Cowboys look to keep momentum going in 2019

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands men's basketball team looks to keep the strong momentum it built in 2018 into the 2019 portion of its schedule as the Cowboys begin the new year on the road at Regis on Friday and Colorado Christian on Saturday.

THE COWBOYS COMING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Cowboys finished the 2018 portion of its schedule 9-2 overall and with a 100-87 non-conference win at home over Northern New Mexico - the fourth time in five home games NMHU reached the century mark. Gerad Davis dropped 41 points on the Eagles in the game, becoming the first Cowboy in five seasons to score 40-plus points in a game.

Davis leads the RMAC in scoring at 21.8 points per game and is also in the RMAC top 10 in field goal percentage (56.3 percent, 9th), free throw percentage (87.7 percent, 5th), steals (1.6, 7th) and 3-point percentage (54.5 percent, third).

Raquan Mitchell is fifth in the RMAC in scoring (17.4), eighth in assists (3.5) and fourth in 3-pointers made per game (3.0). Jordan Jones is third on the team in scoring at 13.5 per game while and is second on the team and fourth in the conference in steals (1.8). Nnamdi Okoro is averaging 10.8 points per game and is second in the conference in rebounding (8.9 per game) and blocked shots (1.6) while he's fifth in field goal percentage (61.9).

The Cowboys continue to lead the the conference in scoring at 89.3 points per game and is second in the RMAC in scoring margin (plus 9.5 points per game). The Cowboys are also in the top five in the conference in free throw percentage (74.8, fifth), field goal percentage (47.4, fourth), blocked shots (3.9, second), steals (9.2, first) and turnover margin (plus 5.5, first).

ABOUT REGIS | SEASON STATS
The Rangers have dropped three in a row - all by seven points are less - heading into 2019. Regis fell a UC Colorado Springs 84-80, Colorado School of Mines 80-73 and a non-RMAC game to Eastern New Mexico 78-73.

The Rangers have three players averaging double figures on the season in Jarrett Brodbeck (17.3), Christian Little (16.1) and Brian Dawson (10.5). Brodbeck is second in the RMAC in 3-pointers per game at 3.3 while Little leads the team in assists at 3.7 per contest and steals with 18.

Regis is seventh in the conference in scoring at 76.9 points per game while they are also seventh in the conference in points allowed at 73 points per contest - making the Rangers fourth in the conference in scoring margin at plus 3.9 points per game. 

ABOUT COLORADO CHRISTIAN | SEASON STATS
The Cougars have dropped six games in a row, including an 0-5 start to RMAC play. The record is a bit deceiving, however, as three of thos losses are by six points or less - including a 73-70 loss to UC Colorado Springs in their final game of 2018 on Dec. 16.

CCU uses a balanced attack in scoring as four players - Justin Engesser (13.6), Jeremiah Hanson (13.2), Braxton Tucker (13.1) and Stefan Hackethal (10.3) - are averaging double figures. Engesser also leads the team in assists and is second in rebounding at 4.8 boards per game. Tucker leads the team in rebounding at 6.4 per game while Hanson has a team-best 10 steals.

The Cougars are 12th in the RMAC in scoring at 71.1 points per contest while they are 10th in points allowed at 79.4 per game - making them last in the RMAC in scoring margin at 8.3 points per contest. CCU does lead the conference in free throw percentage (76.4), is third in field goal percentage (48.4) and fourth in 3-point percentage (39.4), but is last in steals (3.4 per game) and turnover margin (minus-5.36 per game).