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Dec 6, 2019; Colorado Springs, CO, USA; UCCS Mountain Lions players in the first half against the CMU Mavericks at Gallogly Events Center. Credit: Isaiah J. Downing
Isaiah J. Downing

PREVIEW | Men's Basketball Set to Host Fort Lewis and Adams State

1/7/2020 2:12:00 PM

By: Jake Wise - Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant
This Week's Games
  • The University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team returns to the Gallogy Events Center this weekend for a pair of Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) matchups.
  • On Friday, January 10, UCCS will take on Fort Lewis College (FLC) at 7:30 p.m.
  • On Saturday, January 11, UCCS hosts Adams State University (ASU) at 7:30 p.m.
Game Coverage Last Time Out
  • The Mountain Lions split their two road games in Utah last weekend as they fell to #13 Dixie State University (DSU), 61-75, then beat Westminster College (WC), 63-53. That brings their overall record to 8-4 and their RMAC record to 4-3.
  • On Friday, UCCS struggled to score in the first half as they only put 28 points to DSU's 46. Despite outscoring the Trailblazers 33-29 in the second half, the Mountain Lions could not make up the first half deficit.
  • As a team, UCCS shot 37 percent from the field (17-46) and 36 percent from beyond the arc (9-25) in the game. 
  • Padiet Wang led UCCS in scoring with 14 points. He also added a team high seven assists, five rebounds and two steals. Blend Avdili and Geoff Kelly both tallied 13 points in the game, with Avdili hauling in a game high 10 rebounds for his double-double.
  • William Becker matched Avdili's game high in rebounds with 10 while also adding the team's only two blocks of the game.
  • After a tough loss to DSU, UCCS was able to bounce back against Westminster to end the weekend with a win. The game was close after one half as UCCS took a 31-29 lead into the locker room. However, the second half was a different story as UCCS held WC to 26 percent shooting overall and 20 percent from the three-point line as they outscored the Griffins 32-24 to earn the win.
  • The Mountain Lions turned things around offensively in this game, shooting 41.5 percent from the field, 39 percent from three and 80 percent from the free throw line.
  • Alijah Comithier led the scoring for UCCS with 13 points, while Avdili and Parker Gaddis each recorded 12 points in the game. Gaddis also grabbed nine boards and Avdili had a team high four three-pointers and a game high five assists.
  • Wang recorded a double-double thanks to 10 points and a game high 11 rebounds.
RMAC Record/Standings
  • UCCS is tied for fifth place in the RMAC with their 4-3 conference record (8-4 overall).
  • Dixie State University leads the league with a 6-1 record.  New Mexico Highlands University, Colorado School of Mines and Black Hills State University are tied for second place, followed by a four-year tie for fifth place (Fort Lewis College, UCCS, Colorado Mesa University and Colorado State-Pueblo).
The Series
  • Against FLC, UCCS has an all-time record of 12-37, including a 4-6 record in their last 10 matchups. However, UCCS did win the most recent matchup by a score of 100-99.
  • Against ASU, UCCS owns an all-time record of 18-31, but have won eight of the last 10 matchups. In the most recent game played, UCCS won by a score of 83-80.
Scouting Report
  • Fort Lewis currently has a 10-3 overall record and a 4-3 conference record this season, placing them in the fifth spot of the RMAC standings. The Skyhawks are averaging 86.2 points per game and allowing 78.5 points per game this season.
  • FLC is shooting 49.3 percent from the field, 39.6 percent from three and 74.4 percent from the free throw line. They are also averaging 36.8 rebounds, 14.7 assists, 12.2 turnovers and 5.3 steals per game.
  • Individually, Riley Farris is the top scorer for FLC at 23.8 points per game, followed by Akuel Kot and Danny Garrick averaging 14.6 and 10.7 points per game, respectively. Farris is also the team's leading rebounder with 78 total rebounds this season (6.0 per game), while Kot leads the team in assists with 38 and Garrick leads the team in three-pointers made with 32.
