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PREVIEW | UCCS Gears Up to Take on New Mexico Highlands and CSU-Pueblo

1/28/2020 3:00:00 PM

By: Jake Wise - Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
This Week's Games
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team will be hosting New Mexico Highlands University (NMHU) and Colorado State University – Pueblo (CSUP) this weekend.
  • On Friday, January 31, UCCS will play NMHU at 7:30 p.m. inside the Gallogly Events Center.
  • On Saturday, February 1, UCCS faces off against CSUP at 7:30 p.m. inside Gallolgy.
Game Coverage Last Time Out
  • UCCS went 1-1 last weekend, which started with a win over Chadron State College, 89-79, followed by a tough loss to Metropolitan State University of Denver, 59-66. The Mountain Lions now have an 11-7 overall record and a 7-6 record in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) this year.
  • On Friday, UCCS rode a hot shooting night to victory over the Eagles as they shot 62.1 percent from the field in the first half and 50.8 percent for the game. Much of those percentages can be credited to UCCS' 23 assists and 44 points in the paint, 24 of which came in the first half to give the Mountain Lions a 47-42 lead after the first 20 minutes of play.
  • In the second half, CSC was able to take the lead for a short while, but UCCS quickly righted the ship with 9:55 left in the game and they would not give up the lead again. Thanks to a trio of threes from Padiet Wang paired with some free throws down the stretch, UCCS was able to take home the win in comfortable fashion.
  • Blend Avdili led all scorers in the game with 21 points which included a perfect 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Wang followed suit with 19 points and a game high three three-pointers, while Parker Gaddis had 12 points and a game high six assists.
  • On Saturday, it was a much different story as UCCS could not find any sort of rhythm offensively early on in the game. The Mountain Lions went just 8-for-34 in the first half for a shooting percentage of 23.5 percent. Despite the offensive lull, UCCS was only down two points at half as MSU Denver only managed to put up 26 points.
  • The second half started with a 12-0 run for MSU Denver as they built as much as a 15-point lead on UCCS. However, the Mountain Lions put together a 16-3 run of their own to make it a two-point game, but the lead built by the Roadrunners proved to be insurmountable as they handed UCCS their seventh loss of the year, 59-66.
  • Gaddis finished with a game high 17 points (7-16 FG, 3-8 3PT), while Wang and William Becker each contributed 12 points. Becker also finished with a double-double thanks to a game high 12 rebounds.
RMAC Record/Standings
  • UCCS now sits in a four-way tie for sixth place in the RMAC with their 7-6 conference record. They are tied with Fort Lewis College, Westminster College and CSU-Pueblo.
  • Dixie State and Black Hills State remain tied atop the RMAC with 11-2 records, followed by Colorado School of Mines in third with their 9-4 record and New Mexico Highlands and Colorado Mesa University in a tie for fourth with 8-5 records.
The Series
  • UCCS and NMHU have historically played almost even, with UCCS holding the edge at 24 wins to NMHU's 20. In recent years, UCCS has dominated the matchup as they have won nine of the last 10 matchups. The most recent game between these teams ended with the score 94-83 in favor of UCCS.
  • UCCS owns an all time record of 10-41 against CSUP, which includes a 3-7 record in their last 10 matchups. UCCS did win the most recent game against the ThunderWolves, 97-84.
Scouting Report
  • NMHU currently has a 13-5 overall record this season on top of their 8-5 RMAC record. The Cowboys are averaging 91.5 points per game (leads RMAC) and allowing 84.1 points per game this season. They are shooting 46.3 percent from the field, 35.9 percent from three and 74.3 percent from the free throw line.
  • NMHU is also averaging 10 threes per game (leads RMAC), 36.4 rebounds per game, 12.2 assists, 13 turnovers and 7.6 steals per game this season.
