This Week's Matchup
UCCS Men's Basketball (9-5, 4-4 RMAC) prepares for two straight weekends of home basketball starting with Adams State University on Friday, Jan. 14 and Colorado State University Pueblo on Saturday, Jan. 15. Both games are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. tip-offs.
 
Game Coverage
Live Stream: https://www.rmacnetwork.com/gomountainlions/
Live Stats: https://gomountainlions.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 
Last Time Out

• UCCS came up short of pulling off the upset on Saturday evening as No. 17 Regis edged out the Mountain Lions at a final score of 78-77 in Denver, Colo. The game saw six lead changes as the Rangers claimed the lead with just over five minutes left and held on by making four free-throws in the final minute with Jezza McKenzie hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to close it out.
• The Mountain Lions held the advantage in field-goal percentage (49.1 percent) and rebounds (42) as they limited the Rangers to 41.7 from the field and 32 rebounds.
• Turnovers plagued the Mountain Lions in the one-point loss as a season high 23 turnovers resulted in 23 points for Regis.
• Forward William Becker notched a double-double in the game as he finished with 10 points, a season and game high 13 rebounds, and a new career high six blocks.

RMAC Records/Standings

• UCCS slides to a 4-4 RMAC record which places them tied for sixth in the conference standings with South Dakota Mines and Westminster College each holding a 4-4 record.
• After an 81-71 loss to Colorado Mesa University over the weekend, Black Hills State University moves to second in the RMAC Standings (9-4, 7-1 RMAC). Regis University has now won 11 straight games and remains undefeated in conference play at 7-0 to lead the league standings.

The Series

• UCCS gears up for their second matchups of the season against both Adams State and CSU Pueblo after claiming wins against both teams to open their conference schedule earlier in the season.
• The Mountain Lions handed the ThunderWolves a 17-point loss back on Dec. 3, 76-59, to improve their record to 14-42 against CSU Pueblo as UCCS holds a three-game winning streak.
• After an 85-78 road win over the Grizzlies on Dec. 4, the Mountain Lions moved to 21-32 against Adams State while extending their win streak to two games in the series.

Scouting Adams State

• Adams State (7-7, 3-5 RMAC) is coming off an 85-84 loss to CSU Pueblo on Jan. 4 as the Grizzlies have lost four games to sit 11^th in the RMAC Standings.
• The Grizzlies are holding onto a 1.1 scoring margin for the season by averaging 78.2 points and allowing 77.1 points per game.
• Through 14 games ASU has earned the fourth best field-goal percentage in the RMAC by shooting 48.6 percent. On the opposite end, the Grizzlies have struggled to contain opposing offenses by allowing the third highest scoring average and second highest field-goal percentage in the conference (48.4 percent).
• Despite holding the lowest rebound average at 32 per game, the Grizzlies are liming opponents to a conference low 30.5 rebounds per game. ASU has also given up an RMAC high 14.9 turnovers while forcing the fifth most turnovers at 15.4 per game.
• Sophomore Rylan O'Brien has been the Grizzlies' scoring leader at 13.9 points per game with a shooting percentage of 41.4 percent from the field and 33 assists.
• Senior Malik Moore joins O'Brien as a Grizzly with a double-digit scoring average (10.8) as the guard/forward is bringing in 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 57.4 percent from the field.
• From long range, junior guard Nykolas Lange has made the most shots with 28 as he also paces the team with 21 steals. O'Brien has been the most efficient from three-point at 37.1 percent as he's netted a total of 26 threes for the season.

