PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo women's basketball opens the New Year this weekend with back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road games against Colorado Mesa and Westminster.

The ThunderWolves, who closed out the 2023 calendar year on New Year's Eve with an 82-47 non-conference home win over New Mexico Highlands, opens the weekend with a 5:30 p.m. game in Grand Junction, Colo., on Friday, Jan. 5 against Colorado Mesa and then concludes the two-game road trip with a 5 p.m. game in Salt Lake City, Utah, against Westminster.

CSU Pueblo, who has won two straight games since a season-long three-game losing skid, enters the New Year sporting a 7-6 overall record and are ninth in the RMAC with a 2-3 record. The current two game win streak began with a 79-57 home win over South Dakota Mines to close out the Pack's pre-Christmas schedule and was continued with its New Year's Eve home win over New Mexico Highlands. The Pack have won six of its last nine games since opening the season by losing three of its first four contests to nationally-ranked foes.

This weekend's two road games will mark the seventh and eighth road games this season for the Pack as they are 1-5 away from home, including being 0-2 on the road in RMAC play. Four of the Pack's previous six road games have been played on neutral courts. Dating to last season, the Pack have lost three straight road games in RMAC play as their last road win in league play came at Westminster (72-66) on Feb. 17, 2023.

The Pack also enters this weekend's two games just one win shy of 700 all-time victories in program history. The Pack have posted an all-time record of 699-674 in women's basketball and are 445-337 all-time in RMAC games. With one win this season, the Pack will have won 700 all-time games in women's basketball.

ABOUT THE PACK
The Pack enters its first two games of the New Year with three 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 18.3 points per game and is second in the league and ninth nationally in Division II in rebounding at 11.4 boards per game. In addition, she leads NCAA Division II women's basketball in double-doubles with nine and also leads the league and is third in Division II in blocked shots per game as she averages 3.5 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 12 of 13 games, including six games with 20 or more points. She has also posted double-doubles in two straight games and seven times in her last nine games overall.

CSU Pueblo's second double-digit scorer this season is junior guard Landri Hudson (Aurora, Colo./University of Wyoming). Hudson is averaging 10.4 points per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field and is fourth in the RMAC in 3-point field goal percentage as she is shooting 40.8 percent from long distance and is third in the league and 27th nationally in made treys per game (2.6).

The Pack's third double-digit scorer this season is freshman forward Leilani Love (Albuquerque, N.M./Albuquerque), who is averaging 10.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 57 percent from the field and 77 percent from the free throw line and is third in blocked shots with 10 and has recorded two double-doubles and has scored in double figures in three straight games.

A fourth Pack player is nearing double-digits in scoring on the season as redshirt junior forward Autumn Watts (Centennial, Colo./McNeese State) is averaging 9.6 points per game and is second in rebounding at 5.8 boards per game. She is shooting 40 percent from the field and 79 percent at the free throw line and has tallied double-digits in scoring in two straight games, including a career-high 17 points in the win on New Year's Eve over New Mexico Highlands.

As a team, the Pack are one of the top defensive units in the league as they continue to lead the RMAC and are fifth nationally in blocked shots as they are averaging 5.9 blocks per game. The Pack have blocked 77 shots in 13 games, including 10 games with five or more blocks. Additionally, the Pack lead the league in field goal percentage defense (36.0 percent) and are third in the league in 3-point field goal defense (27.5 percent). The Pack are 7-2 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 also fifth in the league in creating turnovers as they are forcing 19.2 turnovers per game and are third in the RMAC in steals as they are averaging 11.1 per game. The Pack have forced 20 or more turnovers in seven games, including six times over its last eight games and have collected double-digit steals in six of its last eight games and in nine of its 13 games overall.

Junior guard Tomia Johnson (Colorado Springs, Colo./Florida Gulf Coast) is among the league leaders in both steals and assists this season as she has collected 30 steals in 12 games and is ninth in the league in steals per game as she averages 2.3 per game and she is third in the league in assists with 55 and averages 4.2 per game.

Offensively, the Pack are seventh in the RMAC in scoring as they are averaging 66.1 points per game and are shooting 39 percent from the field, 26 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent at the free throw line. The Pack also lead the RMAC in rebounding as they are averaging 40.8 boards per game and have a +3.7 rebound margin on the season.

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 55-62 overall record and is 41-48 in RMAC games.

ABOUT COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa, who hasn't played a game since suffering a 73-64 loss at Adams State to close out its pre-Christmas schedule on Dec. 15, comes into the New Year sporting a 9-3 overall record and a 3-2 mark in the RMAC. The loss to Adams State snapped a three-game winning streak for the Mavericks. Colorado Mesa's other loss in league play is an 89-85 double-overtime setback at Colorado School of Mines on Dec. 1. Mesa's wins in RMAC play have come at MSU Denver (63-43) and at home to UCCS (58-53) and Regis (87-82).

The Mavericks come into the game as one of the top rebounding and offensive teams in the league as they are second in the league in rebounding as they average 40.5 rebounds per game and lead the league in rebound margin at +8.1 boards per game. On offense, the Mavs are fourth in the league in scoring as they average 70.9 points per game and are shooting 42 percent from the field and 31 percent from the 3-point line and lead the league and are ninth nationally in Division II in free throw percentage at 79.8 percent.

