THIS WEEK
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team will travel to Kearney, Neb. for two Division II games Nov. 24 and Nov. 25.  The Mountain Lions will tip-off in a neutral site game against Fort Hays State University on Saturday at 4 p.m. (MT), followed by a road game at the University of Nebraska at Kearney on Sunday at 3 p.m. (MT).
 
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
UCCS enters the weekend with a 0-2 record.  The Mountain Lions started their season Nov. 9 at West Texas A&M followed by a neutral site game against Texas-Permian Basin the next day.  This past week, the Mountain Lions played two exhibition games.  UCCS traveled to Laramie, Wyo. to face Division I opponent Wyoming on Tuesday.  The Mountain Lions returned home to play host to Northern New Mexico College on Saturday.  The game counted for the Eagles but was an exhibition game for the Mountain Lions.
 
Jae Ferrin is pacing the Mountain Lions offense with 17.5 points per game and a team high 5.5 rebounds per game.  She is shooting 62.5 percent from the floor (15-of-24) while averaging 23 minutes per game. 
 
Madi Gaibler and Chelsea Pearson have each nabbed a team high two steals.  Gaibler has added two assists and eight points.
 
Abby Feickert, Elly Johnson and Caley Barnard are all perfect from the free throw line, combining for 10-for-10.

SCOUTING FORT HAYS STATE
Fort Hays State is currently ranked No. 20 in this week's Women's Basketball Coaches Association poll.  The Tigers are 2-0 this season with wins over Southwest Minnesota State University and Upper Iowa University.
 
FHSU leads the MIAA conference in assist-turnover ratio (1.42), defensive rebounds (32), field goal percentage defense (29.9), offensive rebounds per game (25), rebound margin (18.5), rebounds per game (53), scoring defense (46.0), scoring margin (34), steals per game (14.5), turnover margin (12.0), turnovers forced (21.5) and turnovers per game (9.5).
 
FHSU ranks second in Division II in offensive rebounds per game and scoring defense, and fourth in rebounds per game and turnover margin.
 
Four Tigers are averaging at least 10 points per game behind Tatyana Legette's team high 13.0 points per game.  She leads the MIAA in offensive rebounds per game (six) and rebounds per game (10.5).
 
SCOUTING NEBRASKA-KEARNEY
The Lopers are 2-2 in the preseason portion of the schedule. UNK started with two losses to Minnesota-Crookstron and Wayne State before earning wins at home against Central Christian and Bethel College.
 
UNK ranks in the top three in the MIAA in rebounds (No. 2, 175), turnovers forced (No. 2, 20.0), and third in assists per game (17.0), free throw attempts (82), steals (43), steals per game (10.8) and three-point field goal percentage defense (28.0).
 
The Lopers are outscoring their opponents by 11.3 points per game and hold an 8.5 rebounding advantage. 
 
Shiloh McCool leads the offense with 10.5 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. 
 
HEAD COACH LYNN PLETT
After the first RMAC championship in program history in his first season in 2016-17, Lynn Plett returns for his third year on the sideline for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs. He guided the Mountain Lions to the RMAC Tournament Championship in 2017 and the third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.

In the 2017-18 season, Plett coached All-RMAC honorable mention Shanah Leaf as well as five Mountain Lions who received honors on the RMAC All-Academic team. Last season proved to be a rebuilding year for the Mountain Lions as they lost three starting seniors while adding six new players to the roster. UCCS finished the season with an overall 10-17 record with a 10-12 conference record, which placed the Mountain Lions 10th in the RMAC conference.

Plett coached two All-RMAC First Team student-athletes for the 2016-17 season in Brittany Hernandez and Tori Fisher. The Mountain Lions tied for second in the RMAC standings and won the tournament with the best defensive performance in championship game history in a 53-37 victory against Regis. UCCS advanced to the second round of the NCAA Tournament in its furthest postseason run since 2015.

Plett spent four seasons at Northern Kentucky, where the Norse qualified for the Women's Basketball Invitational postseason tournament each season during the transition from NCAA Division II to Division I. Prior to NKU, he spent five seasons as the head coach at Missouri Western State University in St. Joseph, Mo. Plett served as the head coach at Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill. from 2002 through 2007.
 
Plett entered Division II coaching at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Ind., in 1994, where he also doubled as the athletic director.
 
UP NEXT
UCCS will open their home season and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference season on Dec. 1 against Colorado School of Mines.  Tip-off is set for 5:30 p.m.