GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado will host their first games of the season on Friday (Nov. 11) as they host the Conference Challenge against Texas Women's University (Nov. 11) and Angelo State (Nov. 12).
 
MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND

• Western will look completely different when they take the court on Friday (Nov. 11), due to the fact they only return six players from the 2021-22 season roster. Emmery Wagstaff, Rachel Cockman and Natalie Jojola are the top three returners from that roster after having solid seasons last year.
• Wagstaff was the fourth best scorer on the team last year averaging 9.4 points per game, shooting 34.6 percent from the field, 33.6 percent from the three-point line, and 78.2 percent from the free throw line. Additionally, she was the Mountaineers best rebounder grabbing 119 rebounds and was second on the team in steals with 18.
• Coming off the bench, Cockman averaged five-points per game and shot 54.4 percent from the field. At the free throw line, she knocked down 76.2 percent. On the boards she grabbed 53 total and pitched in on defense with eight steals.
• Rounding things off, Jojola was right behind Cockman in scoring averaging 4.7 points per game, shooting 38.5 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from the three-point line. Jojola was third on the team in free throw percentage shooting 77.8 percent. She also had 50 rebounds and nine steals during the season.  

PIONEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND

• Texas Women's unofficially kicked their season off with an exhibition against UT Arlington (Nov. 2), that saw the Pioneers losing by four points. Brielle Woods scored a team high 22 points in that game, on 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 5-of-7 shooting from the three-point line.
• The next highest scorers were Ngozi Obineke and Sadie Moyer. Obineke had a double-double 15 points and 10 rebounds. While Moyer had 13 points, six assists and shot a perfect 6-of-6 from the free throw line.
• As a whole they had a field goal percentage of 38 percent (27-of-71), shot 31.6 percent (6-of-19) from the three-point line and 77.3 percent (17-of-22) from the free throw line.  

RAMBELLES HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND

• Angelo State enters this weekend returning eight players – four who led their team in scoring from last season - while finishing last season with a 15-13 overall record. The Rambelles finished 12-4 in conference play and were 4-5 on the road.
• Blakely Gerber (11.9), Sawyer Lloyd (11.6), Payton Brown (11.4), and Tayjann McGhee-Pleasant (10.9) all return this season after being the top-four scorers for Angelo State last season. Madeline Stephens also returns after leading the Rambelles in rebounding last season grabbing 209 boards.
• Lloyd, McGhee-Pleasant and Brown were also stellar on the defensive end. Lloyd led the teal with 53 steals, and right behind her was McGhee-Pleasant with 47 and Brown with 46.

ON THE COURT NEXT
Western will be back on the court Saturday (Nov. 19) when they take on Texas A&M University – Kingsville on the road at 5 p.m.