Scouting CSU Pueblo

• CSU Pueblo (7-8, 4-5 RMAC) is currently ninth in the conference standings with their most recent game resulting in a 72-61 home loss to South Dakota Mines on Saturday, Jan. 8.
• In 15 games this season, the ThunderWolves are being outscored 75.9 to 75.5 per game with a shooting percentage of 47.5 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from long range, and 63.6 percent from the charity stripe.
• CSU Pueblo has been out-rebounded 35.9 to 35.1 rebounds per game with Elijah Moleon leading the way in boards at an average 6.7 per game as he also registers a team high 14 blocks and is scoring 10.9 per game. Pacing the ThunderWolves in scoring is Lian Ramiro with an average 14.7 per game off a 41.4 percent from the field and impressive 40.9 percent from long-range. With 38 made three-pointers, Ramiro is averaging 2.5 threes per game for the third best average in the RMAC while also recording the seventh most assists in the league with 51.  
• Nearing close to a field-goal percentage of 50 percent is Meekness Payne who is shooting a team high 49.1 percent from the field and 75.8 percent from the free throw line to help drive a 13.7 scoring average.

Hot Takes

• Head Coach Jeff Culver currently holds a winning record against the Grizzlies at 12-5 and is 8-10 against CSU Pueblo.
• UCCS continues to make their shots count by registering a field-goal percentage of 49.3 which ranks as the highest in the RMAC. The Mountain Lions' sharp shooting has led to the second-best scoring offense in the league at 83.5 points per game. On the opposite side of the ball, opponents are averaging 68.9 points per game for the fourth lowest in the RMAC as UCCS boasts the highest scoring margin in the conference at 14.6.
• All five of UCCS' losses have been single-digit deficits with the Mountain Lions losing by five or less points in four of the five losses.
• The Mountain Lions have shown their dominance in controlling the boards by being one of the top rebounding teams in the country. In total, UCCS has claimed 597 rebounds for the ninth most in NCAA Division II as the Mountain Lions are leading the RMAC in offensive (178) and defensive rebounds (419). Opponents have not been as dominant in rebounding as UCCS limits them to the second lowest average in the league at 30.7 rebounds per game to post a rebounding margin of 11.9 that ranks third best in all of DII.
• Underclassmen William Becker, Jezza McKenzie, and Wyatt Dolberry are leading the way in team rebounding by each averaging over five rebounds per game at 6.4, 5.8, and 5.2, respectively. Becker's 6.4 rebounds per game is good for the seventh most in the RMAC as the 6-foot-9 forward has registered a stellar 30 blocks for the 10^th most in DII after recording the program's second most blocked shots in a single game with six against No. 17 Regis.
• Two Mountain Lions are currently averaging double-digit points for the season with sophomore Alijah Comithier recording a team high 21.5 that ranks third in the RMAC. Junior transfer Jon'il Fugett joins Comithier with 11.4 points per game as the Colorado Native is pacing the Mountain Lions in steals at 17.
• From three-point, both McKenzie and Fugett have shown their ability to shoot from long-range with 23 and 20 made threes, respectively.
• Averaging a conference high 17.07 assists per game is the Mountain Lions with Parker Gaddis dishing out a team high 53 assists that also ranks fifth in the RMAC.
• Both Dolberry and Cameron Underwood made their first starts of the season on Saturday as they each have played in all 14 games and are registering field-goal percentages of 42 percent and 59.6 percent from the field.
• McKenzie and Fugett are the only two Mountain Lions to start all 14 games as Comithier has played the most minutes with 397.
• Comithier notched his 10th game with 20 or more points on Saturday night which adds up to be the most by any player in the RMAC.

UCCS Under Head Coach Jeff Culver

• Jeff Culver, who led UCCS to its first RMAC championship in program history, is in his 10th season as the Head Coach of the University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball program in 2021-22. He's coached the only NBA Draft pick and the only All-Americans in program history in the past eight years.
• In 10 seasons as head coach, Culver holds a .558 winning percentage with a 147-116 overall record that includes, seven RMAC Tournament appearances, one RMAC Tournament Championship, a 5-6 RMAC Tournament record, two NCAA Tournament appearances, and a 1-2 NCAA Tournament record.

Face Coverings

• Per campus policy, all students, faculty, staff and visitors on the UCCS campus are REQUIRED to wear a face covering while indoors, regardless of vaccination status.

Upcoming Games

• UCCS Men's Basketball will remain at home next week as they prepare to host Metropolitan State University of Denver on Jan. 21 and Colorado Christian University on Jan. 22 inside Gallogly Events Center.

 
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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.