UCCS (4-7, 3-2 RMAC) vs. Dixie State University (6-3, 2-3 RMAC) | Friday, Jan. 4 | 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
UCCS vs. Westminster College (7-2, 5-0 RMAC) | Saturday, Jan. 5 | 5:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
 
THIS WEEK
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team will wrap up their six-game home stand as they return to conference action Jan. 4-5.  The Mountain Lions will play host to Dixie State University on Friday, and Westminster College on Saturday.  Both games will tip-off at 5:30 p.m. from Gallogly Events Center.
 
ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
The Mountain Lions start the New Year owning a 4-7 overall record and are in a three-way tie with Colorado Christian University and Western State Colorado University for the fifth best record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (3-2).
 
Jae Ferrin leads the Mountain Lions offense with 8.8 points per game.  Ferrin is the only Mountain Lion to have started all 11 games this season.  She is also leading the team in rebounds, averaging 6.0 caroms per game. 
 
Abby Feickert, who has started 10 of 11 games, is second on the team in scoring with 8.4 points per game.  Feickert has also sank a team high 14 three-point field goals and is near perfect from the free throw line, hitting 20-of-21 attempts.
 
Anna Davern has come off the bench every game and leads the team in blocked shots (eight).  She has also added five steals, 15 assists, 33 rebounds and scored the third most points by a Mountain Lion (69 points). 
 
UCCS is ranked in the top half in the league in several categories, including an RMAC best in rebounds (453).  The Mountain Lions are second overall in assists (152), sixth in three-point field goal percentage (34.3 percent), seventh in defensive rebounds per game (27.0), offensive rebounds per game (11.0) and overall rebounds per game (37.8), and eighth in the league in field goal percentage defense (39.2 percent).
 
LAST TIME OUT
The Mountain Lions are coming off a home split to close out the 2018 calendar year.  UCCS hosted a Holiday Classic Dec. 29-30 in Gallogly Events Center, with Wisconsin-Parkside, St. Edward's University and Western State Colorado University participating in the classic.
 
On Saturday against Parkside, UCCS shot a season best 51.0 percent from the floor, but attempted 14 fewer free throws than Parkside in a 70-62 home loss to the Rangers.  The Rangers sank 25-of-26 free throws, including 15-of-16 in the second half.  UCCS fouled UWP 21 times, only two fewer fouls than the Rangers.  UCCS went to the line 12 times, hitting seven free throws. 
 
UCCS finished the game making 26-of-51 from the floor and 3-of-7 from long range. UCCS outrebounded the Rangers, 40-33, but UWP recorded 17 offensive boards to the Mountain Lions 11. 
 
Davern came off the bench to lead the Mountain Lions offense with 12 points after sinking 6-of-7 field goals. O'Flannigan was perfect from the field, making all five attempts.  She chipped in four assists, four rebounds and blocked one shot.  Ferrin pulled down a game high 13 rebounds, 12 of which came from the defensive end of the court.  She added seven points, three assists and two steals.
 
On Sunday in the Mountain Lions first non-conference win of the season, UCCS defeated St. Edward's, 65-57.  UCCS started the game missing their first 12 field goal attempts before Madi Gaibler snapped the scoreless streak to score the Mountain Lions first points of the game six and a half minutes into the first stanza. 
 
Feickert made 6-of-9 field goals and both three-point attempts for a team high 15 points.  She also pulled down seven rebounds.  Ferrin grabbed a game high 11 rebounds (five offensive) and made 4-of-9 field goals for eight points.  O'Flannigan chipped in 10 points and missed only two shots from the floor while dishing out three assists and adding four rebounds.  Gaibler came off the bench to spark the Mountain Lions with 11 points, four dimes and eight caroms. 
 
UCCS scored 16 points from SEU's 12 turnovers and added 22 fast break points. For the ninth time this season, UCCS out-rebounded their opponent. The Mountain Lions held a 10-rebound advantage over SEU, 44-34.

SCOUTING DIXIE STATE UNIVERSITY
Dixie State University shares a five-team tie for eighth place in the RMAC with a 2-3 record.  The Trailblazers are 6-3 overall and have played six of their nine games at home this season.
 
DSU started the season winning their first three games but have split their last six games.  They have a +6.3 scoring advantage over their opponents and are hitting more than eight treys per game.
 
The Trailblazers are led by Mariah Martin's 14.3 points per game.  Ali Franks is second on the squad in scoring with 13.1 points behind a solid 52.0 field goal percentage (45.2 percent from three-point range).
 
Lisa VanCampen has accounted for one-third of the Trailblazers blocks this season (11), and is netting 11.6 points per game.
 
SCOUTING WESTMINSTER COLLEGE
The Griffins of Westminster College are one of two teams undefeated in league games this season.  Colorado Mesa University and WC both own a perfect 5-0 RMAC record, while WC is 7-2 overall.
 
The Griffins are the league leader in blocked shots per game (4.6) and field goal percentage (45.5 percent).
 
Hunter Krebs leads all players in the RMAC in blocked shots, blocking 17 shots this season, an average of 1.9 shots per game.  She is also averaging 16.4 points per game and leads the team in rebounding (6.9 rebounds per game).  Denise Gonzales boasts a team best 16.6 points per game and leads the RMAC in assists, dishing out 5.0 dimes 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
For the first time since Dec. 7-8, the Mountain Lions will play on the road.  UCCS will travel to Fort Lewis College on Jan. 11, and Adams State University the following night.