THIS WEEK'S GAMES

The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball closes out the 2019 year with a road game against Colorado School of Mines.

• Dec. 21 at 5:30 p.m. at Colorado School of Mines  (5-4 2-2 RMAC)
   

GAME COVERAGE

Video: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/uccs/

Live Stats:  https://minesathletics.com/sidearmstats/wbball

LAST TIME OUT

• UCCS narrowly missed two wins last weekend.  A slow start to their Friday night against Regis University is what held them back, but Madi Gaibler and Abby Feickert made it rain in the fourth quarter each ending the night with double digit points.  Gaibler sank 19 points against RU while Feickert did work all weekend totaling 38 points. Saturday night the Mountain Lions started with the lead and held it for a majority of the game. Anna Davern and Elly Johnson covered the glass with a combined 11 rebounds.  The team shot 64.7 percent from the three-point line with Feickert slamming 5-of-17. In the end the Cougars pulled away with the win thanks to clutch player Sam Nunez sinking a three-pointer with just over a minute and a half left. Nunez finished the game with 26 points and three assists.

THE SERIES

• The Mountain Lions are evenly matched against CSM with a record of 21-18 with UCCS managing to pull ahead.  UCCS played CSM at the end of last season in March at the CSM Lockridge Arena where they lost 38-57.

SCOUTING REPORT

• Sophomore Sammy Van Sickle is proving to be an asset for the Orrediggers both offensively and defensively.  She is currently shooting 45.2 percent from the three-point line and 45.6 percent in field goal range. Van Sickle averages 11 points and at least one assist a game and couples that with 7.8 rebounds, mostly coming from the defensive end, and one steal each game.

HOT TAKES

• Abby Feickert leads UCCS in points per game averaging 11.5.

• Freshman Makenna Baker shows off her quickness each time she hits the court and leads the Mountain Lions in steals with at least 1.1 a game.

• Madi Gaibler ranks No. 5 in the RMAC in blocked shots with at least 1.00 per game and leads the Mountain Lions in rebounds with 5.1 per game (a majority of them coming from the defensive end).
   

UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH LYNN PLETT

• Lynn Plett returns in 2019-20 for his fourth year on the sideline for the University of Colorado Colorado Springs.  The 2018-19 season finished with a six-way fourth place finish in the RMAC regular season standings with a 12-10 conference record and a 13-15 overall mark.  Off the court, the Mountain Lions received their first RMAC Brechler Award, besting all 16 teams in the conference with a 3.660 grade point average.

• 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. He served on the NCAA Women's Basketball Rules Committee from 2007 through 2011.

• Plett was the head coach at Lewis University in Romeoville, Illinois, from 2002 through 2007, and his teams qualified for three NCAA Division II Tournaments in his career. Plett entered Division II coaching at Saint Joseph's College in Rensselaer, Indiana, in 1994, where he also doubled as athletic director. He won the GLVC championship and was named GLVC Coach of the Year in his first season and coached an All-American, two-time conference player of the year and a two-time NCAA Division II scoring leader. 

UPCOMING GAMES

UCCS will take a break for the Holiday season and be back to start the new year on the road against Dixie State University and Westminster College.

• Jan. 03 at Dixie State University at 5:30 p.m.  St. George, Utah/Burns Arena

• Jan. 04 at Westminster College at 5:30 p.m. Salt Lake City, Utah/Behnken Field House