PUEBLO, Colo. (Dec. 13, 2019) - The Colorado State University-Pueblo men's basketball teams return home after over a month away from Massari Arena to welcome two Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foes from Utah. The ThunderWolves battle Westminster College Friday and No. 9 Dixie State University Saturday. Both contests are set for a 7:30 p.m. start.
PROMOTIONS
Friday is Pueblo School District 60 Night and Saturday is Pueblo County School District 70 Night. Students from D60 are free Friday night, while students from D70 are free Saturday. Staff from each district receives a $2 discount on general admission adult tickets when showing their school ID. All free and discounted tickets are for general admission seating.
CSU-Pueblo Athletics and Pack Basketball will also be hosting a ThunderWolves Toy Drive all weekend. Fans can receive a $2 discount off an adult general admission ticket by bringing a new, unwrapped toy to donate to local children in need. A limit of one $2 discount per person, per day will be accepted, but fans can donate as many toys as they want.
Fans are also encouraged to wear holiday sweaters to celebrate the holiday season Saturday.
THE PACK
• The ThunderWolves (3-5, 1-1 RMAC) started RMAC play with a victory against Adams State and an overtime loss to Fort Lewis. CSU-Pueblo defeated ASU 72-60 behind 51.8 percent shooting from the field. Sophomore
David Simental scored 18 points to lead the Pack, while junior
Bryce Sanchious added 10 points and a 13 rebounds. Saturday, the Pack led by one at halftime, but trailed by 16 with 10 minutes left in regulation. The ThunderWolves battled back to force overtime with hte Skyhawks, but fell by the score of 98-95. Simental scored 42 points to record the fifth most points in a game in program history.
• Simental was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week after the first weekend of RMAC play. He averaged 30 points per game, shot 56.1 percent from the field (23-of-41) and 50 percent from long range, as he went 8-for-16. He was 6-for-8 (75%) from the free throw line. The 42 points is the fifth most in program history, the most by an RMAC player this season and tied for fifth most in NCAA Division II in 2019-20.
• Four different players are averaging 10 or more points per game and three different players have five or mroe rebounds per contest.
• Simental leads the team with 16.5 points per game to rank 13th in the RMAC. He is the only player to have started each of the eight contests. His 15 3-pointers is a team best. He is 27-for-30 from the free throw line for an 90.0 percentage that ranks 4th in the RMAC. He adds a team-best eight steals.
• Senior guard
Brandon McGhee adds 13.0 points per game and is shooting 51.9 percent from the field (8th in the RMAC). He leads the team with 3.6 assists per game (T-14th in the league) and adds 5.3 rebounds per contest.
• Junior forward
Bryce Sanchious owns 11.4 points per game and has pulled down a team-best 6.1 rebounds per contest. In conference play he leads the RMAC with 23 rebounds, an 11.5 boards per game average. He recorded back-to-back double-doubles last weekend at Adams State (10 points, 13 rebounds) and Fort Lewis (17 points, 10 rebounds).
• Freshman forward
Jaedon Bowles has produced 10.3 points per game with six contests coming off the bench. He is shooting 49.2 percent from the field and 41.9 percent from long range.
• Senior forward
Donovan Oldham adds 7.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 steals per game
• The Pack average 76.0 points per game and allow 78.1 points per contest.
• The team is 68-of-178 from 3-point land to average 8.1 made 3-pointers per game to sit 7th in the RMAC.
• CSU-Pueblo ranks 4th in the league in blocks with 2.9 swats per game.
THE GRIFFINS
• The Griffins are 7-2 overall and 2-1 in RMAC play. After losing the league opener to nationally-ranked Dixie State (74-63), WC swept a home weekend against Black Hills State (65-64) and South Dakota School of Mines (75-70).
• Westminster averages 75.4 points per game and allows 72.8 points per contest. The team is shooting 46.1 percent from the field and allowing their opponents to shoot 41.1 percent. The team has 15.1 assists per game to rank 3rd in teh league.
• The Griffins have four players scoring in double figures, guided by 17.7 points per game from Brandon Warr. He also leads the team and ranks 1st in the RMAC and 21st nationally with 10.1 rebounds per contest. Warr has a team-best 22 3-pointers that sits T-5th in the conference.
• Jai Jai Ely adds 13.9 points per game on a 60.9 field goal percentage. Alec Monson has 12.6 points, 6.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists (T-9th in the RMAC) per game.
• Jake Connor is T-7th in the conference with 21 3-pointers amd is averaging 11.6 points per game.
THE TRAILBLAZERS
• The Trailblazers rank No. 9 in the NABC national poll and No. 13 in the D2SIDA poll, as they have established an 8-0 overall record with a 3-0 mark in league play. DSU has RMAC wins against Westminster (74-63), South Dakota Mines (77-69) and Black Hills State (76-54). This weekend will be the team's first true road games (4-0 at home, 4-0 neutral).
• DSU is scoring 82.3 points per game and allowing 70.6 points per contest for a +11.7 scoring margin that is 2nd in the RMAC. The Trailblazers are shooting 48.3 percent from the field and lead the league by allowing their opponents to shoot 38.8 percent (13th in DII). Dixie State leads the RMAC with a +7.9 rebounding margin (27th in DII) and 19.5 assists per game (11th in DII). The team's 1.79 assist/turnover ratio is 8th in NCAA Division II.
• The Trailblazers have four players scoring in double figures, led by Hunter Schofield's 17.1 points per game. He is tied for the team lead with 7.8 rebounds with Jack Pagenkopf, who owns 12.4 points per contest. Pagenkopf's 7.0 assists per game leads the RMAC and sits 11th in NCAA Division II.
• Frank Staine has 11.3 points per game with a team-high 15 3-pointers. Dason Youngblood has 10.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
NEXT UP
• The Pack close the 2019 calendar year with a road trip to New Mexico Highlands, Dec. 18 at 7 p.m.
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As a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Colorado State University – Pueblo competes in 22 varsity sports in NCAA Division II intercollegiate athletics.
