ADAMS STATE at WESTERN COLORADO
5:30 p.m., Thu., Feb. 12 | Paul Wright Gym | Gunnison, Colo.
Watch (PPV) | Live Stats | Digital Program | Tickets
FORT LEWIS COLLEGE at WESTERN COLORADO
1 p.m., Sat., Feb. 14 | Paul Wright Gym | Gunnison, Colo.
Watch (PPV) | Live Stats | Digital Program | Tickets

GUNNISON, Colo.  Sitting in fifth place in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference women's basketball standings, Western Colorado wants more than just a spot in the postseason RMAC tournament. And Thursday's game against second place Adams State is a good place to try to climb up into one of the first-round hosting spots.

Only one game behind two teams tied for fourth in the standings, a Mountaineer win over the Grizzlies – along with following up with a win Saturday against seventh-place Fort Lewis College – would be an advantageous outcome for the Mountaineers.

THE HISTORY

• The Mountaineers ended a six-game losing streak to the Grizzlies with last season's 84-76 win, but Adams State has an overall record of 18-15 against Western.
• Though Fort Lewis has a 28-10 series record lead over the Mountaineers, the last three meeting have been won by Western including a 78-61 victory earlier this season on January 8.

WESTERN COLORADO HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025-26 Stats

• The Mountaineers head into the week with an 11-9 overall record and a 9-5 mark in the RMAC and are coming off a split last weekend during a trip to the Front Range.
• Western continues to be one of the top rebounding teams in the league, posting a +6 rebounding margin paced by Ivey Schmidt's 6.8 RPG. The Mountaineers have outrebounded six of their last eight opponents.
• Schmidt also leads Western in scoring and ranks fourth in the conference with a 19.4 PPG average. Jayda Maves (13.9 PPG) and Alyssa Eckroth (12.6) help form a dangerous trio in the offensive end of the court for the Mountaineers.
• Maves' 60 3-pointers leads the league as does her 47% 3-point field goal percentage, which is second best in NCAA Division II women's basketball. Her long-range prowess is part of the Mountaineers' league-leading 38% success rate from behind the arc.

ADAMS STATE COMING INTO THE GAME | 2025-26 Stats

• The Grizzlies have one eight in a row in forging a 13-1 RMAC record and a 19-5 overall record. The lone conference loss was to Colorado Mesa University, which is currently ranked fourth in the country.
• ASU is a tough defensive squad, surrendering just 63 PPG to opponents while averaging 79 itself. The Grizzlies give up a minus-6 rebounding margin but they are +5 in turnover margin to even out those two categories.
• Kiiyani Anitielu is one of three Grizzlies scoring in double figures for the season, knocking down 17.5 PPG, a figure that is elevated by her 50 3-pointers.
• Taejhuan Hill is second on the team in scoring with 14.6 PPG while leading the Grizzlies off the glass with 8.0 RPG.
• The third player averaging double digits, Elaina Watson (10.5 PPG), is the main distributor in the offensive end of the court, doling out a total of 75 assists for her Grizzlies teammates.
• Adept at getting to the free throw line, Western had stepped to the stripe at least 15 time in 15 of its 20 games. Eckroth leads the team from the line with an 83% free throw percentage.

FORT LEWIS COMING INTO THE WEEKEND | 2025-26 Stats

• Tied for seventh in the RMAC standings, the Skyhawks start the week at 14-8 overall and 7-7 in league play, with a Thursday date at No. 4 Colorado Mesa University ahead of their game Saturday at Western.
• Fort Lewis had lost two in a row before earning a 20-point victory at New Mexico Highlands to close out last weekend. It started the season with five consecutive wins but have gone 9-8 since that opening streak.
• The Skyhawks hosted Western in a Jan. 8 game, holding the lead a couple of times in the first six minutes, but not once more over the remainder of the 17-point defeat.
• Katie Lamb and Makaya Porter pace the Skyhawk offense, coring 12.8 and 11.8 PPG, respectively. Lamb is the dangerous one from the outside, pouring in 56 3-pointers – second only to Maves' 60 – while Porter is more of a driver and pull-up jumper artist, hitting just 10 treys.
• Fort Lewis swarms the rim after shots, with five players coming away with 4.0 RPG, but only one, Josie Davis (5.2), grabbing over five rebounds per game.
• Claudia Palacia Gámez adds a scoring touch (8.2 PPG) but is the field general in the offensive end, dishing out 76 assists so far this season.

UP NEXT
Western closes out its home schedule with its next game, entertaining Westminster (Utah) University in Paul Wright Gym on Thu., Feb. 19, before hitting the road for the final three regular-season matchups.