COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The RMAC-leading University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team will go for the season sweep of Colorado State-Pueblo tonight when the No. 22 Mountain Lions (18-3 / 13-2 RMAC) take on the ThunderWolves (11-8 / 9-6 RMAC) at 5:30 p.m., in Massari Arena. UCCS won the first game between the two teams 69-66 in overtime on Jan. 3.
The Mountain Lions hold a half-game lead for first in the RMAC standings against Colorado Mesa with seven games left in the regular season. UCCS can guarantee a spot in the RMAC Tournament with a win combined with a loss by either Western New Mexico or MSU Denver tonight. The Mountain Lions have played in the last three conference tournaments since the 2011-12 season.
Brittany Hernandez, the leading rebounder in the RMAC at 9.5 rebounds per game, will sit out tonight's game after an ejection in last Saturday's game against New Mexico Highlands. Hernandez is No. 10 in UCCS rebounding records with 206 and is on pace to set the UCCS rebounding average record. She will return for next week's games at Adams State and Fort Lewis.
The Mountain Lions have won their last two games and 10 of their last 11 games since Dec. 19. A win tonight would tie for the second-most in program history and would be one off from the 20-win season of 2001-02. A win would also be the first back-to-back wins against CSU-Pueblo since wins on Feb. 20, 2001, and the Jan. 29, 2002.
Abby Kirchoff is leading the RMAC with 21 points per game and is seventh in UCCS history with 441 points this season. She holds the UCCS career record with 1,759 points, and is starting to close in on the RMAC record of 1,996 points set by Regis' Diana Lopez from 2003-07.
Ashley Piper is averaging 12.3 points per game for the ThunderWolves and is second on the team with 7.4 rebounds, just behind Katie Nehf's 7.5 rebounds. CSU-Pueblo is receiving votes in the latest Division II South Central Region media poll. UCCS is third in the same poll.
Fans can follow tonight's game for free with live stats through Colorado State-Pueblo, live audio through UCCS, and the live video feed at Clyde's on the UCCS campus. Fans can watch the game at home through video streaming through America One Sports.
