GUNNISON, Colo. Coming off a win to end 2022, Western Colorado will look to build on their recent success when they take on Black Hills State (Jan. 6, 5:30 p.m.) and South Dakota Mines (Jan. 7, 5 p.m.) this weekend.
 
MOUNTAINEERS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | SEASON STATS | RMAC STATS | RMAC STANDINGS

• In their last game against, University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Western Colorado came away with a 57-53 victory, which moved them up to eighth place (3-3) in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) standings. The duo of Rachel Cockman and Emmery Wagstaff led the charge each scoring 17-points.
• At the moment the Mountaineers have the 15th ranked offense scoring 58.7-points in RMAC contest. Cockman (eighth in RMAC) is the leading scorer for Western dropping 14.7-points and is followed by Wagstaff (20th in RMAC) who scorer 12.4 per game.
• Shooting percentage wise, Cockman is one of the more consistent shooters making 53.5 percent (third in RMAC) from the field. True freshman Kylie Krise has been lethal from beyond the arc, leading the RMAC with a 50 percent shooting percentage. At the free throw line Cockman leads the team once again shooting 70 percent (tenth in RMAC) and closely behind tied for 11th is Brooklyn Seymour and Hayley Valencia both shooting 68 percent.
• Western gets after it on the defense, resulting in them having the fifth ranked defense only giving up 61.8-points. Valencia leads the team in rebounding grabbing 6.5 boards (20th in RMAC) and not far behind is Seymour who has been grabbing six per (24th in RMAC) game. Defending the paint at a high level, Cockman blocks 1.3 shots per game which is third best in the RMAC.  

YELLOW JACKETS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | SEASON STATS

• Black Hills State has had a strong start to RMAC competition as they currently sit in fifth place (4-2). In their last game against Adams State, the Yellow Jackets couldn't slow down the Grizzlies offense, leading to them losing 52-82.
• Similar to Western, Black Hills State has also only played six games – their last game (Dec. 31) being canceled due to weather. Currently, the Yellow Jackets have the 14th ranked offense scoring 59.8-points in RMAC contest. Danica Kocer is the top scorer for Black Hills State averaging 13-points (17th in RMAC).
• Megan Engesser and Niki Van Wyk are the top three-point shooters for the Yellow Jackets, making 39.4 percent (fifth in RMAC) and 31.6 percent (11th in RMAC). From the free throw line, Kocer has been one of the best shooters in the RMAC making 81 percent (sixth in RMAC).
• On the defensive end, Black Hills State has one of he better defenses in the conference only allowing teams to score 61.2-points (third in RMAC). Alessia Capley is the best rebounder for the Yellow Jackets grabbing six rebounds a game (25th in RMAC). Tied for tenth in the RMAC, Ellie Moore and Capley each block 0.5 shots per game. Making it difficult for ballhandlers, Kalla Bertram and Kocer are tied for 12th in the RMAC for steals each stealing the ball 1.5 times per game.   

HARDROCKERS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | SEASON STATS

• Things haven't gone the way South Dakota Mines wanted them to early on, resulting in them currently being 1-13 overall and 1-7 in RMAC contest – 15th place in RMAC standings. Additionally, the Hardrockers are 0-6 on the road. In their last two games, they lost 64-77 to Fort Lewis and 64-78 to Adams State.
• Despite things not going their way so far, South Dakota Mines has the eighth ranked offense scoring 64-points in eight RMAC games played. Piper Bauer has been the go to scorer for the Hardrockers averaging 16.5-points. She also leads the team in field goal and three-point shooting percentage, shooting 36.6 percent (13th in RMAC) and 37.2 percent (seventh in RMAC).
• When it comes to defense, the Hardrockers give up 74.1-points (15th in RMAC) per RMAC contest. Sydnee Durtsche is one of the better rebounders in the conference, grabbing 8.1 (fourth in RMAC) rebounds and is followed by Lauren Herman who grabs 6.6 per game (18th in RMAC). Jansi Merz is the best shot blocker on the team, blocking 0.5 shots (tied for tenth in RMAC). Ranked ninth in steals, Madelyn Heiser has been recording 2.2 steals per game.