In tight RMAC playoff race, Cowboys travel to play #11 CSM, UCCS

LAS VEGAS, N.M. --- The New Mexico Highlands men's basketball team finds itself right in the thick of the RMAC playoff race and embarks on a tough road swing this week as the Cowboys travel to take on No. 11 Colorado School of Mines and UC Colorado Springs.

The Cowboys at 11-6 in RMAC play are in a three-way tie for fourth place with Dixie State and UCCS - a game back of Black Hills State for third, two games back of Regis for second, a game up on Colorado Mesa for seventh, two games up on Adams State for the eighth-and-final spot in the playoffs and three games away from being out of the playoff picture. Colorado School of Mines sits in first place at 17-0 as they are riding a 19-game winning streak.

THE COWBOYS COMING INTO THIS WEEK | SEASON STATS
The Cowboys split a pair of home games last week, defeating South Dakota Mines 95-82 on Friday while falling to Black Hills State 66-65 on Saturday. In the win over the Hardrockers, Gerad Davis led the team with 28 points while Raquan Mitchell had 24 points. In the loss to the Yellow Jackets, BHSU drained a 3-pointer with eight seconds left to edge the Cowboys with Davis leading the team with 21 points.

The Cowboys continue to lead the conference in scoring at 86.9 points per game, in steals at 9.3 per game, in turnover margin (+6.52) and 3-pointers per game (10.7) while they are second in scoring margin (+6.7).

NMHU continues to have two of the top four scorers in the conference in Davis (20.4 - second) and Mitchell (18.8 - fourth). Nnamdi Okoro is second in rebounding in the conference (7.9) while averaging 10.7 points per contest. The Cowboys have four of the top five spots in steals with Davis leading the conference at 2.1 per game followed by Mitchell (1.7 - third), Desmond Carpenter (1.6 - fourth) and Jordan Jones (1.6 - fourth). Jones is third on the team in scoring at 13.7 per game.

The Cowboys played the Orediggers and Mountain Lions two weeks ago with NMHU dropping a close one to Mines 71-68 - nearly ending their 15-game win streak at the time - and defeated UCCS 119-86.

ABOUT COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES | SEASON STATS
The Orediggers have increased their program-record win streak to 19 games - the second-longest win streak in Division II men's basketball to Northwest Missouri State's 23 victories in a row - after winning a pair of games last weekend at home against Chadron State (90-56) and MSU Denver (66-60).

The Orediggers are second in the RMAC in scoring (83.5) and points allowed (69.8) to lead the conference in scoring margin at 13.7 points per game. Mines leads the conference in free-throw percentage (76.9), 3-point percentage (40.5), rebounding margin (+7.3) and blocked shots (4.7).

Mason Baker leads five Mines players in double figures at 15.1 points per game followed by Ben Sonnefeld (14.1), Ben Clare (12.0), Michael Glen (11.4) and Brendan Sullivan (11.1). Glen leads the team in rebounding (7.2), Sonnefeld leads the team in assists (4.3) and Baker leads the team in steals (1.2).

ABOUT UC COLORADO SPRINGS | SEASON STATS
The Mountain Lions won a pair of home contests last week - beating MSU Denver (71-70) and Chadron State (97-87) to end a four-game losing streak (all on the road). 

UCCS is fourth in the conference in scoring at 82.3 points per game, but are second-to-last in points allowed at 82.6. The Mountain Lions are tops in the conference in assists (15.7) while they are fourth in steals per game (6.9).

UCCS is led in scoring by Padiet Wang at 13.1 points per game - leading five players in double figures. He also leads the team in rebounding (5.3), steals (1.9) and blocks (0.7) while he's third on the team in assists (2.7).