PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will look to snap a two-game losing streak and remain in the hunt for postseason play this week as the ThunderWolves hit the road for three Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games in a span of six days.  
 
The Pack's road swing will begin on Thursday, Feb. 6 with a 7 p.m. game in Spearfish, S.D., against Black Hills State (11-9 overall, 7-5 RMAC), before traveling to Chadron, Neb., for a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Feb. 8 at Chadron State (10-10 overall, 6-6 RMAC) and concludes the road swing with an 8 p.m. game on Tuesday, Feb. 11 at Colorado Christian (8-12 overall, 4-8 RMAC).

CSU Pueblo enters this week's action having lost two straight games and eight of its last 10 games overall after suffering back-to-back home losses last weekend to Colorado Mesa (64-61) and Westminster (72-66). The Pack is sporting a 10-10 overall record and is tied with Westminster for ninth place in the RMAC standings with a 5-7 league mark. The top eight teams in the league standings at the end of the regular season earn a spot in the RMAC Tournament. The Pack is currently just one game out of eighth place in the league and two games out of sixth place in the standings.
 
This week's two games mark the ninth and 10th road games this season for the Pack as they are sporting a 2-6 record on the road, including being 2-3 on the road in RMAC play. After opening the season by winning its first two RMAC road games, the Pack has dropped three straight league games on the road as they fell at UCCS (82-60) on Jan. 11, at then 12th-ranked Mines (96-75) and Regis (92-59). Since the beginning of last season, the Pack has posted an 8-14 record, including an 8-8 mark in road RMAC games, and closed the regular season last season winning its final four road games.  
 
ABOUT THE PACK
Through 20 games this season, the Pack has three players averaging in double figures with senior guard Armon Muldrew (Perris, Calif./San Bernardino Valley) leading the way as he is averaging 12.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and a team-best 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting 43 percent from the field, 32 percent from the 3-point line, and 74 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in four straight games and 13 times overall and is second on the team in made treys with 24. In RMAC play. Muldrew is averaging 12.6 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 3.3 assists per game and is shooting 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line.
 
In addition to Muldrew, fifth-year senior guard Brevin Walter (Las Vegas, Nev./South Dakota Mines) is the second double-digit scorer as he is averaging 11.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game, and is shooting 37 percent from the field, 28 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent at the free throw line, which is 10th in the RMAC and has scored in double figures in 14 games and has hit a team-leading 25 treys. Walter enters this week's action as the No. 4 active scorer in Division II with 1,929 points and is one of 36 active NCAA men's basketball players that have 1,900 or more points.
 
The third double-digit scorer is senior forward De'Shaun Cooper (San Diego, Calf./Balboa School) is averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 6.1 rebounds per game and is shooting 64.9 percent from the field and has scored in double figures in six of his last seven games and 14 times in 20 games and has recorded a team-best three double-doubles. Cooper enters this week's action needing just six points to become the 28th member of the school's 1,000-Point Club as he has scored 994 points and is tied for 12th among active Division II players with a 61.4 career field goal percentage.
 
Two other Pack players are averaging 7.0 points per game coming into action this week as one of those players is junior guard Denim Johnson (Omaha, Neb./Trinity Valley CC), who along with averaging 7.0 points per game, is also averaging 3.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game and is shooting 54 percent from the field and is tied for second in the blocked shots with 13 and has scored in double figures in three of his last games and four times overall on the year, while junior forward Victor Lado (Louisville, Ky./Vincennes University) is also averaging 7.0 points, 3.3 rebounds and 0.8 blocks per game and is shooting 58 percent from the field and 33 percent from the 3-point line and has blocked a team-leading 15 shots. Lado has scored in double figures in four of his last six games and seven times overall on the season.
 
As a team, the Pack, who is coached by sixth-year head coach Matt Hammer, enters this week's action averaging 72.6 points per game but has been held under 70 points in 10 of its last 13 games as they scored 92 points two weeks ago against Adams State while scoring 75 points three weeks ago at Mines and tallying 72 points at home against Colorado Christian nearly a month ago. In 12 RMAC games, the Pack is averaging 68.8 points per game. On defense, the Pack is allowing 70.7 points per game, which is sixth in the RMAC and is seventh in the league in scoring margin at +1.9.

The enters this week's action sitting second in the league and tied for 19th in Division II in three-point field goal percentage defense. The Pack's opponents are shooting 30 percent (126-for-420) from the 3-point line and those opponents are shooting 42.4 percent (I512-for-1,208) from the field. Eleven of the Pack's 20 opponents have shot better than 40 percent from the field, while nine of the Pack's 20 opponents haven't shot better than 28 percent from the 3-point line, but six of its last 10 opponents have shot better than 30 percent or better from downtown.
 
One of the areas the Pack has struggled with this season is shooting the 3-point shot as the Pack are shooting an RMAC-worst 30 percent (108-for-360) from long distance and are making an RMAC-worst 5.4 treys per game. In RMAC play, the Pack are shooting 30.5 percent from the 3-point line and are averaging 5.3 made treys per game. Last season, the Pack was one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the league as they shot 37.1 percent from long distance, which was third-best in the RMAC. The Pack averaged 8.3 made treys per game last season.
 
Despite its recent struggles, the Pack are third in the league in rebounding as they are averaging 36.2 rebounds per game and are eighth in the league in rebound margin (+1.9 boards per game) and they have collected 40 or more boards in a game seven times and are third in the league in assists per game as the Pack is averaging 15.4 assists per game and has assisted on 58.1 percent of its made field goals as the Pack has dished out 308 assists on 530 made baskets and has recorded 10 or more assists in a game 15 times, including two straight games with 20-plus assists.
 
