in 3-point percentage at 38.4 percent while they are second in 3-pointers per game at 9.9 (27th in the country). Western also has the least turnovers per game at 12.0.

Ragsdale leads the team and ranks ninth in the RMAC in scoring at 16.7 points per game while he's fifth in 3-pointers per game (2.4). Rembao is second on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game while also averaging 4.8 rebounds per contest. Sienknecht is third in scoring at 11.9 points per game and is fourth in the conference in 3-point percentage at 44.7 percent (he's also ninth in 3-pointers made per game at 2.1). Grant Wilkinson is averaging 6.4 points while leading the team at 3.7 assists per game (fifth in the RMAC).

UCCS HEADING INTO THE WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Mountain Lions split a pair of home games over the last week, defeating South Dakota Mines 67-55 on Friday behind 19 points off the bench from Wyatt Dolberry before falling at home to Black Hills State 73-71 on Saturday with Bobby Martin leading UCCS with 16 points off the bench.

UCCS has been one of the better defensive teams in the conference, ranking third in points allowed at 68.7 points per game and fifth in field goal percentage defense at 45.6 percent.

Alijah Comithier leads the team in scoring at 18.9 points per game (seventh in the RMAC) to go along with 4.9 boards per contest. DaRaun Clark is also averaging double figures at 14.2 points per game to go along with a team-best 1.3 steals.

LAST SEASON VERSUS UCCS
Western fell to UCCS on the road 69-50 on Dec. 7, 2019 with Sienknecht leading the Mountaineers with 13 points.

WESTERN COLORADO NOTES

- 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.

- 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 143 career 3-pointers up to this point, 14 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 856 points in 66 career games (13.0 points per contest). 

- 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.

- 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. 

- 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