PUEBLO, Colo. – Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball will look to continue its hot play this weekend as the ThunderWolves close out the home portion of its 2023-24 schedule with back-to-back Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests at Massari Arena against Westminster and sixth-ranked Colorado Mesa.

The Pack opens the weekend with a 7:30 p.m. game on Friday, Feb. 23 against Westminster, before hosting nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa for a 6 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 24 for Senior Night. Prior to the beginning of Saturday's game with the Mavericks, the Pack will honor its two seniors – guards Isaiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./Cal State Dominguez Hills) and Makiah Morris (San Diego, Calif./San Diego City College) – in a pregame ceremony.

CSU Pueblo comes into this weekend's action sporting an 11-13 overall record and are tied with New Mexico Highlands for ninth in the RMAC standings with a 7-11 league record. The Pack enters the final two weeks of the regular season sitting just one game behind seventh place in the league standings as Chadron State and South Dakota Mines are tied for seventh with 8-10 league records. The top eight teams at the end of the regular season advance to the RMAC Tournament, which is scheduled to begin with quarterfinal round games on March 5. The Pack hasn't advanced to the RMAC Tournament since 2017.

The Pack comes into the weekend having won two straight games after picking up back-to-back road wins last weekend at Colorado Christian (95-87) and Chadron State (80-75). The win at Colorado Christian snapped a season-high six-game losing skid for the Pack, while the two-game road sweep in RMAC play was the first for the Pack since Dec. 15-16, 2017, when the Pack collected an 88-72 win at Colorado Mesa and the following night earned a 92-79 win at Western State (now Western Colorado).
In addition, the two road wins were just the third and fourth this season for the Pack in RMAC play as they improved to 4-5 on the road in league play. The four road wins in RMAC play are the most for the program since also winning four games on the road in RMAC play during the 2021-22 season. The Pack have two road games remaining on the season as they close the regular season next weekend with games at UCCS and Regis.

This weekend's two home games will mark the 14th and 15th this season for the Pack and the 10th and 11th games at home in RMAC plat. The Pack is 7-6 at home this season, including being 3-6 at home in RMAC play. The Pack has dropped three straight games at home since earning back-to-back home wins over MSU Denver (77-62) and New Mexico Highlands (75-55).

ABOUT THE PACK
The Pack enters this weekend's action with four players scoring in double figures on the season as senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) leads the way offensively as he is sixth in the RMAC in scoring at 17.0 points per game. In addition to his 17.0 points per game, Walter, who eclipsed the 1,600 career point mark last weekend, is also averaging 4.0 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and leads the RMAC and is 25th nationally in free throw shooting at 89.1 percent. He has scored in double figures in four of his last five games and 16 times overall and is averaging 18.2 points per game in RMAC play and has reached double-digits in scoring in 15 of the Pack's 18 league games.

In addition to Walter, Makiah Morris is second in scoring at 14.9 points per game and leads the team and is fifth in the RMAC in rebounding at 7.2 boards per game and is sixth in the league in assists (3.5) and third in steals (2.1) and has a 1.33 assist/turnover ratio and is shooting 52 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 85 percent from the free throw line, which is fifth in the RMAC. He has scored in double figures in 12 straight games, including tallying double-doubles in four of his last 10 games. In RMAC play, Morris is averaging 15.9 points, 7.5 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.9 steals per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 87 percent at the free throw line.

The third double-digit scorer for the Pack is junior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) as he is averaging 13.4 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and 74 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in five straight games, including tying a career high with 24 points in the win last Saturday at Chadron State. In RMAC play, Muldrew is averaging 14.1 points per game and is shooting 45 percent from the floor and 33 percent from the 3-point line.

Junior forward De'Shaun Cooper (Poway, Calif./Balboa School) is the fourth double-digit scorer on the season for the Pack as he is averaging 11.4 points and 5.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 59 percent from the field and leads the team in blocked shots with 18. He has scored in double figures in four of his last six games and seven times in his last 10 games overall, including recording his first career double-double of 10 points and 11 rebounds against New Mexico Highlands. In RMAC play, Cooper is averaging 12.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game and is shooting 62 percent from the field.

