WESTERN COLORADO at FORT LEWIS COLLEGE
5:30 p.m., Thu., Jan. 8 | Whalen Gymnasium | Durango, Colo.
Watch (PPV) | Live Stats | Tickets
WESTERN COLORADO at NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
1 p.m., Sat., Jan. 10 | John A Wilson Complex | Las Vegas, N.M.
Watch (PPV) | Live Stats | Tickets

DURANGO, Colo., LAS VEGAS, N.M.  Western Colorado women's basketball jumps back into Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action with road games Thursday and Saturday at Fort Lewis College and New Mexico Highlands, respectively.

THE HISTORY

• Fort Lewis was swept by the Mountaineers last season, ending a four-game win streak over the Mountaineers. The Skyhawks still own an overall edge of 22-9 in the series, though.
• The Mountaineers took last season's single meeting with the Cowgirls, Western's second win in a row over Highlands, which elevated the historical record to 21-6, in favor of the Mountaineers.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025-26 Stats

• The Mountaineers bring a 5-5 overall mark and a 3-1 RMAC record into the weekend. Before a pair of non-conference losses just before the holiday break, Western had won three consecutive RMAC games, including a thrilling overtime victory over visiting MSU Denver.
• Rebounding remains a strength of the program, with this year's team entering the weekend with a +6 margin over opponents, a calculation that includes an astounding 60 rebounds in the overtime win against MSU Denver.
• Guard Ivey Schmidt leads the team off the glass with 7.2 RPG with Penelope Urquhart chipping in with 6.7 boards per game.
• Schmidt's 18.8 PPG average leads the RMAC, while her rebounding mark is fifth best in the league.
• Jayda Maves (13.1 PPG) and Alyssa Eckroth (10.8) join with Schmidt to form a dangerous scoring trio for the Mountaineers. Maves is the long-range sharpshooter for Western, dropping down a team-high 26 triples.

FORT LEWIS HEADING INTO THE GAME | 2025-26 Stats

• The Skyhawks enter Thursday's game with a 9-3 overall record and a 2-2 mark in conference play. They entered the holiday break with a pair of non-conference wins after dropping an RMAC contest against visiting Adams State in mid-December.
• Fort Lewis so far this season is posting a +4 scoring margin, a +2 rebounding margin, and a +4 turnover margin against its opponents.
• Katie Lamb is a dangerous offensive threat for the Skyhawks, averaging a team-high 11.9 PPG while dropping in a team-best 26 3-pointers.
• Makaya Porter (10.8 PPG) and Alemaualii Fonoti (10.4) also average double figures for FLC, while Josie Davis leads the team in rebounding with 5.8 per game, as well as in steals (29).

N.M. HIGHLANDS HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025-26 Stats

• The Cowgirls, 5-6 overall and 1-3 in the RMAC, had lost five in a row before heading into the holiday break with a 71-68 overtime win against Western Washington at the Great Western Shootout in Las Vegas, Nev. They host No. 10 Colorado Mesa on Thursday night.
• Despite the sub-.500 record, NMHU posts a +10 scoring margin for the season, a +3 turnover margin, and have banked 11 more 3-pointers than what they've allowed.
• Three players average double figures for the Cowgirls, but Kapiolani Anitielu is the ring leader with a 15.7 PPG mark. She's also the team's leading rebounder (6.9 RPG) and paces the defense with 28 total steals.
• Aspen Salazar, at 10.2 PPG, has the team lead in assists with 28.

UP NEXT
Western welcomes 10th-ranked Colorado Mesa to Paul Wright Gym on Jan. 13 for a 5:30 p.m. RMAC contest.