CHADRON, Neb. – The New Mexico Highlands University men's and women's basketball teams swing back into action for their first road trip of 2014 when it faces Chadron State and Black Hills State for the only time on the season. All women's games are at 5:30 p.m. with all men's games at 8 p.m.
There are multiple ways you can follow all the action this weekend. All games will be shown live at JC Pizza this weekend. From your computer, you can watch every game from Chadron by clicking
here. Live stats for the women's game against the Eagles are located by clicking
here. Live stats for the men's game is located by clicking
here.
While there are no live stats from Black Hills State, live video is available by clicking
here.
Men's Basketball
While the New Mexico Highlands men's basketball team (8-6, 5-5 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference) are currently clinging to the eighth and final spot in the RMAC Tournament, the Cowboys begin a critical road swing against two opponents just behind in the conference standings. Both Chadron State and Black Hill State are 10th in the conference standings at 3-6. With their next three games against teams below the Cowboys in the standing (with a game at Western New Mexico Jan. 25), Highlands can put themselves in great position for a tournament berth.
Senior
Stuart Sullivan, who has not made the NCAA minimum required 2.5 three-pointers per game to be ranked, he would be 47th in the nation by hitting 43.5 percent from downtown (30-69); however, Sullivan had a slow start to the season. In the first nine games of the season – in which Sullivan only had four double-digit scoring games – Sullivan only made 10-34 from range (29.4 percent). In his last five games, Sullivan is hitting 66.7 percent (20-35) from deep and has scored in double-figures each contest.
Senior
Mannie Cass is known for his scoring as he is seventh in the conference and in the top-100 in the nation with 18.3 points per game. However, Cass' defense cannot be overlooked. He is fourth in the conference and 78th in the nation with 1.57 blocks per game. Coupled with junior
Augustus French's 1.29 blocks per game, Highlands is second in the conference and 20th in the nation with 5.29 blocks per game.
Senior
Stargell Love is 20th in the RMAC with 1.2 steals per game. He had three huge steals in the Cowboys last game against Adams State, one leading to a momentum-changing alley-oop. The other came with one second left against the Grizzlies, which led to two made free throws that all but sealed the game.
To read more about the New Mexico Highlands 90-87 win over Adams State, click
here.
The Cowboys are 261st in the nation by allowing 83 points per game, but the end of the game sees the defense ratchet up for the Cowboys. On the season in one-possession games with under a minute left, Highlands is outscoring its opponents 19-9. This includes outscoring their opponents 13-2 in the last two games where the Cowboys faced such a situation.
The Cowboys are looking for their first RMAC weekend sweep for the first time since home wins against Colorado Mesa and Western State on Feb. 15-16, 2013.
Women's Basketball
While the New Mexico Highlands University women's basketball team (7-6 overall, 4-6 RMAC) is currently on the outside looking in for the conference tournament, it is only half a game out from the four teams tied at 4-5 (with wins against two of those teams, Metro State and Fort Lewis). Starting 1-5 in RMAC play before Christmas, the Cowgirls are 3-1 after break.
In the new year, the Cowgirls have picked up the tempo. In 2013, New Mexico Highlands only scored 65.6 points per game, compared to allowing 68.2 points per game. In four games in 2014, the Cowgirls are scoring 75.2 per game and allowing 68 points per game. None of that was more evident in its 82-60 win over Adams State. The Cowgirls won the opening tip and sophomore
Leisha Crawford hit junior
Jenny Johnson only five seconds into the game. The Cowgirls scored the first eight points of the game and never looked back, the third time this season and the first time since the opening two games of the season that Highlands led from start to finish.
To read more about the Cowgirls 82-60 win over Adams State, click
here.
Highlands started the weekend with a 74-63, come-from-behind win over Fort Lewis on Friday (Jan. 10). Against Fort Lewis, the Cowgirls overcame a first-half deficit of 12 to actually lead 35-34 at halftime. They never trailed in the second half. With the pair of victories, the Cowgirls got its first weekend conference sweep since beating Colorado Mines and Colorado Christian on Nov. 30-Dec. 1, 2012.
To read more about the Cowgirls 74-63 win over Fort Lewis, click
here.
For her play, senior
China Smith notched her third Player of the Week honor from the RMAC. However this time, Smith was named Offensive Player of the Week, becoming only the second player to win both Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week this season.
Smith recorded her fifth and sixth double-doubles of the season, recording 27 points, 24 rebounds, seven assists and five blocks last weekend. From the field and from the charity stripe, Smith hit 9-12 (75.0 percent) of her shots.
To read more, click
here.