Coming into play this weekend, the Pack is fourth in the RMAC in 3-point shooting as they are shooting 36.3 percent (198-545) from the 3-point line. The Pack have shot over 45 percent from the 3-point line in six games, including two games shooting over 55 percent from the 3-point line as the Pack shot a season-best 61 percent (14-for-23) from the 3-point line at Adams State and shot 58 percent (14-for-24) from downtown at Westminster.

In addition to being fourth in the league in 3-point shooting, the Pack are third in the RMAC in free throws made and second in free throw attempts per game as they are making 16.3 free throws per game and are attempting 22.3 free throws per game. As a team, the Pack is shooting 73.1 percent from the free throw line, including shooting 81.9 percent (68-for-83) from the line over its last four games.  

Offensively, the Pack are scoring 79 points per game, which is fourth-best in the league and have scored over 70 points in 18 of 24 games, including topping the century mark two times and is shooting 45.4 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line. The Pack are getting outrebounded by 2.6 boards per game and are averaging 13.9 assists, 7.2 steals and 2.0 blocks per game.

Defensively, the Pack enter this week's action eighth in the league in field goal percentage defense as their opponents are shooting 45.6 percent from the field and are fifth in turnovers forced per game (14.1), fifth in scoring margin (+2.4). In addition, the Pack is third in turnover margin (+1.9) and third in fouls per game (16.3).

In RMAC play, the Pack are averaging 80.4 points per game and are allowing 82.9 points per game. In addition, the Pack is shooting 47 percent from the field, 34 percent from the 3-point line and 75 percent at the free throw line in conference action.

CSU Pueblo is coached by Matt Hammer, who is in his fifth season as the Pack's coach and in his four-plus seasons leading the Pack, he has compiled a 49-77 overall record and a 35-66 record in RMAC games. Hammer has now led the Pack to its third straight 10-plus win campaign.

ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster comes into the weekend sporting a 7-17 overall record and a 3-15 in the RMAC with two weeks left in the regular season. The Griffins have won two of its last four games with the victories coming at Western Colorado (79-76) and at Regis (69-68) on Feb. 10, but is coming off a 92-72 loss last Friday at home against MSU Denver. The Griffins other win in league play came at home against Black Hills State (82-69) on Jan. 20.

The Griffins have struggled away from home this season as they are 3-8 on the road, including being 2-7 on the road in RMAC play. Westminster is 4-9 overall at home on the season, including being 1-8 at home in RMAC games.
Westminster, who was tabbed to finish ninth in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 89 points from the league's head coaches, has three players averaging in double figures as senior forward Trey Wood leads the way with 13.8 points per game. He is also averaging 5.6 rebounds and 0.9 blocked shots per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field, 36 percent from downtown and 87 percent at the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in four consecutive games, including tallying 20 or more points in three of those contests. In RMAC play, he is averaging 16.2 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field, 39 percent from the 3-point line and 88 percent at the free throw line.

In addition to Wood, senior guard Rylan O'Brien and senior guard Pierce Sterling are the other double-digit scorers. O'Brien is averaging 11.8 points and 2.4 rebounds per game and is shooting 39 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 83 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in four of his last six games, while Sterling is averaging 10.4 points and 2.7 rebounds per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field and leads the team in steals with 24. Sterling has reached double figures in 11 games, including a season-high 30 points in the win at Western Colorado.

As a team, Westminster is averaging 71.0 points per game and is allowing 78.8 points per game. The Griffins are shooting 47 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and 73 percent at the free throw line and are turning the ball over just 12.9 times per game. The Griffins are fifth in the league in assists as they average 13.8 per game and have committed the fewest fouls in the league as they average 14.5 fouls per game.

The Griffins are coached by Norm Parrish, who is in his ninth season at Westminster and has compiled a 118-112 overall record with the Griffins.

