UCCS (10-11, 9-6 RMAC) vs. MSU Denver (8-11, 6-9 RMAC) | Friday, Feb. 8 | 7:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
UCCS vs. Chadron State College (10-11, 8-7 RMAC) | Saturday, Feb. 9 | 7:30 p.m. | Live Stats | Video
 
THIS WEEK
Two weeks after playing at MSU Denver and Chadron State College, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball will play host to the Roadrunners and Eagles Feb. 8-9 in Gallogly Events Center.
 
PROMOTIONS
Friday's doubleheader games against the Roadrunners marks the annual UCCS Black Out Night.  The first 1,000 UCCS students to the game will receive a free Black Out t-shirt.
 
Following the women's game and prior to the start of the men's game, the UCCS Department of Athletics will retire Alex Welsh's No. 25 jersey.  Welsh was a part of the men's basketball team from 2012-13 to 2015-16. An All-American, he is the all-time leading scorer (1,947) and rebounder (884) for the Mountain Lions.

ABOUT THE MOUNTAIN LIONS
The Mountain Lions are tied with Colorado Mesa University and Dixie State University for fifth place in the conference standings with a 9-6 league record (12-9 overall).  UCCS looks to return to the win column this weekend after falling in their last four games – all on the road. 
 
The Mountain Lions have the fourth highest scoring average in the league, netting 82.1 points per game.  From the floor, they are shooting 45.8 percent and 71.6 percent from the free throw line.  UCCS' has handed out 15.5 dimes per game, the second most in the RMAC, while registering a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio, marking the third best ratio among the 16 teams.
 
Defensively, UCCS is sixth in the RMAC in blocks, stopping 3.0 shots per game while stealing the ball 7.2 times per game.
 
Padiet Wang and Blend Avdili lead the offense, scoring 12.6 points per game. 
 
Avdili's 3.1 assists per game ranks 12^th in the league.  He has made the most treys for UCCS, sinking 36-of-76 for a team high 47.4 percent, and a team best 80 percent from the floor throw line (36-of-45).
 
Wang, who has started all 21 games this season, also leads the team in blocks (16), steals (43), rebounding (5.4) and made free throws (68).
 
Freshman DaRaun Clark has recorded 18 starts in 21 games and is averaging 10.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per game.  He has added 29 assists, 21 steals and his nailed 31 three-pointers.

LAST TIME OUT
UCCS lost a 119-86 decision Friday night at New Mexico Highlands.
 
Brandon Malone led the Mountain Lions offense with 19 points.  Fifteen of his points came from behind the arc as he accounted for five of UCCS' nine three-pointers. 
 
Wang made 4-of-6 from the floor and 8-of-9 free throws for 17 points.  He chipped in four rebounds and three dimes.  Isaiah Wilson came off the bench to record 16 points, two assists while making all four free throw attempts.  Dalton Walker also came off the bench to post 11 points and seven rebounds.
 
Wang recorded his second double-double of the season with 15 points and 11 rebounds while dishing out five assists Saturday night in an 86-78 setback at Colorado State University-Pueblo.
 
Walker tallied a team high 19 points after making 7-of-14 field goals and 4-of-10 from three-point range. Clark chipped in 12 points, seven rebounds and two assists.  Wyatt Dolberry posted 11 points in 19 minutes and bagged seven rebounds.
 
UCCS shot 39.7 percent from the floor (29-of-73) and were held to 28.6 percent from downtown (10-of-35).

SCOUTING MSU DENVER
MSU Denver's 6-9 conference record is tied for No. 11 with Westminster College in the standings.  The Roadrunners, who are 8-11 overall, are on a two-game losing streak and have dropped four of the last five games, including two overtime games.
 
The Roadrunners are led by Druce Asah who is netting 15.9 points per game.  Asah leads the team in made field goals (92) and made three-points field goals (56).  He is a threat from the charity stripe, making a team high 83.3 percent (45-of-54).  Defensively, Kendall McIntosh has blocked 30 shots in 19 games.

SCOUTING CHADRON STATE COLLEGE
Chadron State College has lost three straight games since defeating the Mountain Lions on Jan. 25.  CSC owns a 10-11 overall record and are 8-7 in the league standings for the eighth best record.
 
The Eagles are putting up 72.8 points per game while shooting the ball at a 43.8 percent clip.
 
Diontae Champion leads the Eagles in scoring (11.7 points per game), steals (29) and is grabbing 5.4 rebounds per game.  Michael Sparks has sank a team high 45 three-pointers and is stroking the ball from downtown at a 40.2 percent rate, while Colby Jackson is hitting a team best 67-of 79 free throws for 84.8 percent.
   

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
The Mountain Lions will close out the home portion of the regular season Feb. 15-16 when they play host to Colorado State-Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands.