DURANGO, Colo.  The weekend brings a pair of non-conference match-ups for Western Colorado women's basketball, beginning with Friday afternoon's neutral-site game in Durango, Colo., against Northern New Mexico University and finishing with a Monday night home opener for the Mountaineers against St. Edwards (Texas) University.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2024-25 Stats

• The Mountaineers are coming off a sweep and title at the Mt. McKinley Bank North Star Invitational in Fairbanks, Alaska. Western broke free from host Alaska-Fairbanks in the second quarter for a 70-59 win on the first night of the Invite, then rallied in the fourth quarter the next night to earn a 70-67 victory over Western Oregon.
• Rachel Cockman, playing about two hours north of where she grew up and played high school ball, earned Invitational MVP honors, accumulating a total of 27 points, 12 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks and 4 steals over the two games.
• Ivey Schmidt led the Mountaineers in rebounding, pulling down a total of 18 while contributing 18 points across the two wins, while Jayde Tschritter tossed in 5 3-pointers to lead the team from long range.
• Cockman leads the team in scoring at 11.3 points per outing over Western's four games to start the season. The senior also leads the team in rebounding (6.8 RPG) with Schmidt next up at 6.5 RPG.
•  Tschritter's seven treys ties for the team lead with Natalie Jojola.

NORTHERN NEW MEXICO HEADING INTO THE GAME | 2024-25 Stats

• The Eagles, an NAIA athletics program, are 5-5 entering the game against the Mountaineers. In their most recent outing they downed the RMAC's New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls, 63-31, on Nov. 20.
• Last season NNMU posted a 16-6 record overall – one of those defeats a 63-52 loss to the Mountaineers – and a 7-1 mark in Continental Athletic Conference action, earning a spot in CAC postseason play. The Eagles lost in the first round of the CAC tournament to end their season.
• Senior forward Ethena Silva is the team's top scorer, racking up a total of 97 points through 10 games. Senior shooting guard Gillian Roybal has also been a heavy contributor to the Eagles' scoring efforts, chipping in with 85 points over the start of their season.
• Roybal has been dangerous from beyond the arc, hitting 25-of-54 treys (44%).
• Senior Miranda Salazar has been the team's leading rebounder, from her guard's position, scrapping her way to 41 total boards. She is also the team's playmaker, dishing out 35 assists.

ST. EDWARDS HEADING INTO THE GAME | 2024-25 Stats

• The Hilltoppers began the season with three losses at the CCA DII Canadian Tip-Off Classic hosted by Simon Fraser University, but won three in a row against RMAC foes before dropping their last two game to fall to 3-5.
• St. Edwards downed Regis University, Colorado School of Mines and Westminster University before dropping a game to No. 21 Colorado Mesa University followed by a Nov. 21 loss to 19th-ranked Lubbock Christian.
• Sophomore guard JP Perkins tops the Hilltoppers in scoring with at 15.5 PPG mark, and she's joined in double figures by junior guard Kiana Bennett at 10.0 PPG.
• Perkins is the leading rebounder (5.0 RPG) and also leads the team in assists (34) and steals (10).
• Bennett provides the danger from the outside, hitting 35% of her 3-pointers (16-of-46).
• The Hilltoppers keep games close – their scoring margin only at minus-4.8 – while also coming away from the rim mostly even with their opponents at only a minus-2.3 rebounding margin.

UP NEXT
Western leaps into conference action next, hosting Colorado Christian on Dec. 5 and Colorado State Pueblo on Dec. 7.