PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball closes out the 2023 calendar year with a 12 p.m. matinee non-conference contest on New Year's Eve against New Mexico Highlands in Massari Arena.
Sunday's game will mark the seventh home game of the season for the Pack and their final game of the 2023 calendar year. The Pack are 5-1 at home this season and posted a 12-16 overall record during the 2023 calendar year.

The Pack, though, haven't played a game since collecting an impressive 79-57 home Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win over South Dakota Mines to conclude its pre-Christmas schedule on Dec. 15.

CSU Pueblo comes into Sunday's New Year's Eve contest with the Cowgirls sporting a 6-6 overall record and are 2-3 in the RMAC following that win over South Dakota Mines. The win over the Hardrockers snapped a season-high three game losing skid for the ThunderWolves. The Pack have won five of its last eight games since opening the season by losing three of its first four contests.

Sunday's game with New Mexico Highlands was originally scheduled to be played during the Al Kaly Shrine Classic on Nov. 17, but the game was canceled due to COVID-19 issues. Sunday's game will be played as a non-conference contest as the two teams will meet each other for an RMAC contest in Pueblo on Tuesday, Jan. 16.

ABOUT THE PACK
The Pack comes into Sunday's New Year's Eve contest with two players averaging in double figures on the season as redshirt junior forward Alisha Little (Aurora, Colo./University of Northern Colorado) leads the way as she is third in the RMAC in scoring at 18.1 points per game and is second in the league in rebounding at 11.2 boards per game. In addition, Little leads NCAA Division II women's basketball in double-doubles with eight and also leads the league and is third nationally in blocked shots as she averages 3.3 blocks per game. Little, who has earned four RMAC Player of the Week accolades this season as she has earned three Defensive Player of the Week honors and was named the Offensive Player of the Week on Dec. 18 after tallying career highs in both points (30) and rebounds (18) in the Pack's win over South Dakota Mines. On the season, she is shooting 47 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 11 of 12 games, including six games with 20 or more points. She has also posted double-doubles in four of her last five games and six times in her last eight games overall.

In addition to Little, the other double-digit scorer for the Pack is junior guard Landri Hudson (Aurora, Colo./University of Wyoming). Hudson is averaging 10.6 points per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field and is fourth in the RMAC in 3-point field goal percentage as she is shooting 41 percent from downtown and is making 2.7 treys per game, which is third-best in the RMAC and 28th nationally in Division II.

Two other Pack players – freshman forward Leilani Love (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque) and redshirt junior forward Autumn Watts (Centennial, Colo./McNeese State) – each are averaging over 9.0 points per game on the year. Love is averaging 9.9 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 56 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line and has had two double-doubles of the year and has blocked 10 shots, while Watts is averaging 9.0 points and is second on the team in rebounding at 5.6 boards per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free throw line and is second in blocked shots with 15.

As a team, the Pack are one of the top defensive units in the league as they continue to lead the RMAC and are sixth in nationally in blocked shots as they are averaging 5.9 blocks per game as they have blocked 71 shots in 12 games. Additionally, the Pack are also sitting third in the league in both field goal percentage defense (36.7 percent) and 3-point field goal defense (26.8 percent). The Pack are 6-2 this season when their opponents shoot less than 40 percent from the field and are 4-1 when they make more 3-pointers than their opponents make.

The Pack are fifth in the league in creating turnovers as they are forcing 19.1 turnovers per game and are third in the RMAC in steals as they are averaging 10.8 per game. The Pack have forced 20 or more turnovers in six games, including five times over its last seven games and have collected double-digit steals in five of its last seven games and in eight of its 12 games overall.

Junior guard Tomia Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Florida Gulf Coast) is among the league leaders in steals this season as she has collected 26 in 12 games and is ninth in the league in steals per game as she averages 2.1 per game. In addition, Johnson is third in the league in both assists (48) and assists per game (4.0).

Offensively, the Pack are seventh in the RMAC in scoring as they are averaging 64.8 points per game and are shooting 38 percent from the field, 26 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent at the free throw line. The Pack are making 14.8 free throws per game, which is third-best in the RMAC and are taking 19.9 free throws per game, which is fourth-best in the RMAC.
 
CSU Pueblo is coached by Tommie Johnson, who is in his fifth season as the Pack's women's basketball coach. In his four-plus seasons directing the Pack women's program, Johnson, who spent 10 seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach from 2008-16, has compiled a 54-62 overall record and is 41-48 in RMAC games.

ABOUT NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
New Mexico Highlands, who hasn't played a game since suffering a 59-56 home loss to South Dakota Mines on Dec. 16, comes into its final game of the 2023 calendar year sporting a 3-8 overall record and are 2-4 in the RMAC. The Cowgirls have lost four straight games since opening RMAC play with back-to-back home wins against Colorado Christian (74-73) and Chadron State (60-47). Since that Chadron State win, Highlands has suffered road losses at Fort Lewis (64-57) and Adams State (91-60) and home setbacks to both South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State (63-46).

The Cowgirls are one of the top field goal defensive teams in the RMAC as their opponents are shooting just 37.4 percent from the field, which is fifth-best in the league. In addition, New Mexico Highlands is also good at taking care of the basketball as they are sixth in the league in fewest turnovers as they are averaging 14.7 turnovers per game and have a 0.93 assist/turnover ratio on the year.

As a team, New Mexico Highlands is averaging 57.6 points per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field, 31 percent from the 3-point line and are 14th in the league in free throw shooting at 62.2 percent. Defensively, the Cowgirls are allowing 64.5 points per game and their foes are shooting 37 percent from the field, 30 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent at the free throw line.

Leading the way offensively for the Cowgirls is sophomore guard Juliana Aragon. Aragon is averaging 13.2 points, 3.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent from the free throw line. She has scored in double figures in eight games and recorded a double-double of 13 points and 10 assists at Fort Lewis.

One other Cowgirl player is averaging over 8.0 points per game as senior guard Delani Harris is averaging 8.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field. Harris has scored in double figures in five games and posted a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds at Fort Lewis.

New Mexico Highlands, who was tabbed to finish 11th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as the Cowgirls earned 66 points, is coached by Garett Sherman. Sherman is in his third season with the Cowgirls and has compiled a 23-45 overall record.

Sunday's game will mark the first of two contests this season between the two schools as the Pack will host New Mexico Highlands for an RMAC game in Pueblo on Jan. 16. The Pack leads the all-time series, 25-4, but lost the most recent meeting, 54-51 in Las Vegas, N.M., on Jan. 10, 2023. The Pack is 13-1 at home against the Cowgirls and leads 12-3 at Highlands. In addition, the Pack has won nine of the last 10 meetings in the series.

UP NEXT FOR PACK
Following Sunday's game, the Pack will return to RMAC action with back-to-back road games to open the New Year on Jan. 5-6 as the Pack will play a 5:30 p.m. game on Jan. 5 in Grand Junction against Colorado Mesa and then will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah, for a 5 p.m. game on Jan. 6 against Westminster.