LAS VEGAS, N.M. – The New Mexico Highlands University Men's and Women's Basketball Teams wrap up play in 2013 with road trips to Colorado Springs and Pueblo, Colo., to take on the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs Friday (Dec. 20) and Colorado State-Pueblo on Saturday (Dec. 21).
There are multiple ways you can follow all the action this weekend. You can follow live video from Colorado Springs by clicking
here. Live video from Pueblo is located
here while live statistics can be found by clicking
here.
Men's Basketball
The New Mexico Highlands University men's basketball team (5-3, 2-2 RMAC) is coming off its second-straight weekend split in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play, winning its second straight double overtime, Friday thriller in as many weeks. Senior
Mannie Cass,
who was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week, finished with a career-best 41 points against Western State. He hit 17-19 from the free throw line in the contest, including the game-winning free throws with 14 seconds left in double overtime. He also kept the game alive with a buzzer-beater triple in regulation and a jumper in the key with one second left in the first overtime.
To read more, click
here.
The Cowboys lost on Saturday to Colorado Mesa, 82-61.
To read more, click
here.
Cass is 126th in the nation and is seventh in the conference with 17.8 points per game – more than four points per game better than last week. Junior
Jeverik Nelson moved up to third in the conference and 67th in the nation with 1.83 blocks per game.
As a team, Highlands leads the conference is 25th in the nation with 5.4 blocks per game.
Scouting the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs
Like Highlands, UC-Colorado Springs enters the weekend with an overall record of 5-3 and a 2-2 RMAC mark. They are coming off a split weekend with a 95-59 loss to #6 Metro State on Friday before rebounding with a 90-78 win over Regis on Saturday.
The Mountain Lions like to push the tempo and take full advantage of its rebounding prowess. UC-Colorado Springs is 73rd in the nation with 83.4 points per game. They also lead the conference with 41.4 rebounds per game and are second in the RMAC and 40th in the nation by out-rebounding their opponents by 7.4 per game. It may also be hard for Highlands to get good looks from downtown, as the Mountain Lions lead the conference and are 38th in the nation by allowing their opponents to shoot 29.6 percent from behind the arc.
Derrick White is the main threat for the Mountain Lions, as he leads the team in points per game (17.3), assists per game (5.2), blocks per game (1.0) and steals per game (1.5). White is eighth in the RMAC and 139th in the country in scoring.
Scouting Colorado State-Pueblo
The ThunderWolves look to continue their hot start to RMAC play as they are 5-3 overall and 3-1 in conference action. CSU-Pueblo won its first three conference games before losing a tight 94-92 game at #6 Metro State last Saturday. Highlands has a chance to put up huge numbers in a Saturday conference game as the ThunderWolves are 231st in the nation by giving up 79.4 points per game.
Conversely, Pueblo is 11th in the nation with more than 10 three-pointers per game. Western State was able to keep the game tight against Highlands on Dec. 13 in-part to 13 treys.
Nate Tigner is the spark to the ThunderWolves offense as he leads the team in assists per game (6.3, 16th in the nation) scoring (15.9 points per game) and total steals (14).
Women's Basketball
The New Mexico Highlands University women's basketball team (4-3, 1-3 RMAC) looks to get back to its winning ways after dropping a pair of conference tilts last weekend. The Cowgirls fell to Western State last Friday, 55-53, when they failed to score in the last four minutes. However, senior
China Smith notched her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 12 rebounds.
To read more about the Western State game, click
here.
Saturday saw the Cowgirls battle #5 Colorado Mesa. Highlands was up four at half and led by seven points in the second half, but the Mavericks countered with an 18-3 run in the second stanza as it claimed an 81-70 win. Having played in only two games and 18 minutes on the season prior to the game, senior
TJ Manson turned in a solid performance in her first start of the year. She scored 14 points, grabbed six boards, blocked four shots and took a pair of steals.
To read more about the Colorado Mesa contest, click
here.
Highlands continues to flex its muscles on the glass as it is third in the conference and 47th in the nation by out-rebounding its opponents by 6.4 boards per game. Individually, Smith is third in the RMAC and 13th nationally with 11.3 boards per game.
Scouting the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
Like Highlands, UC-Colorado Springs enters the weekend with a 1-3 RMAC record. However, the Mountain Lions are only 2-6 overall. They are entering the weekend having lost their last two on the road and are looking forward to their first home conference game. Like against CSU-Pueblo, Highlands must counter UC-Colorado Springs on the boards. The Mountain Lions only average winning the rebounding battle by 0.6 boards per game (160th in the nation).
However, the Cowgirls must keep Abby Kirchoff in check. Kirchoff is second in the RMAC and fourth in the nation with 24.1 points per game.
Scouting Colorado State-Pueblo
Colorado State-Pueblo (7-3, 4-0 RMAC) has won its last four games and received a single vote in this week's NCAA Division II rankings. The ThunderWolves have won three-of-four conference games by single-digits, but this will be their RMAC home-openers this weekend. CSU-Pueblo likes to showcase its inside-outside game with 4.0 blocks per game (35th in the nation) and 7.1 three-pointers per game (53rd in the nation). The ThunderWolves also hold onto the ball (13.7 turnovers per game, 13th in the nation) and do not foul (16.5 fouls per game, 21st in the nation). Highlands must flex its muscles inside as CSU-Pueblo is in the bottom third in the nation, losing the rebounding battle by nearly three boards per game (217th in the nation).
The ThunderWolves use a balanced scoring attack with four players averaging double-digit points per game, led by Paige Ramm's 13.1 points per game. Taylor Fox adds 12.1 points and a team-leading 7.1 rebounds per game. Katie Nehf has 6.9 boards per game and in 11th in the nation with 2.8 blocks per game.
After the holidays, the New Mexico Highlands basketball teams kick off a four game home stand when they host Metro State on Jan.3 and Regis on Jan. 4. Both nights, the women are scheduled to tip at 6 p.m., while the men follow approximately 20 minutes after the conclusion of the women's game.