ABOUT BLACK HILLS STATE
Black Hills State, which made back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II Final Four in 2021-22 and 2022-23, enters Thursday's action having lost three of its last five games, sporting an 11-9 overall record and tying for fifth in the league standings with a 7-5 record. Since a four-game winning streak that lasted from December to early January, the Yellow Jackets have achieved a 3-4 record, including splitting games last week with a 90-77 loss at Chadron State and a 65-44 home win over South Dakota Mines. BHSU has recorded an 83-36 overall record since the 2021-22 season.
 
The Yellow Jackets have a 5-5 home record this season, including a 4-2 mark in RMAC play. BHSU has won two consecutive home games leading into this week's contests. Additionally, BHSU is 6-4 on the road this season.
 
BHSU, who was projected to finish fourth in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll with 157 points, features four players averaging in double figures. Senior guard Caelin Hearne leads with an average of 15.2 points per game, shooting 47 percent from the field, 40 percent from beyond the arc, and 71 percent from the charity stripe, scoring in double figures in 17 games.
 
Alongside Hearne, redshirt freshman guard Cam Lowe, a transfer from Colorado State, averages 15.0 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, shooting 51 percent from the field, 39 percent from the 3-point line, and 83 percent from the free throw line, reaching double figures in 14 games and recording five double-doubles.
 
Redshirt sophomore Jaeton Hackley averages 11.1 points and 3.1 assists per game, having scored in double figures for three consecutive games, while former CSU Pueblo redshirt junior guard Tristan Hurdle contributes 10.3 points per game, shooting 48 percent from the field and leading the RMAC in 3-point field goal percentage at 47.8 percent.
 
As a team, BHSU averages 77.1 points per game while allowing 69.3 points. The 'Jackets are shooting 49 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line, and 74 percent at the free throw line. They rank third in the RMAC in three-point shots per game (9.0) and third in blocked shots per game (3.6). Defensively, BHSU leads the RMAC in field goal defense at 41.2 percent.
 
BHSU is coached by Ryan Thompson, who is in his seventh season with the 'Jackets. He has compiled a 132-63 overall record and has earned two RMAC Coach of the Year accolades and led the 'Jackets to back-to-back Final Four appearances.
 
Thursday's game with Black Hills State marks the only meeting this season between the two schools. BHSU holds an 11-8 edge in the all-time series and the Yellow Jackets have won two straight games in the series and eight of the last 10 games overall. The Pack leads 5-4 in the series in Spearfish, while BHSU leads the series, 7-3, on the Pack's home court.
 
ABOUT CHADRON STATE
Chadron State, who hosts Colorado Christian on Thursday before welcoming the Pack on Saturday, comes into this week's action sporting a 10-10 overall and is tied for seventh in the league standings with a 6-6 record. The Eagles have won three of its last four games with the lone loss being a 53-47 loss last Tuesday at South Dakota Mines. The Eagles started a new win streak with a 90-77 home win last Thursday over Black Hills State.
 
The Eagles have been strong at home this season as they are sporting a 6-3 record, including a 4-2 mark at home in RMAC play. CSC has won three straight games at home since suffering a 76-70 loss to Regis on Jan. 11. CSC is 4-7 on the road this season.
 
Chadron State, who was tabbed to finish last in the Preseason RMAC Coaches Poll as they earned 32 points from the league's head coaches, has five players averaging in double figures as senior guard Zy Wright leads the way as he is averaging 13.3 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 43 percent from the field, 37 percent from the 3-point line and 79 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in seven straight games and 12 times overall on the season. In the earlier meeting this season against the Pack, Wright scored 24 points and added eight rebounds and was 10-for-10 from the free throw line.
 
In addition to Wright, graduate student guard Jalen Thomas is averaging 11.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free throw line, while senior guard Trey Ballard is averaging 10.8 points per game and is shooting 45 percent from the field, 36 percent from downtown and 89 percent at the free throw line.
 
Senior forward Julius Phipps (10.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg) and junior forward Darrius Miles (10.1 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 0.8 bpg) are the other two double-digit scorers. Phipps scored 17 points off the bench in this year's first meeting with the Pack.
 
As a team, Chadron State is averaging 75.3 points and allowing 72.6 points per game. The Eagles are shooting 46 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line and is second in the RMAC in free throw shooting at 76.6 percent. CSC leads the league in rebounding at 36.7 and is averaging 2.6 blocks per game and is averaging 12.6 assists per game. Defensively, CSC is second in the RMAC in field goal defense (41.9 percent) and leads the RMAC in 3-point field goal percentage defense at 29.7 percent.
 
The Eagles are coached by Chris Francis, who is in his first season at Chadron State. Francis came to CSC after spending nine years as the head coach at University of Sciences and Arts of Oklahoma. In his time at USAO, Francis compiled a 176-94 record and led the program to five NAIA National Tournament appearances, including an NAIA Elite Eight berth in 2020.
 
Saturday's game with Chadron State marks the second of two meetings this season between the two schools as Chadron State picked up a 66-62 win in Massari Arena on Dec. 12. Saturday's game marks the 29th all-time meeting between the two schools with CSU Pueblo holding a slight 16-12 edge in the series. The Pack leads the series, 9-4 at home, while Chadron State leads 8-7 on its home court. The Eagles have won eight of the last 10 games in the series, but the Pack picked up an 80-75 win last season at Chadron on Feb. 17.
 
UP NEXT
Following this week's road games at Black Hills State and Chadron State, the Pack will remain on the road for an 8 p.m. game on Tuesday, Feb. 11 in Lakewood, Colo., against Colorado Christian and then returns home for a 7:30 p.m. game in Massari Arena on Thursday, Feb. 13 against UCCS.