PUEBLO, Colo. – The Colorado State University Pueblo men's basketball team will look to start a new win streak this week as the ThunderWolves conclude a four-game road trip to close the month of January with Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference contests at Colorado Mesa and Westminster.
CSU Pueblo will open the week on Thursday, Jan. 29, with a 7:30 p.m. game in Grand Junction, Colo., against Colorado Mesa, before concluding the road trip with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday, Jan. 31, in Salt Lake City, Utah, against Westminster. This week's games are the eighth and ninth in the New Year for the Pack as they are sporting a 6-1 record in 2026.
The ThunderWolves enter the week sporting a 13-5 overall record and are sitting in a three-way tie for third place with Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines in the RMAC standings with a 7-3 record after splitting road games last week at Adams State and New Mexico Highlands. The Pack earned a 73-65 win at Adams State last Thursday before suffering an 82-76 loss last Saturday at New Mexico Highlands. The loss at New Mexico Highlands snapped the Pack's season-high six-game win streak. The Pack enters this week's action having won seven of its last 10 games overall and six of its last eight league contests heading into the second half of the conference schedule this week.
This week's two games will mark the ninth and 10th road games for the Pack and their fourth and fifth road games in the 2026 calendar year as the Pack is 5-3 on the road, including being 3-2 on the road in RMAC play with the road wins coming at Chadron State (89-74), UCCS (82-73) and Adams State (73-65) and the losses coming in overtime at South Dakota Mines (84-77) and at New Mexico Highlands last time out.
ABOUT THE PACK
CSU Pueblo continues to be one of the top defense teams in Division II men's basketball as the Pack enters this week's action leading the RMAC in scoring defense (64.3 points per game), field goal percentage defense (40 percent), and 3-point field goal percentage defense (28.9 percent). On the season, the Pack has held 12 of its 18 opponents under 70 points. Along with leading the RMAC in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, and 3-point field goal defense, the Pack ranks 15th, 21
st, and 21st nationally, respectively, in Division II in those three categories. Since the start of the 2019-20 season, the Pack is 21-2 when holding opponents under 60 points, including a perfect 6-0 mark this season.
Additionally, the ThunderWolves, coached by first-year head coach
Zach Ruebesam, are sixth in the league in rebounding as they are averaging 36.8 boards per game, are third in the league in rebound margin at +4.8, and are second in the league in scoring margin at +9.7.
Offensively, the Pack is averaging 74 points per game and is shooting 44.8 percent from the field, 36.5 percent from the 3-point line, which is third in the RMAC, and the Pack is coming off a season-high 16 treys in last Saturday's game at New Mexico Highlands, and is shooting at 70.9 percent at the free throw line. Additionally, the Pack is fourth in the league in assists per game (16.1), fifth in steals per game (7.3), and third in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.29). Senior guard
Sam Howery (Colorado Springs, Colo./St. Mary's) and sophomore guard
Mac Terry (Castle Pines, Colo./South Dakota Mines) are first and second, respectively in the RMAC and fourth and fifth, respectively, in Division II in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.60 and 3.42. Howery has 54 assists and 15 turnovers this season, while Terry leads the team in assists with 65 and has had 19 turnovers.
Along with leading the league in scoring defense, field goal percentage defense, and 3-point field goal percentage defense, the Pack is also among the league leaders in both turnovers forced per game and turnover margin. The Pack is seventh in the RMAC in turnovers forced per game (13.0) and fourth in turnover margin (+0.6) as the Pack is committing just 12.4 turnovers per game as a team. In RMAC play, the Pack is averaging 10.7 turnovers per game and has a +1.5 turnover margin as their 10 league foes have averaged 12.2 turnovers per game.
The Pack offense is led by sophomore guard/forward
Jordan Blair (Keller, Texas/Keller Central) and redshirt junior guard
Jaden Kennis (Windsor, Colo./MSU Denver), who are each averaging in double figures on the season. Blair leads the team in both scoring (14.3) and rebounding (6.7), and is shooting 46.6 percent from the field and 41.5 percent from the three-point line, and has scored in double figures in seven straight games and 15 times overall on the season, while Kennis is averaging 12.3 points and 5.6 rebounds per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 33.9 percent from the 3-point line and 82.4 percent at the free throw line and has scored in double figures in 12 games and leads the team in made free throws with 61.
Junior guard
Dylan Sanders (Aurora, Colo./Pearl River CC) is averaging just under double figures this season as he enters this week's action, averaging 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game and is shooting 42 percent from the field, 36 percent from the 3-point line and a team-best 83.3 percent from the free throw line and has tallied double digits in scoring in eight games and is averaging 10.4 points and 3.7 rebounds per game in RMAC play and is shooting 46 percent from the field, 41 percent from downtown and 81 percent at the free throw line.