Colorado Mesa also leads the league in assists as they are averaging 16.8 per game and are third in the league in 3-point field goal attempts at 281 as 39 percent of their shot attempts this season have come from the 3-point line. The Mavs are averaging 7.2 made treys per game, which is fifth-best in the RMAC. Defensively, CMU is allowing 61.7 points per game and their foes are shooting 39 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line and are second in the league in scoring margin at +9.2 points per game.

Leading the way offensively for the Mavericks is sophomore forward Olivia Reed, who is fifth in the league in scoring at 17.3 points per game and leads the league and is second nationally in rebounding at 12.0 points per game. Reed is second in the RMAC and seventh nationally in double-doubles with six. Reed is shooting an RMAC-best 62.4 percent from the field and 70 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 10 games and is coming off a 24 point and 16 rebound game in her last action at Adams State.

The other double-digit scorer for the Mavericks this season is freshman guard Mason Rowland, who is ninth in the league in scoring as she averages 14.6 points per game and is shooting 36 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent at the free throw line. Rowland has tallied double figures in scoring eight times, including scoring 20 or more points four times.

Three other Mavericks are averaging over 8.0 points per game this season as redshirt sophomore Josee Steadman is averaging 9.0 points per game and has made 26 treys and is shooting 46 percent from the 3-point line, while redshirt junior guard Sophie Hadad is averaging 8.4 points per game and is shooting 36 percent from the 3-point line and is second on the team in made treys with 15 and junior guard Kylie Kravig is averaging 8.3 points and an RMAC-best 6.3 assists per game and has an assist/turnover ratio of 2.05 on the season.

Colorado Mesa, who was tabbed to finish sixth in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as the Mavericks earned 136 points, is coached by Taylor Wagner. Wagner is in his 12th season directing the Mavericks program and he has compiled a 250-80 overall record and has led Colorado Mesa to six NCAA Tournament appearances and four RMAC Tournament titles. Additionally, he has earned five RMAC Coach of the Year accolades.

Friday's game will mark the first of two games this season between the two schools as the Mavericks travel to Pueblo for a game on Feb. 24. Colorado Mesa leads the all-time series 32-25, including holding a 19-11 edge in the series in Grand Junction. The Pack leads the series 14-13 in Pueblo. The teams split their meetings last season as the Pack won 67-66 in Massari Arena on Dec. 30, 2022, while Mesa collected a 74-43 win in Grand Junction, Colo., on Feb. 18, 2023.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster, who hosts New Mexico Highlands on Friday before facing the Pack on Saturday, comes into this weekend's action having lost seven straight games and is sporting a 2-9 overall record and is 0-5 in the RMAC. The Griffins haven't played a game since closing the 2023 calendar year with back-to-back road setbacks on Dec. 29 and Dec. 30 at Seattle Pacific (57-43) and Central Washington (73-40). The Griffins five RMAC losses have come on the road against MSU Denver (52-47), Colorado School of Mines (69-60) and Fort Lewis (58-52) and at home to both Regis (76-59) and UCCS (75-51).

The Griffins are one of the top rebounding teams in the league as they are averaging 37.3 rebounds per game, which is fifth-best in the RMAC and the Griffins are also fifth in the league in rebound margin at +3.3. The Griffins are also second in the league in fewest fouls per game as they average just 13.6 fouls per game, which is 10th-best nationally.

Offensively, Westminster averages 52.1 points per game and is shooting 37 percent from the field and 26 percent from the 3-point line and is making 3.2 treys per game. On defense, the Griffins are allowing 65.4 points per game and their foes are shooting 42 percent from the field and 34 percent from the 3-point line.

Leading the way offensively for the Griffins is sophomore guard Teulia Nawahine, who is averaging 12.1 points and 4.8 rebounds per game and is shooting 33 percent from the field and 25 percent from the 3-point line. She has tallied double figures in scoring in six games, including back-to-back 27 point outings against Alaska-Fairbanks.

In addition to Nawahine, senior forward Elizabeth Means is averaging 9.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game and leads the team in both steals (23) and blocked shots (11) and is shooting 72 percent from the free throw line. She has had five double-digit scoring efforts on the year.

Junior forward Maunayia Harrigfeld leads the Griffins in rebounding as she is averaging 9.1 boards per game, which is third best in the league. She is also second in both assists and steals with 22 and 18 respectively, while junior guard Lime Okada leads the team and is ninth in the RMAC in assists per game as she averages 3.0 per game.

Westminster is coached by first-year head coach Asami Morita. Morita comes to the Griffins after spending the past two seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada-Reno. In addition to her experience as an assistant at Nevada, she also spent seven seasons as an assistant at Robert Morris and began her collegiate coaching career as an assistant in 2009-10 at Arizona Western College.

Saturday's game with Westminster will mark the first of two contests this season between the two schools as Westminster will travel to Pueblo for a game on Feb. 23. Westminster leads the all-time series, 7-6, but the teams split last year's games with each team winning on their opponents home courts. Westminster won 64-56 in Pueblo on New Year's Eve last year, while the Pack earned a 72-66 win in Salt Lake City on Feb. 17, 2023.

UP NEXT FOR PACK
Following this weekend's two road games, the Pack will return home to Massari Arena to begin a three-game homestand. The homestand begins on Friday, Jan. 12 with a 5:30 p.m. RMAC contest against Colorado School of Mines, before hosting MSU Denver for a 5:30 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 13. The third game on the homestand is scheduled for Tuesday, Jan. 16 as the Pack host New Mexico Highlands for a 5:30 p.m. contest.