COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (13-6, 9-4 RMAC) will bring a three-game winning streak into the annual Blackout Weekend event with a Friday game against Western New Mexico (7-11, 5-8 RMAC) and a Saturday game against New Mexico Highlands (3-14, 1-12 RMAC). Both games will begin at 5:30 p.m., and will be broadcast locally on the UCCS channel on xfinity 20.
Both games will include promotional activities for UCCS students, including a pregame tailgate and t-shirts on Friday and pullover and sock giveaways on Saturday. A number of prizes provided by Mountain Lion corporate partners will also be awarded to winners throughout the breaks in the game.
UCCS has won seven of its last eight games since the start of the New Year and climbed to fifth in the RMAC standings. The Mountain Lions are back in the regional media poll for the first time since the preseason poll at No. 9 after a 70-60 road win at Black Hills State last Saturday. A pair of wins this weekend will mark the seventh 15-win season in program history and the fourth in the last five seasons.
Jen Vigil earned RMAC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in her career after 28 points at Black Hills State and 12 points on Friday at South Dakota Mines. She was 11-of-18 at the three-point line and 12-of-19 from the field overall. Vigil is leading the RMAC and South Central Region with 2.8 steals per game and is No. 15 nationally in the category.
Brittany Hernandez is 105 points away from becoming the eighth student-athlete in program history with 1,000 career points and 46 points away from breaking into the top 10 in UCCS records. She is leading the RMAC and is ninth in the nation with 20.7 points per game, and is second in the conference behind Vigil with 2.4 steals per game. Hernandez is a four-time RMAC Athlete of the Week this season.
UCCS is one game out of second place in the standings behind CSU-Pueblo, Black Hills State and Colorado Christian. The Mountain Lions would hold any tiebreaker against the Cougars at the end of the season with 74-69 win on Jan. 16, and has one more gain against the Yellow Jackets. UCCS will face CSU-Pueblo for the only time this season in a week in Pueblo, Colo.
The Mountain Lions have won their last seven games against Western New Mexico dating back to the 2009-10 season. The Mustangs are coming off of a 62-49 win against Adams State on Jan. 23, to snap a four-game losing skid. Desiree Smith leads the team with 10.2 rebounds per game and Deandra Williams has a team-leading 6.1 rebounds per game.
New Mexico Highlands won its first conference game of the season last Friday, but three of its last four losses have been by 10 points or less. Michelle Traynham has 15.4 points per game and Michelle Tapia has 5.6 rebounds per game.
Crowds are expected to be near capacity, and fans are encouraged to purchase tickets before the game at UCCSTickets.com to ensure seating. Live video, audio and stats will be available at GoMountainLions.com for free.
