WESTERN COLORADO vs. WASHBURN UNIVERSITY
4 PM MT, Fri., Dec. 19 | Aggie Gym | Lawton, Okla.
Watch (PPV) | Live Stats | Tickets
WESTERN COLORADO vs. No. 12 PITTSBURG STATE
1 PM MT, Sat., Dec. 20 | Aggie Gym | Lawton, Okla.
Watch (PPV) | Live Stats | Tickets

LAWTON, Okla.  Western Colorado women's basketball will meet a pair of first-time opponents over the weekend when the Mountaineers participate in the Fairfield Inn & Suites Holiday Classic hosted by Cameron (Okla.) University.

Western opens against Washburn (Kan.) University Friday afternoon in the opening game of the Classic at Aggie Gymnasium, then open Saturday's afternoon schedule against 12th-ranked Pittsburg (Kan.) State, a national semifinalist in the 2024-25 season.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE CLASSIC | 2025-26 Stats

• The Mountaineers head to the Midwest on a three-game win streak, with an overall record of 5-3 and a Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference mark of 3-1, sitting in a third-place tie within league standings.
• Western has continued from last season its proclivity for leading in the rebounding column, outrebounding opponents in six of eight games, including a 60-36 advantage in an overtime victory over MSU Denver and a 47-27 gap in the following win over Regis University.
• Guards Ivey Schmidt and Penelope Urquhart have been in the right place at the right time, leading the Mountaineers at 7.6 and 7.0 rebounds per game, respectively.
• Schmidt is having her best season with the Mountaineers, leading both the team and the RMAC in scoring with a 19.5 PPG mark. She's joined in double figures by Jayda Maves (13.3) and Alyssa Eckroth (11.9), also single-season highs for both.
• Maves has dropped in 21 3-pointers already, about a third of the way through the season and a third of the way to her single-season career high of 63.
• Averaging 41 percent shooting this season, the Mountaineers by comparison have been on the short end on the scoreboard when that figure was lower than their opponents in two of the team's three losses.

WASHBURN HEADING INTO THE GAME | 2025-26 Stats

• The Ichabods enter the Classic with a 7-3 record, their last outing a 16-point non-conference win over visiting Truman State.
• A trio of seniors lead Washburn in scoring, paced by Yiibari Nwidadah's 12.9 PPG. Right with her are Payton Sterk (12.6) and Gabi Giovannetti (12.5).
• Giovannetti, with 20 treys, and Sterk (17) are the long-range dangers for Western to cover, while Nwidadahis the team's leading rebounder, working hard in the paint on both ends of the floor.
• Setting up the scoring trio has been Brooke Gomez, who has dished out 30 assists, with Giovannetti's 20 assists helping both as a scorer and in setting up her teammates.
• The 'Bods have been outscoring opponents on average by six points (63-57), about the same scoring average as Western (64 PPG).

PITT STATE HEADING INTO THE CLASSIC | 2025-26 Stats

• The Gorillas take on host Cameron on Friday before squaring off against Western on Saturday afternoon.
• Pitt State made the national semifinal last season after capturing the conference tournament crown before losing in the NCAA semifinal to the eventual national champion.
• It lost several frontline players from that tournament team, but remain highly ranked and dangerous, coming into the Classic with a 7-2 record, both defeats coming against teams on game dates ranked No. 8 nationally.
• The game against Western may hinge on the battle off the glass. The Gorillas are averaging a +10 rebounding margin, with sophomore Kaycee McCumber nearly pulling down double digits (9.7 RPG) off the rim.
• Scoring is led by a freshman guard, Marin Adams (13.0 PPG), but junior guard Ja'Miya Brown (10.9) and senior guard Harper Schreiner (10.7) form a potent trio from the backcourt of the Pitt State attack.
• Adams is also the team's assist leader (28) while Schreiner is the robber, leading the Gorillas with 12 steals, though the team for the season is a minus-3 in turnover margin.

UP NEXT
After the holiday break, Western leaps back into RMAC action with a road trip that takes it to Fort Lewis College on Jan. 8 and to New Mexico Highlands on Jan. 10.