  • Adams State owns a record of 5-8 so far this season, including 3-4 record in the RMAC. The Grizzlies are averaging 76.7 points per game and giving up 83.2 points per game this season.
  • ASU is shooting 43.3 percent from the field, 29 percent from long range and 70 percent from the charity stripe this season as well. They are also averaging 30.9 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 12.3 turnovers and 7.9 steals through 13 games.
  • Kaelin Crane is the leading scorer for the Grizzlies at 15.9 points per game, followed by Juwan Green (14.2 PPG) and Rylan O'Brien (12.3 PPG). Crane is leading the team in field goal percentage as he is shooting 53 percent from the floor. Green is the main distributor for ASU with 47 assists this season, while O'Brien is the top three-point shooter with 34 made threes.
  • Rickey Norris leads the team in rebounds with 82 (6.3 per game).
Hot Takes
  • UCCS is outscoring their opponents by an average of 6.6 points per game as they are scoring just over 72 (72.3) points per game and allowing just under 66 (65.7) points per game this season. The Mountain Lions are shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 37 percent from three, while averaging 38.7 rebounds, 14.2 assists 6.4 steals and 5.3 blocks per game this season.
  • UCCS is leading the RMAC in points allowed per game (65.7), opponents shooting percentage (40.3 percent).  
  • Senior Padiet Wang is the team's leading scorer among active players as he is averaging 15.8 points per game. He is also closing in on a major milestone. Wang has scored 190 points so far this season, which gives him 956 points for his career, just 44 points away from the century mark of 1,000. A few stellar performances this weekend, and he could eclipse this significant accomplishment.
  • Wang also leads the team in steals with 28 (2.33 per game).
  • Redshirt senior Blend Avdili is the team's second leading scorer at 11.9 points per game. He also remains the team's leading three-point shooter with 32 made threes this season. Avdili is just 21 points shy of scoring his 1,000th career point.  Freshman William Becker is still the leading rebounder for UCCS with 82 total rebounds this season (7.5 per game). Becker also leads the block party that is the UCCS defense with 15 blocks.
  • Junior Parker Gaddis leads the team in assists with 45 (3.75 per game).
RMAC Leaders
  • As a team, UCCS ranks first in the RMAC in fewest points allowed per game (65.7), blocked shots (64), blocked shots per game (5.3), opponent's shooting percentage (40.3), total offensive rebounds (142) and offensive rebounds per game (11.8).
  • They also rank second in rebounds per game (38.7), third in opponent rebounds allowed (31.9), fifth in assists per game (14.2) and seventh in steals (77) and steals per game (6.4).
  • Padiet Wang ranks first the in RMAC in steals (28, tied) and steals per game (2.3, tied). He also ranks 11th in points per game at 15.8.
  • William Becker ranks first in the RMAC in offensive rebounds per game (2.8) and blocks per game (1.4), second in total offensive rebounds (31), and third in rebounds per game (7.5, tied) and blocked shots (15).
  • Ed Bourke ranks fifth in the RMAC in blocked shots per game (1.0, tied) and blocked shots (12).
  • Johnnie Jones III ranks sixth in the RMAC in blocked shots per game (1.0, tied).
  • Parker Gaddis ranks seventh in assists per game (3.8, tied).
  • Blend Avdili ranks sixth in the RMAC in three-point field goal percentage (37.6 percent) and seventh in threes made (32).
UCCS Under Coach Jeff Culver
  • UCCS is now 122-95 with coach Culver leading the charge. Coach Culver owns a and 8-4 record against ASU and will look to lead UCCS to another win over the Grizzlies this weekend. As for FLC, they sit one place ahead of UCCS in the RMAC. Therefore, Culver will aim to knock them down a peg to help UCCS crack the top five of the RMAC.
Upcoming Games
  • Next weekend, UCCS will be on the road in South Dakota taking on a pair of conference opponents.
  • On Friday, January 17, UCCS will be in Spearfish, S.D. taking on Black Hills State University at 7:30 p.m.
  • On Saturday, January 18, UCCS will be in Rapid City, S.D. facing off against South Dakota School of Mines at 6 p.m.
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