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Isaiah J. Downing

PREVIEW | Mountain Lions Ready to Host Grizzlies, ThunderWolves Jan. 14-15

1/11/2022 1:59:00 PM

THIS WEEK'S GAMES
After 13 days without a game, the University of Colorado Colorado Springs women's basketball team will return to competition this weekend as they host Adams State University on Friday, Jan. 14, and Colorado State University Pueblo on Saturday, Jan. 15.  Both games are scheduled to tip-off at 5:30 p.m. each night inside Gallogly Events Center.
 
GAME COVERAGE  
LAST TIME OUT
  • The Mountain Lions started the New Year against Westminster College on Jan. 1, falling to the Griffins, 59-47.  Both teams were within three points of each other after the first three stanzas of action, but the Griffins pulled away in the final quarter, outscoring UCCS, 15-7.  WC shot 50 percent in the second half (11-of-22) while holding the Mountain Lions to 30.8 percent of 8-of-26 field goals and 1-of-7 free throws in the second half.
  • Jasmine Jeffcoat led UCCS with 15 points on 6-of-8 field goals to go with her two blocks and two steals.  Maison White came off the bench to pull down a game high eight rebounds to pair with her six points.
 
RMAC RECORD/STANDINGS
  • Colorado School of Mines continues to sit on top of the RMAC standings with a perfect 7-0 record (12-1 overall).
  • One game behind the Orediggers is Saturday's opponent, CSU Pueblo.  The ThunderWolves are tied with Westminster College for second place with a 6-1 RMAC record.
  • Friday matchup against Adams State has the Grizzlies one game ahead of UCCS with a 2-4 league mark (4-7 overall). ASU is in 11th place in the league standings, one spot ahead of the Mountain Lions 12th place standing.
 
THE SERIES
  • Vs. ASU: UCCS leads the all-time series over Adams State, 25-18, including the last eight games.  This will be their second meeting of the 2021-22 season, with the Mountain Lions winning at Plachy Hall, 71-60, on Dec. 4, 2021.
  • Vs. CMU: The Mavericks lead the all-time series, 38-11, since the two teams first played each other in 1990.  CMU has won the last four games; the last UCCS win over the Mavericks was in Pueblo on March 3, 2017 (W, 63-51).
 
SCOUTING THE GRIZZLIES
  • Adams State enters the weekend with a 4-7 overall record and a 2-4 mark in league games.  The Grizzlies have dropped four of their last five games but have charted league wins against New Mexico Highlands University (80-43) and South Dakota Mines (66-45).
  • As a team, the Grizzlies are netting 65.5 points per game but are allowing 66.6 points per game.  They are shooting the ball at a 38.8 percent clip and are getting out-rebounded by 5.1 rebounds per game (35.2-40-3).
  • Redshirt-senior guard Stephanie Ruiz leads the team in scoring with 10.6 points per game.  She is fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage, nailing 28-of-74 treys for 37.8 percent.  Leading the defensive efforts are Kayla Harris and Angeline Nageak, who are ranked second and third in the conference, respectively, in steals. Harris has snagged 35 steals per game while Aageak has accounted for 2.6 steals per game.
 
SCOUTING THE THUNDERWOLVES
  • Nearing the halfway mark of the season, Colorado State Pueblo (10-3, 6-1 RMAC) is one of the league's top offensive and defensive squads.  The Pack, who have won three of their last four games and own a 7-0 home record, lead the league in blocks (4.2 per game) and defensive field goal percentage, holding their opponents to 33.9 percent.  CSUP's 70.5 points per game is the second highest in the league, while their plus-16.7 scoring margin (70.5-53.8) is the third best.  CSU Pueblo is also one of the most accurate shooting teams in the league, ranking third in field goal percentage at 41.6 percent (329-of-790), and third in three-point field goal percentage at .334 (100-of-299).
  • Two ThunderWolves are averaging double digits in scoring.  Junior forward Alisha Davis, who has started all six games she has played in, is netting 15.2 points per game and shooting the ball at a 44.7 rate.  Her 8.0 rebounds per game rank 13th in the RMAC while her 15.2 points per game is the 15th best scoring average.  Junior guard JaNaiya Davis, this week's RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, is fifth in the league with 2.3 steals per game, and sixth in assists (45) while owning a 10.8 scoring average.  She is shooting the ball from downtown at a 40.6 clip (28-of-69), the third best in the league.
  • JaNaiya Davis, Ro Dominguez, and Kansas Watts have started all 13 games for the Pack this season.
 
HOT TAKES
  • Head coach Lynn Plett is three wins away from reaching 300 career wins in his 24-year career.
  • Jasmine Jeffcoat, Shelby Megyeri and Jessica Nation have started all 12 games this season.
  • Jeffcoat continues to lead the RMAC in offensive rebounds per game (3.1).  She leads the team in scoring with 11.0 points per game, and steals (17).
  • Ellie Moore registered her first start of the season against the Griffins.  Moore's team high 12 blocks (1.00 blocks per game) are the ninth most in the league.
  • Maison White is second on the team in scoring with 9.4 points per game, and first on the squad in rebounds (6.4 per game).
  • Sophie Abela ranks in the top 10 in the league in assists per game (seventh, 3.4), assists (eighth, 37), and assist turnover ratio (10th, 1.09).
  • As a team, the Mountain Lions are ranked in the top five in multiple categories, including blocked shots (third, 44) and free throw attempts (second, 245), third in defensive rebounds per game (28.3), offensive rebounds per game (14.5), rebounds (514), and rebounds per game (42.8), and fourth in blocked shots per game (3.7), rebound margin (6.7), turnovers forced (18.2), and steals per game (9.4).
  • Offensively, UCCS is scoring 61.8 points per game while allowing 65.8 points per game (-4.0 margin). 
 
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 297-345 and a 66-78 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.
 
ADMISSION AT UCCS HOME MATCHES
  • General admission tickets will be available one hour before game time (cash only).
  • Ticket Prices:
    • Adults: $10
    • Non-UCCS students (with student ID), children ages 13-17: $5
    • Military members, seniors (age 55+): $3
    • UCCS faculty, staff, students (with ID), children ages 0-12, UCCS Alumni Association members: Free
  • Masks are required at all times indoors.
 
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
  • The Mountain Lions are scheduled to play a makeup game at Regis University on Tuesday, Jan. 18 (postponed from Jan. 8). UCCS will then return home for regular scheduled games against MSU Denver on Jan. 21 and Colorado Christian University on Jan. 22.
 
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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