PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will look to put the brakes on a four-game losing skid this week as they play Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference road games at nationally-ranked Colorado School of Mines and Regis University.
 
CSU Pueblo will open this weekend's action with a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Jan. 16, in Golden, Colo., against 12th-ranked Colorado School of Mines, before concluding its three-game road trip with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 18 in Denver, Colo., against Regis University. This week's two road games will conclude a three-game road trip for the Pack that began with an 82-60 loss last Saturday at UCCS.
 
The ThunderWolves enter this week's action sporting an 8-6 overall record and are sitting in a four-way tie for sixth place in the RMAC standings with a 3-3 league record. After opening league play with a 3-1 record, the Pack have dropped two straight league games as they fell 83-72 at home last Thursday to Colorado Christian and then fell last Saturday at UCCS.
 
The Pack enters this week's action having lost four straight games and five of its last six games overall with the lone win being a 68-58 home win over South Dakota Mines on Dec. 14. The four-game losing skid is the longest for the Pack this season and it came after the Pack opened the 2024-25 season with an 8-2 record.
 
This week's two games mark the seventh and eighth road games this season for the Pack, as they are 2-4 away from home, including being 2-1 on the road in RMAC play. Since suffering an 84-69 loss at Black Hills State last season on Jan. 27, 2024, the Pack has won six of its last seven regular season RMAC road games with the lone loss coming in its previous game at UCCS.
 
ABOUT THE PACK
Through the first 14 games this season, the Pack has three players averaging in double figures as fifth-year senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) leads the way offensively as he is averaging 11.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game and is shooting 38 percent from the field, 29 percent from the 3-point and is seventh in the RMAC in free throw shooting at 84 percent. Walter has made eight straight free throws and 29 of his last 30 free throws. He has scored in double figures in three straight games and a team-leading 10 times on the season and leads the team with 18 made 3-pointers.
 
In addition to Walter, senior forward De'Shaun Cooper (San Diego, Calif./Balboa School) is averaging 11.5 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 65.7 percent from the field, which is third-best in the RMAC and has scored in double figures in nine of the Pack's 14 games and has recorded a team-best three double-doubles, while senior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) is third on the team in scoring as he is averaging 11.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game and is shooting 41 percent from the field, 29 percent from the 3-point line and 79 percent from the free throw line and has scored in double figures in four of his last five games and nine times overall on the season.
 
Three other Pack players are averaging between 7.8 and 6.9 points per game this season as redshirt sophomore guard Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver) is averaging 7.8 points and 4.6 rebounds per game is shooting 37 percent from the field and 30 percent from the 3-point line and is second on the team in made treys with 15, while freshman forward Jake Lafferty (Bruner, Mo./Sparta) is averaging 7.3 points and 4.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 55 percent from the field and 46 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in three games, including tallying a career-high 19 points last Thursday against Colorado Christian and junior forward Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky./Vincennes University) is averaging 6.9 points and 3.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 60.9 percent from the filed and is second in blocked shots with 10.
 
As a team, the Pack, who is coached by sixth-year head coach Matt Hammer, enters this week's action averaging 73.6 points per game but has been held under 70 points in six of its last seven games as they scored 72 points last Thursday at home against Colorado Christian. The Pack has scored over 80 points in five games and is allowing 67.1 points per game, which leads the RMAC and is fourth in the league in scoring margin at +6.5.
 
While being one of the top-scoring defensive teams in the league, the Pack enters this week's action leading the league and is 10th nationally in 3-point field goal percentage defense and is second in the RMAC, and 27th nationally in field goal percentage defense. The Pack's opponents are shooting 28.2 percent (85-for-301) from the 3-point line and those opponents are shooting 40.5 percent (344-for-849) from the field. Seven of the Pack's opponents have shot better than 40 percent from the field, while seven Pack opponents haven't shot better than 25 percent from the 3-point line, but six of their seven opponents have shot better than 26 percent from long distance.
 
One area where the Pack has struggled this season is from the 3-point line as they are 13th out of 15 teams in the league in 3-point field goal percentage as they are shooting 31 percent (78-for-252) from long distance on the season. The Pack is making 5.6 treys per game. In six RMAC games, the Pack is shooting 33.3 percent from the 3-point line and is making 5.7 treys per game. The Pack have had four players make 10 or more treys on the season as Walter leads the way with 18, while Kennis is second with 15, Muldrew is third with 14, and junior guard Kesean Bazile (Victorville, Calif./West Hills Lemoore) is fourth with 11 made treys.
The Pack is one of the top rebounding teams in the league this season coming into this week's action, as they are averaging 37.9 boards per game and is fifth in the league in rebound margin (+3.7). The Pack has collected 40 or more rebounds in a game six times. In addition, the Pack has done a good job taking care of the basketball as they are fourth in the league in fewest turnovers per game as they are averaging 12.1 turnovers per game. The Pack has had 12 of fewer turnovers in a game seven times and in RMAC play, the Pack is averaging 12.0 turnovers per game.
 
