PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team continues its season long six-game homestand this weekend as the ThunderWolves conclude its non-conference slate with two games in Massari Arena.
 
CSU Pueblo will begin the weekend with a 7:30 p.m. game on Friday, Nov. 24 against Multnomah University and then conclude the weekend with a 2 p.m. matinee contest on Sunday, Nov. 26 against Oklahoma Panhandle State.
 
The Pack comes into this weekend's slate of games sporting a 2-2 overall record and are riding a two-game winning streak after earning back-to-back victories last weekend over Alaska-Fairbanks as part of the 39th-Annual Al Kaly Shrine Classic. The Pack collected a 73-58 win over the Nanooks last Friday and then collected an impressive 70-44 win less than 24 hours later to close out the event.
 
In the 70-44 win in the Al Kaly Shrine Classic finale, the Pack outscored the Nanooks, 48-23 in the second half and held them to 28 percent shooting from the field and 11 percent (2-for-19) shooting from the 3-point line. Meanwhile, on offense, the Pack hit 10 treys and shot 60 percent from the field in the second half and got a season high 21-point performance from junior guard Daeyon James (Stockbridge, Ga./Seward County CC).
 
ABOUT THE PACK
Leading the way offensively for the ThunderWolves through the first four games of the season is James as he is averaging 18.5 points, 5.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field and has made a team-best 19 treys and is shooting 44 percent from the 3-point line. James has scored in double figures in all four games, including tallying 39 points and nine rebounds in last weekend's two games against Alaska-Fairbanks.
 
In addition to James, junior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) and senior guard Makiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./San Diego City College) are each averaging in double figures on the season. Muldrew is averaging 14.3 points and 3.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field, 46 percent from the 3-point line and has reached double figures in scoring three times, while Morris is averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and is second in the league in assists at 4.8 per game and has a 1.5 assist-to-turnover ratio and is shooting 44 percent from the field and 46 percent from the 3-point line and has had the team's lone double-double this season as he tallied 15 points and had a career-high 13 rebounds in the season opener at Midwestern State.
 
One other Pack player, junior forward De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School), is averaging over eight points per game as he enters the weekend averaging 8.5 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and has made a team-high 10 free throws and has shot a team-high 14 free throws.
 
Coming into this weekend's action, the Pack is the top 3-point shooting teams in the league on offense and the top 3-point defensive team in the league. On the season, the Pack is shooting 41.4 percent (46-for-111) from downtown and are making a league-best 11.5 treys per game and are allowing their foes to shoot just 21.1 percent (15-for-71) from downtown and those four foes are making just 3.8 treys per game, which is fifth-best nationally in Division II.
 
Another strength for the Pack in the early going this season has been their field goal percentage defense as the Pack's four opponents are making just 37.8 percent (90-for-239) of their field goals, which is tops in the league and 15th nationally in Division II.
 
Overall, the Pack are averaging 70.0 points per game and are allowing just 63 points per game and are shooting 41 percent from the field, 41 percent from the 3-point line and just 62 percent at the free throw line.
 
ABOUT MULTNOMAH
Multnomah, who is an NAIA school located in Portland, Ore., and is a member of the Cascade Collegiate Conference, comes into the weekend sporting a 4-1 overall record as the Lions have won two straight games, including opening CCC play this past Tuesday with a 78-75 home win over Warner Pacific. The win streak began with a 78-72 home win over Jessup University. The Lions lone loss that counts in the standings was a 95-93 overtime setback against University of Providence (Mont.). Multnomah also suffered a 79-66 loss to Division II foe Western Oregon in an exhibition game.
 
The Lions being a high powered offense into Friday's game with the Pack as they are averaging 85.8 points per game and have five players scoring in double figures. Leading the way offensively for the Lions is senior forward Tyrese Taylor, who is averaging 18.7 points and 9.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field and 33 percent from the three-point line.
 
Senior guard Neyland Block is second in scoring as he is averaging 14.5 points, 4.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game and has a 5.4 assist-to-turnover ratio as he has committed just five turnovers in four games. The third double-digit scorer is senior forward Mile Macadory, who is averaging 13.5 points and 4.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 35 percent from the field, 41 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent at the line.
 
The other two double-digit scorers in the Lions line-up are junior guard Kadeem Nelson (12.5 ppg, 4.8 rpg) and senior 7-foot center Javier Turner (10.7 ppg, 6.7 rpg).
 
As a team, the Lions are shooting 42 percent from the field, 34 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent at the free throw line and have scored over 70 points in three of their first five games, including a high of 114 points in its season opening 114-97 win over Willamette University.
 
The Lions are outrebounding its foes by a little over 10 rebounds per game and have blocked 10 shots and are limiting their foes to 81.2 points per game and 41 percent shooting from the field and 32 percent shooting from the 3-point line.
 
Multnomah is coached by Tayo Gem, who is in his first season with the Lions after serving as an assistant coach with the program during the 2022-23 season.
 
ABOUT OKLAHOMA PANHANDLE STATE
Oklahoma Panhandle State, who is an NAIA school located in Goodwell, Okla., and is a member of the Sooner Athletic Conference, comes into this weekend's play sporting a 2-2 overall record, but the Aggies have dropped two straight games including a 60-55 loss at Sul Ross State on Monday since opening the season with back-to-back wins over Huston-Tillotson and Our Lady of the Lake.
 
The Aggies, who are playing at Colorado Christian on Saturday before traveling to Pueblo for Sunday's afternoon contest, has played two Division II schools in exhibition games as they fell 80-50 at Northwestern Oklahoma State University and then suffered an 89-64 loss at Emporia State this past Wednesday.
 
Leading the way for the Aggies is sophomore guard Fred Robinson IV, who is averaging 18.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field, 23 percent from the 3-point line and 72.4 percent from the free throw line.
 
In addition to Robinson IV, two other Aggies are averaging in double figures as senior guard Joe Greaves is averaging 12.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field and 38 percent from the three-point line, while freshman guard Amaree Brown is averaging 11.0 points and 4.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and leads the team with eight assists.
 
As a team, OPHSU is averaging 63.3 points per game and is allowing 67.5 points per game. The Aggies are shooting 39.5 percent from the field, 30 percent from the 3-point line, but has struggled at the free throw line as they are shooting just 60 percent (53-for-90) from the charity stripe. Additionally, the Aggies are outrebounding their foes by 7.0 boards per game and are blocking 4.5 shots per game.
 
Oklahoma Panhandle State is coached by Charles Belt, who is in his first season with the Aggies after spending four seasons as the head coach at William Woods University in Fulton, Mo. During his time at WWU, Belt went 54-50 and is second in the school's history in men's basketball coaching wins and coached 26 All-Conference players.
 
SERIES HISTORY
Friday's game with Multnomah is the first-ever meeting in basketball between the two schools, while Saturday's meeting with Oklahoma Panhandle State marks the third all-time meeting and the first since the Pack earned a 74-69 home win over the Aggies on Nov. 20, 2010. The Pack also won the first-ever meeting (69-66) in Goodwell, Okla., on Nov. 29, 2008.
 
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's games with Multnomah and Oklahoma Panhandle State, the Pack will conclude its season-long homestand next weekend (Dec. 1-2) as they open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play with contest against Chadron State on Friday, Dec. 1 at 7:30 p.m. and on Saturday, Dec. 2 at 6 p.m. against Colorado Christian.