GUNNISON, Colo.  Western Colorado will put a five-game Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win streak on the line Tuesday when Colorado Mesa University comes to town, and follows that outing with a road trip to Westminster University for a Thursday evening conference matchup.

THE HISTORY

• The Mavericks have a 58-14 advantage all time against the Mountaineers. CMU has won the last three games, a string that halted a two-game Western win streak.
• Western ended a six-game Griffins win streak in a home game last season, then made it two in a row with a win at the end of the season on Westminster's home court. The Griffins own a 4-13 overall record against the Mountaineers.

WESTERN COLORADO (10-3 overall / 5-1 RMAC) | LEADERS AND STATS

• The last time the Mountaineers had a five-game winning streak was in the 2020-21 season when they had a pair of six-game win streaks. That season was also Western's most recent appearance in the NCAA tournament.
• The Mountaineers continue to lead the conference in rebounding, averaging 40.3 per game, as well as in rebounding margin (+11.5).
• Its 63.4 points per game mark is seventh highest in the RMAC, but a tough defense and its rebounding advantage has Western's scoring margin (+7.0) at third best in the league.
• Leading the way in 3-point field goal percentage are the Mountaineers (32.8%), with Jayde Tschritter's 27 triples (fourth most in the league) and Jayda Maves' 20 treys (11th) pacing the Mountaineer long-range attack.
• Rachel Cockman's 8.2 rebounds per game (106 total) are eighth best in the conference, with Ivey Schmidt (6.2, 80 total) 15th most and Brooklyn Seymour chipping in with 5.2 per game.
• Cockman and Schmidt are Western's top two scorers, with Cockman averaging 12.8 PPG and Schmidt averaging 11.2.
• Nearing a career milestone is Cockman, whose 996 career points are just 4 away from the 1,000-point plateau.

COLORADO MESA (9-4, 4-2) | LEADERS AND STATS

• The Mavericks have won four of their last five, with the only defeat a non-conference loss against 8th-ranked Pittsburg (Kan.) State.
• CMU has four players averaging double figures, led by Olivia Reed's 22.8 PPG, second in the league, and Mason Rowland's 15.7 PPG.
• The Mavs' 71.9 PPG top all teams in the conference, as does also their +12.5 scoring margin.
• Reed is also averaging a double-double, pulling down 12.1 RPG, a number that tops the conference's rebounders.
• CMU will challenge Western on the boards as they are fourth in the RMAC at 37.9 RPG and with a +7.6 rebounding margin.
• One slot ahead of the Mountaineers in 3-pointers per game are the Mavs, who average 7.2 treys per outing.
• Setting things up in the offensive zone for CMU is Kylie Kravig. She leads the RMAC with a94 total assists and an average of 7.2 assists per game. Kravig is also scoring in double figures, averaging 10.8 PPG).

WESTMINSTER (3-10 / 2-4) | LEADERS AND STATS

• The Griffins are 2-8 over their last 10 games, picking up one of those victories by splitting last weeks contests – earning an overtime victory over visiting Adams State on Thursday before dropping a home decision to Fort Lewis.
• Westminster has, so far this season, been a low scoring team, averaging 56.3 PPG, last in the conference. It is averaging a minus-11.2 scoring margin that is also near the bottom of the RMAC.
• Rebounding has been a bright spot for the Griffins, as their 36.6 RPG is in the top half of the league, ranking seventh. Their rebounding margin is nearly even, at minus-0.8, which is sixth best in the RMAC.
• At only 5.23 3-pointers per game, the Griffins are relying more on their inside game.
• Two players, Teuila Nawahine and Abby Conlee, are registering double figures in scoring for Westminster. Nawahine leads the team at 12.0 PPG while Conlee chips in with 10.0 PPG.
• Maunayia Harrigfeld has more than double the rebounds of any of her teammates. She has come down with a total of 140 rebounds, and her 10.8 RPG mark ties for second most in the conference.
• Both Nawahine and Harrigfeld are challenging defenders for the Griffins. Nawahine is 12th in the RMAC with 23 steals, and Harrigfeld is 14th with 22 thefts.

UP NEXT
The Westminster road game starts a five-game road swing for the Mountaineers, who travel to South Dakota next week to take on host S.D. Mines on Jan. 23 and Black Hills State on Jan. 25.