PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball team begins the final two week stretch of the 2022-23 regular season this coming weekend as they play back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road games at Westminster and Colorado Mesa.
 
The ThunderWolves will open the weekend with a 5 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 17 in Salt Lake City, Utah, against Westminster, before traveling to Grand Junction, Colo., for a 5:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 18 against Colorado Mesa.
 
CSU Pueblo comes into the weekend sporting a 12-12 overall record and a 9-9 mark in the RMAC. The Pack have won two straight games and are tied for seventh with Colorado Mesa in the RMAC. The Pack and Mesa are one game behind sixth place MSU Denver (10-8) and one game in front ninth place UCCS (8-10). The top eight teams in the league at the conclusion of the regular season advance to the 2023 RMAC Tournament, which begins with quarterfinal games on Tuesday, Feb. 28.
 
The current two game winning streak began with a 76-57 home win last Friday against Colorado Christian and then was extended to two straight with a 62-50 home win on Saturday over Chadron State. The win over CCU snap a four-game losing skid for the Pack. Since earning a 67-66 win at home over Mesa on Dec. 30, the Pack have posted a 4-8 record with all four of those wins coming at home.
 
This weekend's two games will mark the 12th and 13th road games this season for the Pack as they are 2-9 on the road this season, including a 2-7 mark on the road in RMAC play. The Pack have dropped six straight games on the road since earning a 77-75 win in double overtime at South Dakota Mines on Dec. 16.
 
ABOUT CSU PUEBLO
CSU Pueblo comes into this week's action having two players averaging in double figures on the season as graduate student forward/guard Charisse Fairley (Colorado Springs, Colo./Fresno State) continues to lead the way in scoring and is second in rebounding as she is averaging 12.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 40 percent from the field, 33 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent at the free throw line. Fairley has scored in double figures in two straight games and 16 times overall on the season. Over her last five games, she is averaging 10.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game.
 
In addition to Fairley, sophomore guard Landri Hudson (Aurora, Colo./University of Wyoming) is also averaging in double figures as she is averaging 10.0 points and 3.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 40 percent from the 3-point line and 72 percent at the free throw line. She has reached double figures in scoring in four of her last seven games and is averaging 8.4 points and 3.8 rebounds over her last five games.
 
One of the biggest contributors to the Pack's success over its last two games has been graduate student guard JaNaiya Davis (Hewitt, Texas/Midway) is averaging 9.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists and is fourth in steals  at 2.6 steals per game. Davis, who was named this week's RMSAC Defensive Player of the Week, is shooting 44 percent from the field and 79 percent from the free throw line.
 
She is currently the school's all-time leader in steals (303), assists (510) and games played (216) and is fourth in career scoring (1,453) and second in field goals made (546). Davis is the Division II women's basketball active leader in career steals and is third among active Division II players in career assists. In the Pack's two wins last weekend, Davis averaged 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 6.0 steals per game and nearly recorded a quadruple double against CCU as she had 14 points, nine rebounds, seven assists and eight steals. The eight steals are tied for third most in a single game in school history.
 
As a team, CSU Pueblo continues to be one of the top 3-point shooting teams in Division II women's basketball as the Pack leads the league and is 11th nationally in three-pointers made per game (8.9) and leads the league and is ninth nationally in 3-point field goal attempts per game (27.5 per game). The Pack have made 10 or more treys in a game 12 times, including a season high 15 treys at Chadron State.
 
Additionally, the Pack is shooting 32.2 percent from the 3-point line, which is fourth-best in the RMAC. In RMAC, CSU Pueblo is shooting 32.1 percent from the field and is averaging 8.4 made treys per game. The Pack are also fourth in the league in free throw shooting as they are shooting 70.4 percent from the line and are making 8.8 free throws per game and attempting 14.1 free throws per game.
 
CSU Pueblo is coached by Tommie Johnson, who is in his fourth season as the Pack's women's basketball coach. In his three-plus season directing the Pack women's program, Johnson, who spent 10 seasons as an assistant men's basketball coach from 2008-16, has compiled a 46-53 overall record and is 36-42 in RMAC games. Since the beginning of the 2021-22 season, Johnson has led the Pack to a 28-14 record in RMAC play.
 
ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster comes into Friday's action having won five straight games since losing four straight games. The Griffins are sporting a 14-10 overall record and are fifth in the RMAC with a 12-6 record. The Griffins win streak began with a 63-53 home win over Colorado Mesa, before picking up home wins over Western Colorado (57-47), UCCS (58-52) and Regis (78-71) and a road win last time out last Friday at MSU Denver (54-49).
 
The Griffins have been strong at home this season as they are 9-4 on its home court and have reeled off seven straight home wins since suffering a 63-62 loss to Fort Lewis on Dec. 17. Since picking up a 64-56 win in Pueblo on Dec. 30, Westminster has posted a 7-4 record.
 
The Griffins are one of the top shooting teams in the league as they lead the RMAC in field goal percentage (45.7 percent), 3-point field goal percentage (34.5 percent) and free throw percentage (76.6 percent). In addition, Westminster is fourth in the league in rebound margin (+3.9).
 
On offense, the Griffins are averaging 65.5 points per game and are allowing 63.1 points per game and leads the league in fouls per game as they average 14.1 on the year.
 
Leading the way offensively for the Griffins is senior guard Ashley Greenwood, who is averaging 16.8 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game and is shooting 49 percent from the field, 39 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent from the free throw line. Greenwood also leads the team in steals with 37 and leads the league in defensive rebounds per game at 6.8.
 
In addition to Greenwood, graduate student forward Lyndzi Rich is averaging 12.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 61 percent from the field, 60 percent from the 3-point line and 76 percent from the free throw line. Rich has blocked 11 shots and is averaging 2.2 offensive rebounds per game.
 
Westminster is coached by Jenteal Jackson, who is in her second season at her alma mater and has recorded a 31-19 record.
 
Friday's game will mark the second meeting this season between the two schools as the Pack fell 64-56 to the Griffins at home on Dec. 30. Westminster holds a 7-5 record in the series and has won two straight games in the series. The series is tied at 3-3 at Westminster, while Westminster holds a 4-2 edge in the series in Pueblo.
 
ABOUT COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa, who hosts New Mexico Highlands on Friday before facing the Pack on Saturday, comes into this weekend's action having won three straight games and five of its last eight games overall. The Mavericks are sporting a 10-14 record and are tied with CSU Pueblo for seventh in the RMAC standings with a 9-9 record. Mesa's current win streak began with a 64-62 home win over UCCS, before picking up road wins at both Mines (59-52) and MSU Denver (65-60). Mesa has posted a 5-5 record at home this season but has lost two straight at home with those losses coming to Western Colorado (61-60) and Regis (66-60).
 
The Mavericks are one of the top defensive teams in the RMAC as they are second in the league in field goal percentage defense (37.1 percent) and leads the league in 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.7 percent). In addition, Mesa is second in blocks per game as they average 3.5 blocks per game and is third in free throw percentage as they shoot 71.1 percent from the line. The Mavs are also fifth in the league in assists as they average 13.3 per game.
 
Leading the way offensively for the Mavericks is sophomore forward Olivia Reed, who is averaging 12.0 points, 8.8 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game and is shooting 60 percent from the field and 67 percent from the free throw line.
 
In addition to Reed, redshirt senior center Monica Brooks is averaging 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field, 29 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent from the free throw. Brooks has blocked 14 shots and is second in assists with 58.
 
Colorado Mesa is coached by Taylor Wagner, who is in his 11th season with the Mavericks and is sporting a 241-75 overall record. He has led Mesa to six total NCAA Tournament appearances, four RMAC Tournament championships and an appearance in the NCAA Division II Elite Eight in 2013.
 
Saturday's game will mark the second game this season between the two schools as the Pack picked up a 67-66 win in Pueblo on Dec. 30. CSU Pueblo holds a slight 13-11 edge in the series as the teams have split their last 10 meetings. The Pack lead the series, 7-5 in Grand Junction, while the series is tied 6-6 in Pueblo.