UCCS (3-5, 1-2 RMAC) vs. Regis University (6-3, 3-0 RMAC) | Saturday, Dec. 15 | 5 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
UCCS vs. Colorado Christian University (2-7, 0-3 RMAC) | Sunday, Dec. 16 | 3 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
UCCS vs. Northern New Mexico College (6-10) | Monday, Dec. 17 | 7:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
THIS WEEK
After their first conference road trip, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team will play three back-to-back-to-back home games Dec. 15-17.  The Mountain Lions will play host to Regis University on Saturday at 5 p.m., Colorado Christian University on Sunday at 3 p.m., and Northern New Mexico College on Monday at 7:30 p.m.
 
LACE UP
UCCS will wear gold shoelaces during Saturday's game against the Rangers.  The gold laces are in support of LACE UP/Go4theGoal to bring awareness to pediatric cancer. All proceeds from Saturday's games will be donated to the Colorado Springs Children's Hospital, and a donation box will be placed at the front admissions table for fans who would like to make donations.

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
UCCS will begin this weekend's home stand with a 3-5 overall record and 1-2 mark in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.  Saturday's win at Western State Colorado University marked the Mountain Lions first league win of the season, and head coach Jeff Culver's 100^th win in NCAA Division II, all at UCCS.
 
The Mountain Lions have balanced scoring with five players averaging at least 10 points per game.  Blend Avdili has scored a team high 96 points (12.0 points per game).  He and Padiet Wang have each dished out a team high 20 assists. 
 
Wang and Brandon Malone are the two Mountain Lions to have started all eight games this season.  Wang leads UCCS with 22 steals and 5.9 rebounds per game. His 2.75 steals per game and 22 total steals are tops in the RMAC. 
 
As a team, the Mountain Lions are RMAC leaders in steals (78), steals per game (9.8) and forced turnovers (17.9 per game).  Their 4.0 turnover margin is the second best in the league.
 
The Mountain Lions are making nearly eight three-point field goals per game, while shooting the ball at a .308 clip from long range.
 
LAST TIME OUT
UCCS is coming off a road split against Colorado Mesa University (L, 79-89) and Western State (W, 103-94).
 
At CMU, three Mountain Lions scored in double figures behind DaRaun Clark's 17 points.  Dalton Walker came off the bench to chip in 16 points on 6-of-11 field goals.  Avdili, who led UCCS with nine points in the first half, finished with 12 points.  Malone dished out a team high four assists to go with his eight points and two steals.  UCCS shot 42.4 percent from the floor (28-of-66) and 11-of-15 from the free throw line (73.3 percent).
 
The following night, UCCS eclipsed the century mark for the second time this season to seal Culver's 100^th win.   
A second half surge by the Mountain Lions produced 64 points.  Trailing by as many as 16 points in the first half, UCCS closed the period on a 13-0 run to take a three-point deficit into halftime, 39-42.  Clark scored all 19 of his points in the second half as six Mountain Lions scored at least 12 points against WSCU. Nine of Malone's 18 points came from behind the arc. 
 
The Mountain Lions 11 made threes marked the second straight game of nailing at least 11 from downtown.  UCCS finished the game shooting 52.2 percent from the floor (35-of-67) and 71 percent from the charity stripe (22-of-31).  UCCS forced Western State to commit 20 turnovers, resulting in 37 points.
  
SCOUTING REGIS UNIVERSITY
The defending RMAC Tournament Champions are one of four teams this season to remain undefeated in league games (6-2, 3-0 RMAC).  The Rangers are on a four-game winning streak and have won five of their last six games.
 
Three Rangers are averaging double digits behind Jarrett Brodbeck's 16.0 points per game.  Brodbeck has made 24 three-pointers, accounting for more than half of his total made field goals.  Christian Little leads the team with 28 dimes and has attempted a league high 61 free throws. 
 
RU has used the same five starters for all eight games and are outscoring their opponents by 7.4 points per game. 
 
SCOUTING COLORADO CHRISTIAN UNIVERSITY
The Cougars of Colorado Christian University own a 2-7 overall record and are 0-3 in RMAC games. CCU is on a four-game losing streak and are 0-2 this season when playing on the road.
 
CCU has recorded 120-of-157 free throws to lead the RMAC from the line for a.764 shooting percentage.  The Cougars are averaging 70.2 points per game, almost 12 points fewer than the Mountain Lions scoring average (81.9).
 
Jeremiah Hanson and Justin Engesser are each averaging 13.4 points for CCU and have started all nine games.  Braxton Tucker is pulling down a team high 7.0 rebounds per game to go with his 12.9 points per game.
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN NEW MEXICO COLLEGE
A NAIA Division II Independent program, Northern New Mexico College is currently 6-10 on the season and 3-7 in their last 10 games.
 
Naquwan Solomon leads the Eagles with 16.5 points per game.  He is shooting at a 55.6 percent clip and is averaging 6.3 rebounds.
 
NNMC is scoring 83.8 points per game but are surrendering 85.6 points per game.  Three of the Eagles wins have come against NCAA Division II teams – Fort Lewis College, Western State Colorado, and Western New Mexico University.

HEAD COACH JEFF CULVER
Jeff Culver, who led UCCS to its first RMAC championship in program history, is in his seventh season as the Head Coach at UCCS in 2018-19. He's coached the only NBA Draft pick and the only All-Americans in program history in the past six years.

Culver was the only four-year head coach to offer Derrick White a scholarship out of high school, and he would become a two-time All-American and the No. 29 pick by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2017 NBA Draft. White played with Alex Welsh, the other All-American in program history, and the two hold the top spots in the UCCS career scoring records.

Culver came to UCCS after a seven-year career at Johnson & Wales, where he also doubled as athletic director for the final six years. As athletic director at Johnson & Wales, Culver led a $7 million renovation to campus athletic facilities.
  
UP NEXT
UCCS will return from the holiday break to play host to Dixie State University and Westminster College on Jan. 4-5, respectively.  Both games will tip-off approximately at 7:30 p.m., following the women's games.