Friday's game with Westminster marks the second of two meeting this season between the two schools as the Pack earned an impressive 93-78 win in Salt Lake City on Jan. 6. The Pack leads the all-time series, 8-7, including holding a 4-2 edge in the series in Pueblo. The two teams have split the last 10 games in the series, but the Pack have won two straight games in the series at home.

ABOUT COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa, who plays at New Mexico Highlands on Friday before traveling to Pueblo on Saturday, comes into this weekend's action ranked sixth and 13th in this week's latest NABC/Division II Coaches' and D2CSC Media polls. The Mavericks have won six straight and 13 of their last 14 games overall to push its overall record to 21-3 on the season. The Mavericks are tied for first in the league standings with Fort Lewis with a 17-1 league record.

The Mavericks' lone loss in its last 14 games came at home on Jan. 26 to No. 3 ranked Fort Lewis (87-79) and that loss was Mesa's lone loss in league play. CMU extended its win streak to six straight games after collecting back-to-back home wins last weekend against 21st-ranked Mines (98-81) and MSU Denver (92-81).

CMU is 10-2 away from home this season, including being 8-0 on the road in RMAC play and the Mavericks have won 11 consecutive road games in league play since suffering a 70-63 loss at Westminster on Jan. 24, 2023. Along with being 10-2 on the road, the Mavericks are 11-1 at home this season with their lone loss coming against Fort Lewis.

Colorado Mesa, who was tabbed as the favorite in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as the Mavs earned 186 points and eight first place votes, have four players averaging in double figures this season with redshirt junior forward Trevor Baskin leading the way at 16.2 points per game and is also averaging 7.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 56 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line and has blocked a team-best 25 shots. He is ninth in the league in scoring and third in the RMAC in rebounding. He has scored in double figures in 13 straight games and has recorded seven double-doubles, including a double-double of 25 points and 12 rebounds in the win last Saturday over MSU Denver. In RMAC play, Baskin is averaging 15.7 points and 7.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 62 percent from the field.

In addition to Baskin, redshirt junior guard Mac Riniker is second in scoring at 14.2 points per game and is shooting 64 percent from the field, 43 percent from the 3-point line and 70 percent at the free throw line and has reached double figures in 14 games, but has missed the last two games to injury. The other two double-digit scorers are redshirt junior guard/forward Owen Koonce (13.3 ppg) and redshirt junior guard Isaac Jessup (10.2 ppg).   

As a team, Mesa is second in the league in scoring as they are averaging 85.9 points per game and are second in the league in scoring margin at +13.8 points per game. In addition, the Mavericks lead the league and are fifth nationally in assists as they average 19.0 per game and also lead the league in field goal percentage (50.2 percent), rebounds (39.2 per game) and three-pointers per game (11.9).

Defensively, the Mavs lead the league in field goal percentage defense (41.9 percent) and blocks per game (3.9) and is second in the turnovers forced per game (14.5). On the season, they are allowing 72.1 points per game, which is third-best in the league.

The Mavericks are coached by Mike DeGeorge, who is in his sixth season at Colorado Mesa and has posted a 133-41 record at Colorado Mesa and is 328-289 in his 23rd season as a collegiate head coach.

Saturday's game will mark the second of two games this season between the two schools as Mesa earned a hard-fought 94-82 win over the Pack in Grand Junction on Jan. 5. In that game, the Pack led 40-38 at the half, but the Mavericks outscored the Pack, 56-42 in the second half to earn the come-from-behind victory. Saturday's game marks the 72nd all-time in the series as Colorado Mesa holds a 47-24 edge in the series. Mesa is 16-15 in Pueblo and leads 28-8 on its home court. The Mavericks have won seven straight games in the series.

UP NEXT
The Pack will close out the 2023-24 regular season next weekend (March 1-2) with RMAC games at UCCS on Friday, March 1 at 7 p.m. and on Saturday, March 2 in Denver against Regis at 7 p.m. The Pack haven't played UCCS this season, while Regis earned an 81-67 home win over the Pack on Feb. 2.