  • Individually, NMHU has two of the top three scorers in the RMAC in Sammy Barnes-Thompkins (24.9 PPG, leads the RMAC) and Raquan Mitchell (22.7 PPG, third in RMAC). Mitchell also leads the team in assists with 57 (3.2 per game) and threes made (52), while Barnes-Thompkins leads the team in steals (39) and adds 51 made threes of his own.
  • Will Johnson leads the team in rebounds with 91 this season (5.1 per game)
  • CSUP currently has a 9-10 overall record this season to go along with their 7-6 RMAC record. The ThunderWolves are averaging 78.2 points per game and allowing 78.7 points per game, almost a mirror image of their current record this season. They are shooting 48.2 percent from the field, 36.3 percent from long range and 74.9 percent from the free throw line.
  • CSUP is also averaging 33.5 rebounds, 10.2 assists, 12 turnovers, 4.8 steals and 3.6 blocks per game this year.
  • Individually, David Simental and Brandon McGhee are the two top scorers for CSUP at 16.8 and 12.4 points per game, respectively. McGhee also leads the team in assists (89) and steals (19). Tyson Gilbert has the most made three pointers on the team with 35 and Bryce Sanchious leads the team in rebounds with 102.
Hot Takes
  • The Mountain Lions are averaging 72.2 points per game and allowing an RMAC low 68.1 points per game this season. They are shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 36.6 percent from the three-point line.
  • UCCS also continues to pace the RMAC in blocks with 89 this season.
  • Freshman William Becker recorded his first career double-double on Saturday to the tune of 12 points and 12 rebounds. Look for more out of the freshman in the future. He also continues to lead the Mountain Lions in rebounds and blocks with 112 and 25, respectively.
  • Senior Padiet Wang remains idle as the team's top scorer and defensive thief, averaging 15.8 points per game and 1.9 steals per game. Redshirt senior Blend Avdili is the leading sharpshooter for UCCS with 40 threes this year and adds the second most points per game at 12.4.
  • Avdili has cracked the UCCS top 10 in career points. He now sits in 10th with 1,059 points.
  • Wang has also significantly moved up the UCCS All-Time steals list. He now has the second most steals in school history with 138, just 12 away from the top spot.
  • Junior Parker Gaddis continues to lead the team in assists with 71, and he also matched his season high in scoring against MSU Denver with 17 points.
RMAC Leaders
  • UCCS ranks first in the RMAC in points allowed per game (68.1), blocked shots (89), blocked shots per game (4.94), and rebounding margin (+5.7). The Mountain Lions also rank second in the RMAC in rebounds per game (37.3) offensive rebounds (198) and offensive rebounds per game (11.0), third in rebounds allowed per game (31.7), fourth in opponent's shooting percentage (42.9 percent).
  • William Becker leads the RMAC in offensive rebounds per game at 2.4. He also ranks second in blocked shots (25), blocks per game (1.4), third in offensive rebounds (40) and fifth in rebounds per game (6.6).
  • Padiet Wang ranks third in the RMAC in steals (35, tied) and steals per game (1.9) and 10th in points per game (15.8).
  • Blend Avdili ranks ninth in the RMAC in threes made per game (2.2, tied) and 11th in three-point percentage (35.4).
  • Ed Bourke ranks eight in the RMAC in blocks per game (0.8, tied) and 10th in blocked shots (15, tied).
  • Johnnie Jones III ranks eighth in the RMAC in blocks per game as well at 0.8.
UCCS Under Coach Jeff Culver
  • UCCS is now 125-98 under head coach Jeff Culver. Two wins this weekend could put UCCS right back in the thick of things within the RMAC. Coach Culver will look to continue his success against NMHU and make it two in a row against CSUP.
Upcoming Games
  • Next weekend features a mirror image from last weekend's matchup as UCCS will be on the road taking on MSU Denver and Chadron State.
  • On Friday, February 7, UCCS will be in Denver, Colo. taking on MSU Denver at 7 p.m.
  • On Saturday, February 8, UCCS will be in Nebraska taking on Chadron State at 7:30 p.m.
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