This Week's Matchup
UCCS Men's Basketball (10-6, 5-5 RMAC) hits the hardwood floor of Gallogly Events Center once again this weekend as the Mountain Lions are slated to host Metropolitan State University of Denver on Friday, Jan. 21 and Colorado Christian University on Saturday, Jan. 22. Both conference games are set for a 7:30 p.m. tip-off.
 
Game Coverage
Live Stream: https://www.rmacnetwork.com/gomountainlions/
Live Stats: https://gomountainlions.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary
 
Last Time Out

• The Mountain Lions struggled to find a rhythm against Colorado State University Pueblo on Saturday as UCCS fell to the ThunderWolves, 72-67.
• UCCS' registered their worst field-goal percentage of the season by shooting 34.9 percent (22-of-63). The Mountain Lions attempted to get over their shooting woes by forcing 17 CSU Pueblo turnovers to claim 21 points off turnovers to bring the game to as close as three points with 12 second left. But the ThunderWolves closed it out at the free throw line to finish shooting 51.9 percent from the field.
• After a late postponement Friday night led to a reschedule of UCCS' game against Adams State University, the Mountain Lions came out Monday night to dominate the Grizzlies with a 38-point victory, 103-65.
• Freshman Mac Stodart carried his sharp shooting over from Saturday night to drain 5-of-8 from long range as the Australian native finished with a career and game high 23 points and first career double-double.

RMAC Records/Standings

• UCCS moves to a 5-5 conference record to rank tied for seventh in the RMCA Standings with CSU Pueblo.
• No. 12 Regis University leads the RMAC with an undefeated 8-0 conference record as Black Hills State University sits one game back from the Rangers at 8-1.

The Series

• UCCS looks to keep their winning streak alive against MSU Denver with the Mountain Lions winning the last two games as the Roadrunners hold the series advantage with a 51-9 overall record. The Mountain Lions last two wins have come on the road as they most recently took down MSU Denver 86-75 on Jan. 21, 2021.
• Against the Cougars, the series swings in favor of CCU as UCCS trails 20-35 in the all-time series. Their last matchup came on Feb. 23, 2021 where CCU won 78-69 in Lakewood, Colo.

Scouting MSU Denver

• MSU Denver (13-3, 6-3 RMAC) currently sits in fourth place in the conference standings after splitting a pair of RMAC road games this past weekend that included a buzzer-beating full court shot to defeat Colorado Mesa University 85-84, while suffering an 80-55 loss to Westminster College.
• As a team, the Roadrunners are allowing the third lowest scoring average of 67.6 while holding opponents to the second lowest field-goal percentage in the league at 41.1 percent.
• MSU Denver is second in the RMAC in rebounding with an average of 38.3 rebounds per game as they post the second most offensive rebounds per game (10.6) and third most defensive rebounds per game (27.7).
• From an offensive standpoint, the Roadrunners are scoring 74.3 points per game behind a 43.8 percent field-goal percentage, 35 percent three-point percentage, and 71 percent free throw percentage.
• Individually, MSU Denver scoring is paced by senior guard Ra'Shawn Langston who is averaging the seventh most points in the RMAC at 16.9 with a 49.2 percent field-goal percentage and team leading 83.3 percent from the charity line.
• Sophomore forward Laolu Oke has been the difference maker and game changer for the Roadrunners this season as the six-time RMAC Defensive Player of the week is amongst the top in the nation in rebounding (third, 12.1 per game) and doubles-doubles (third, 10). With the second-best field-goal percentage in the RMAC at 61.4 percent, Oke is averaging 14.1 points along with his 12.1 rebounds per game to average a double-double per game.
• From three-point, junior guard Tyrei Randall has been the Roadrunner's long-range threat by shooting 42.5 percent for the fifth best three-point percentage in the conference as he's averaging 2.5 three-pointers and 12.7 points per game.

Scouting Colorado Christian

• CCU (4-11, 1-8 RMAC) sits last in the conference standings with the Cougars suffering a four-game skid. CCU's most recent losses came against Westminster, 60-47, and Colorado Mesa, 101-66, last weekend.  
• The Cougars are being outscored 72.6 to 69.5 on average this season with their field-goal percentage dipping down to an RMAC low 42.4 percent.
• Despite the struggling field-goal percentage, CCU has worked their way to the best three-point and free throw percentage in the league at 37.8 percent and 80.5 percent, respectively. CCU is also averaging an RMAC high 10.1 threes per game.
• Senior guard Ross Williams has been the key centerpiece for the Cougars by averaging 21.3 points per game which ranks as the second-best scoring average in the RMAC. His RMAC leading 3.5 three-pointers per game and three-point percentage of 43.4 percent has helped bring in three double-doubles on the year. Williams is the only Cougar to play and start all 15 games as he also holds the team lead in total rebounds (90) and steals (23).
• Junior Andy Stafford represents the second Cougar to hold a long-range shooting percentage north of 40 percent (42.6) as he's averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting 47.6 percent from the field.

Hot Takes

• All nine of UCCS' program wins against MSU Denver have come with head coach Jeff Culver at the helm. Culver currently holds a career records of 9-12 against the Roadrunners and 6-6 against the Cougars.
• UCCS continues to hold on strong to the best scoring margin in the conference by outscoring the opposition 83.7 to 68.9 (14.8 margin) with the second highest scoring average in the conference.
• The Mountain Lions also remain a top-10 team in Division II for rebounding with the ninth most rebounds (674) and eight highest rebounds per game average in the nation (42.12). By allowing the second-lowest rebounding average in the conference (31.0), the Mountain Lions are boasting a rebound margin of 11.1 which ranks atop the RMAC and third in all of DII.
• Monday night's shooting performance marks the highest three-point percentage (45.5) of the season and second highest field-goal percentage (58.7) of the season.
• Freshman Mac Stodart tied a season high five made three-pointers for UCCS, tying Jezza McKenzie and Geoff Kelly. In the last two games, Stodart is averaging 18 points and shooting 13-of-16 from the field, including an incredible 8-of-11 from beyond the arc.
• Alijah Comithier remains in the top-5 in scoring with a 20.5 points per game average (fourth in the RMAC) as he's shooting an impressive 53.7 percent from the field for the sixth-best field-goal percentage in the RMAC.
• Jon'il Fugett has found the bottom of the net frequently with the most made threes on the team (25) as he's averaging double-digit figures with 11.9 points. The Colorado native has nabbed a team high 21 steals while registering 48 assists.
• Cameron Underwood dropped a season high 15 points on Monday night as he joined five different Mountain Lions who all registered a made three-pointer in the win.
• Averaging a conference high 17.06 assists per game is the Mountain Lions with Parker Gaddis dishing out a team high 60 assists and 3.8 assists per game that ranks fifth in the RMAC.
• William Becker continues to pace the conference in blocks per game with an average of 2.3 per game.

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 148-117 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 be back on the road next week with a Tuesday game against New Mexico Highlands University on Jan. 25, followed by a Saturday game on Jan. 29 at South Dakota School of Mines.

 
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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.