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Isaiah J. Downing

PREVIEW | Mountain Lions Head to Two States for Weekend Matchups

12/14/2021 10:53:00 AM

THIS WEEK'S GAMES
The University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team will travel to Chadron, Neb. and Spearfish, S.D. to take on Chadron State College and Black Hills State University.  The Mountain Lions will face the Eagles on Saturday, Dec. 18, and the Yellow Jackets on Sunday, Dec. 19.  Both games will tip-off at 2 p.m. each day.
 
GAME COVERAGE  
LAST TIME OUT
  • The Mountain Lions played their first conference home game of the season this past weekend, hosting Colorado School of Mines in their lone RMAC game of the week.  UCCS fell to the Orediggers, 54-41.
  • Jessica Nation led the Mountain Lions in scoring with 10 points from 4-of-11 field goals.  Agar Farres scooped up a game a high seven rebounds while Alexa Dominguez dished out a team high four assists.
  • The Orediggers' Courtney Stanton led all players with 13 points after sinking six of 17 field goals.  Defensively, Mines was led by Sammy Van Sickle with three blocks, two steals and seven rebounds (four defensive).
  • UCCS hot 30.8 percent from the floor (16-of-52), 22.2 percent from long range (2-of-9) and 46.7 percent from the charity stripe (7-of-15).
 
RMAC RECORD/STANDINGS
  • Three teams remain undefeated in league games led by Westminster's 4-0 record.  Colorado School of Mines and Colorado State University Pueblo also boast unblemished RMAC records at 3-0.
  • The Mountain Lions enter the weekend tied with MSU Denver for 10th place in the league standings (1-2).
  • Black Hills State and Chadron State are two of four teams tied for sixth place in the RMAC with a 2-2 league record.
 
THE SERIES
  • Vs. CSC: Since their first meeting in 1996, the Mountain Lions have won 25 of the 40 matchups against the Eagles, including the last three games and 10 of the last 11.
  • Vs. BHSU: UCCS and the Yellow Jackets have faced each other 18 times since their first meeting in 2013.  The Mountain Lions lead the all-time series, 11-7, but BHSU has won five of the last six games.  The last time UCCS defeated Black Hills State was at home on Feb. 22, 2020 (W, 57-56).
 
SCOUTING THE EAGLES
  • Chadron State returns to their home court after suffering two road losses last weekend to Westminster College and Colorado Mesa University.  The Eagles are 3-6 on the season and 2-2 in league games while owning a perfect 3-0 record at home with wins over Mount Marty, Fort Lewis College and Western Colorado University.
  • Ashayla Powers and Samiyah Worrell are averaging double digits in scoring behind 13.3 points and 10.4 points per game, respectively.   Four Eagles are shooting .400 or better from the floor with Powers shooting a solid .479 on 34-of-71 field goals.  She is also leading the team in rebounds with 6.4 per game.
  • Chadron State has sunk a league high 121 free throws while shooting 66.9 percent from the floor this season.  The Eagles are averaging 58.7 points per game and are getting outscored by an average of 9.0 point per game.
 
SCOUTING THE YELLOW JACKETS
  • Just like their travel partner, CSC, Black Hills State started the conference season with home wins over Western Colorado and Fort Lewis before falling on the road to CMU and WC this past weekend.
  • The Yellow Jackets are the top three-point shooting team in the league in three-point field goals attempted (251), made (84), three-point field goals made per game (84) and percentage (33.5).  They are netting 56.7 points per game while allowing 61.8 points.
  • Megan Engesser leads the squad in scoring with 9.4 points per game while Danica Kocer is a close second with 9.0 points per game. Engesser has attempted a league high 72 three-pointers while draining 23 for 31.9 percent. Engesser, Kocer, Ashley Beacom and Ashley Davis have been in the starting lineup for all 10 games.
 
HOT TAKES
  • Head coach Lynn Plett is three wins away from reaching 300 career wins in his 24-year career.
  • Jasmine Jeffcoat, Jessica Nation and Shelby Megyeri have each started all nine games this season.
  • Saturday's six blocks matched a season high for most blocks in a game.  Five Mountain Lions notched a block against the Orediggers behind Ellie Moore's team high two blocks.
  • Jasmine Jeffcoat is averaging a league high 3.8 offensive rebounds per game.  She has added six blocks and leads the team in scoring with 11.3 points per game and has snagged the second most rebounds on the team with 43.
  • Sophie Abela continues to be one of the top ball-handlers in the league, ranking in the top 10 in the RMAC in assists per game (3.1), assist turnover ratio (ninth, .93), and total assists (ninth, 25).
  • Maison White and Ellie Moore lead the team in blocked shots with eight apiece.  In five games this season, White is second on the team in scoring average (10.0) and first in rebounding average (6.6).
  • The Mountain Lions' 201 free throw attempts are tops in the league and 29th in Division II, while sinking the third most free throws in the RMAC (117).
  • UCCS is one of the top three rebounding teams in the RMAC, pulling in 398 rebounds (second), 15.7 offensive rebounds per game (second), 44.4 rebounds per game (third), and outrebounding their opponent an average of 8.0 rebounds per game (third).
  • The Mountain Lions have snagged 85 steals, an average of 9.4 steals per game, and have forced 17.8 turnovers per game, which irons out to be the fourth most in the conference. 
  • UCCS is netting 61.7 points per game through their first nine games of the season, just three points per game fewer than their opponents (64.8).
 
UCCS UNDER HEAD COACH LYNN PLETT
  • Lynn Plett is in his sixth season as head coach of the Mountain Lions in 2021-22, and his 24th season overall.  He owns a career record of 297-343 and a 66-76 record at UCCS.
  • UCCS has been named to the WBCA Top 25 Team Academic Honor Roll for four straight years. Plett guided the Mountain Lions to their first RMAC championship title in program history in his first season in 2016-17, and their third NCAA Tournament appearance. 
  • Plett has coached at St. Joseph's (1994-95 to 2001-02), Lewis (2002-03 to 2006-07), and Missouri Western State (2007-08 to 2011-12) prior to joining the Mountain Lions.

UPCOMING GAMES
  • The Mountain Lions will close out 2021 at home against Colorado Mesa University on Dec. 31 at 3 p.m.  They will ring in the New Year on Saturday, Jan. 1 with a 5:30 p.m. game against Westminster College.
 
SOCIAL
Twitter - @GoMountainLions
Instagram - @gomountainlions
Facebook – Go Mountain Lions
 
As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs competes in 16 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
 
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