ABOUT MINES
Colorado School of Mines comes into Thursday's game with CSU Pueblo as one of the hottest teams in the league as they have won four straight games and 12 of its first 14 games overall. The Orediggers, who are ranked No. 12 in this week's latest NABC D-II Coaches' Poll, is sporting a 12-2 overall record and are one of the two remaining undefeated teams (MSU Denver is the other) in the league with a 6-0 mark. Mines' lone losses this season have come against Lubbock Christian (89-78) in the season opener and against West Liberty (92-87) in Las Vegas before the Christmas holiday break. 
 
The Orediggers are 5-1 at home this season and 7-1 away from home, including a 6-0 mark on opponents' home courts. Since that season-opening home loss to LCU, Mines has won five straight at home and is 2-0 at home in RMAC play. 
 
Mines, who was tabbed as the favorite to win the RMAC title in the Preseason Coaches' Poll, is led offensively by graduate student guard Majok Deng. Deng is averaging 15.7 points and 4.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line, and an RMAC-best 90 percent from the free throw line. Deng has scored in double figures in 10 games and is averaging 17.2 points per game in RMAC play.
 
In addition to Deng, redshirt senior forward Riley Schroeder is averaging 12.1 points per game and is shooting 53 percent from the field, 45 percent from the 3-point line and 80 percent from the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in four straight games and eight times overall on the year.
 
In addition to Deng and Schroeder, sophomore guard Markus Pastorcic-Straun (9.9 ppg), sophomore forward Alex Romack (9.9 ppg), and senior guard/forward Juani Dassie (9.6 ppg) are all averaging just under 10.0 points per game this season.
 
As a team, Mines is second in the RMAC in scoring at 84.3 points per game and leads the league in scoring margin at +16.9 points per game as they are allowing 67.4 points per game. Mines is shooting 49.9 percent from the field and is second in the RMAC in 3-point shooting at 38.7 percent. Mines is making an RMAC-best 10.3 treys per game and leads the league in assists (19.8 per game), rebound margin (+6.5), and bench points per game (40.9).  
 
Mines is coached by Pryor Orser, who is in his 24th season with the Orediggers and has compiled a 457-229 overall record and is 323-155 in RMAC play. Orser is the winningest coach in RMAC history and has led Mines to five regular season RMAC, two RMAC Tournament titles, and 13 NCAA Tournament appearances.
 
Thursday's game marks the first of two meetings between the two schools as the Orediggers will travel to Pueblo for a game on March 1 to conclude the regular season. The Pack leads the all-time series, 36-31, but has lost nine straight games in the series, including suffering an 85-79 loss last season in Massari Arena to the Orediggers. The Pack leads the series, 22-14 in Pueblo, but Mines leads the series, 17-14 in Golden.
 
ABOUT REGIS
Regis, who plays host to UCCS on Thursday before facing the Pack on Saturday, comes into this week's action having lost four of its last five games with the lone win coming last Saturday at Chadron State (76-60). The Rangers are sporting a 6-8 overall record and are currently in a three-way tie for third place in the RMAC standings with a 4-2 record. Regis' losses in league play came at home to Western Colorado (76-75) and at Black Hills State (90-73). Regis opened RMAC play by winning its first three games but has gone 1-2 in its last three RMAC games.  
 
The Rangers are 3-2 at home and 3-6 away from home, but they are 1-1 at home in league play. Since the beginning of last season, Regis has posted a 12-8 record on its home court. 
 
Regis, who was tabbed third in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 160 points and one first-place vote, is led offensively by junior guard Chase Harmon Mayo. Harmon Mayo is averaging 15.0 points per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line, and 85 percent at the free-throw line. He has scored in double figures in five straight games and 12 times overall on the season.
 
In addition to Harmon Mayo, sophomore guard Jalen Brown is averaging 12.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field and 72 percent at the free throw line, while graduate student guard Eddy Egun is averaging 12.3 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 57 percent from the floor, 46 percent from downtown and 79 percent at the free throw line. 
 
As a team, Regis is averaging 72.9 points per game but is allowing 78.1 points per game. The Rangers are shooting 45.7 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line and are fourth in the RMAC in both free throws made per game (15.4) and free throw attempts per game (20.0). In addition, Regis is making 8.4 treys per game, averaging 31.4 boards per game and blocking 2.6 shots per game. Defensively, RU's foes are shooting 47.5 percent from the field and 38.5 percent from the 3-point line.
 
Regis is coached by Brady Bergeson, who is in his 10th season with the Rangers and has compiled a 152-115 overall record and a 221-160 record in 14 years as a collegiate head coach. He led the program to its lone RMAC Tournament title in 2017-18.
 
Saturday's game with Regis marks the lone meeting this season between the two schools as the Pack leads the series, 16-8, including splitting both games last season with each team winning on their opponents' home courts as Regis won 81-67 in Pueblo, while the Pack concluded the 2023-24 regular season with a 77-75 win in Denver. The Rangers have won six of the last 10 games in the series as the Pack holds a 7-4 lead in Pueblo and also leads 9-4 at Regis.
 
UP NEXT
Following this weekend's action, the Pack will return home to begin a four-game homestand in Massari Arena. The Pack will begin the homestand with a 7:30 p.m. game on Thursday, Jan. 23 against Adams State before hosting New Mexico Highlands for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 25.