Senior
Alyssa Lopez has been a big catalyst for the Cowgirls going 3-1 in their last four games. Lopez only scored 37 points in seven games in 2013 but has 67 in only four games in 2014. She is 9-19 (47.3 percent) from three-point range during the new year, going 5-17 (29.4 percent) in 2013. She went 2-3 from beyond the arc in her last game against Adams State, both of which she was fouled. She made both free throws to complete a pair of four-point plays.
Scouting Chadron State Men's Basketball
Chadron State (6-7, 3-6 RMAC) is 180th in the country with only 75 points per game, but are allowing 77.3 points per game. A key might be the Eagles rebounding against the Cowboys. While Chadron State is only averaging 0.9 rebounds per game more than their opponents, Highlands is 271st (out of 305 teams) with a rebounding margin of negative-5.9. It also has the potential to be a long game as Chadron State averages 26.1 fouls per game while Highlands fouls teams at a 22.1 clip. With all those fouls, Highlands has a leg up, hitting 70.5 percent of its free throws. Chadron State only hits 68.6 percent of its free throws.
No one for the Eagles stands out individually. Zac Bargen leads the team with 12.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. Keep Bargen off the free-throw line as Bargen leads the team and is 84th in the nation, hitting 84.7 percent from the charity stripe.
Scouting Black Hills State Men
If Black Hills State (5-9, 3-6 RMAC) wants to defeat the Cowboys, it needs to do what it does best; get to the free-throw line. The Yellow Jackets are 60th in the nation in free-throw attempts and 65th in free throws made. Highlands also cannot rely on creating a lot of turnovers as Black Hills State only makes 11.6 miscues a game (53rd in the nation). Sullivan for the Cowboys has the chance for a big game as the Yellow Jackets are in the bottom third in the nation in three-point defense, allowing teams to shoot 36.8 percent.
Tommy Earl is the standout for the Yellow Jackets, nearly the only player for Black Hills State that is in the top-250 in the nation in any category. He leads the team and is 169th in the nation with 16.7 points per game. Highlands can ill afford to let him get hot as he averages 5.8 three-pointers per game. He is 75th in the nation, hitting 55.1 percent of his shots.
Black Hills State is 0-1 against New Mexico Highlands as RMAC members, with the Cowboys claiming a 91-78 win last year.
Scouting Chadron State Women
Chadron State women's basketball (1-12, 1-8 RMAC)and New Mexico Highlands both have one thing in common: both teams first win in RMAC play was Colorado School of Mines. The game Friday night will also be the first home game for the Eagles and the first away game for the Cowgirls in 2014. Chadron State is in the bottom third of NCAA Division II in most statistical categories, but is 111th in the nation with 5.8 three-pointers per game. Highlands could seal the game if they are able to keep up defensive pressure as Chadron State averages about 6.5 turnovers per game more than its opponents.
Kayli Rageth and Kattie Ranta are easily the top players for the Eagles. They are 109th and 129th in the nation in scoring as Rageth averages 16.3 points per game while Ranta adds 15.6 points per game. Ranta is second in the RMAC and eighth in the nation with eight double-doubles of the game, just missing averaging a double-double with 9.4 rebounds per game.
Scouting Black Hills State Women's Basketball
Black Hills State (8-5, 7-2 RMAC) is currently sitting third in the RMAC and is a perfect 5-0 at home in conference play, winning by at least 12 points. The Yellow Jackets are near the middle of the pack in the nation with 69.8 points per game, but Black Hills State uses a stingy defense to take out its opponents. The Yellow Jackets are 63rd in the nation by allowing only 63.1 points per game. Black Hills State may not be high scoring, but it is very efficient on offense, making 44 percent of its shots taken. The Cowgirls – who grabbed nine of the first 10 rebounds of the game Saturday against Adams State – must be strong on the boards. Black Hills State actually has a negative rebounding margin while Highlands is 87th in the nation with an average rebounding edge of 3.5 per game.
Five different players average 7.5 points or more per game, led by Chelsey Bilger's 14.8 points per game. Calli Bechtel is the only other Yellow Jacket with double-digit points, averaging 11.7 points per game. Cassidy Kotelman has 8.0 points per game, but has picked it up in conference play as she averages 9.7 points per game in RMAC play. Both Bechtel and Kotelman lead the team with 4.8 rebounds per game while 12 different Black Hills State players have double-digit steals on the season.
Next Up
The New Mexico Highlands women's basketball team wraps up non-conference play Tuesday (Jan. 21) when it hosts Northern New Mexico. Both teams wrap up their first trip through conference play next weekend when they travel to Western New Mexico. The women's game is set for 2 p.m., with the men to tip at 4 p.m.