ABOUT COLORADO MESA
Colorado Mesa comes into this week's action having won three of its last four games and six of its last eight games overall as the Mavericks are sporting an 11-7 overall record and are tied for third in the RMAC standings with a 7-3 mark. Since the beginning of the New Year, CMU is 5-2 with the losses coming in overtime at Adams State (102-98) and at home last Thursday to then 21st-ranked Black Hills State (85-63). That loss to BHSU snapped the Mavs' five-game home-court win streak. In addition to BHSU and ASU, the Mavs' other RMAC loss came at UCCS (92-80) on Dec. 4.
Thursday's game will mark the eighth home game this season for the Mavericks, and CMU has been strong at home the past two-plus seasons as they have posted a 29-7 record at home, including being 6-1 at home this season and 4-1 at home in RMAC play.
Colorado Mesa, who was tabbed to finish third in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 158 points and a first place vote, has five players averaging in double figures with redshirt senior forward Ty Allred leading the way was he is averaging 17.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field, 38 percent from the 3-point line and 82 percent at the free throw line. Allred, who has earned three RMAC Player of the Week honors, has scored in double figures in 17 games and has tallied six double-doubles.
In addition to Allred, junior forward Clayton Jewell is averaging 11.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks per game and is shooting 54 percent from the field and 83 percent at the line, and has tallied double figures in scoring 11 times, including four double-doubles in his last five games.
The other double-digit scorers for the Mavs are junior guard Cohenj Gonzales (11.1 ppg, 2.6 apg, 38.7 3-Pt. FG pct.), sophomore guard Mason Honeyman (10.7 ppg, 2,3 rpg, 80.5 FT pct.), and sophomore guard Harvey White (10.1 ppg, 2.9 apg, 48.6 FG pct.).
As a team, CMU is averaging 77.6 points per game and is shooting 48 percent from the field, 35 percent from the 3-point line, and an RMAC-best 81.1 percent from the free throw line. Defensively, CMU is fourth in the league in scoring defense, as they are allowing 74.0 points per game and are fourth in the league in blocks per game (3.6) and lead the RMAC in rebound margin (+7.7). CMU's opponents are shooting 42 percent from the field and 36 percent from the 3-point line.
CMU is coached by Mike Dunlap, who is in his second season with the Mavs and his 23rd season overall as a collegiate head coach, including spending nine seasons at MSU Denver where he won D-II National titles in 2000 and 2002 with the Roadrunners. He has compiled a 30-17 record at Mesa and is 452-259 in his collegiate coaching career.
Thursday's game with Colorado Mesa marks the only meeting this season between the two teams. Colorado Mesa holds a 54-36 all-time lead in the series, and the Mavericks have won nine straight games in the series since the Pack picked up an 82-69 win over the Mavericks in Massari Arena on Feb. 23, 2018. The series is tied 21-21 in Pueblo, while CMU holds a 32-15 lead in Grand Junction. Last season, the Mavs earned a 64-61 win in Pueblo at Massari Arena.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER
Westminster, who hosts Colorado Christian on Thursday before welcoming the Pack on Saturday, comes into this week's action having lost two straight and eight of its last nine games overall with the lone victory being a 79-62 home win over Western Colorado on Jan. 17. The Griffins are sporting a 7-11 overall record and are 2-8 in the league. Since starting the season with a 6-3 record, the Griffins are 1-8 in their last nine games, with one of those losses being an 87-77 overtime loss at Fort Lewis on Jan. 10.
Saturday's home game against the Pack marks the Griffins 13th home game this season as Westminster enters this week's action having played 11 games at home this season and is 6-5 on its homecourt, including a 2-3 home mark in RMAC play.
Westminster, who was tabbed to finish 10th in the Preseason RMAC Coaches' Poll as they earned 80 points in the poll, has three players averaging in double figures as junior guard Colin Hayes leads the way as he is averaging 12.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and is shooting 50 percent from the field and 52 percent from the 3-point line and has scored in double figures in nine games.
In addition to Hayes, graduate student forward Michael Frazier is averaging 11.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 47 percent from the field and has tallied three double-doubles, while graduate student guard Cole Kadoguchi is averaging 10.7 points per game and is shooting 42 percent from both the field and 3-point line and 81 percent from the free throw line. He has scored in double figures in nine games and is averaging 2.7 made treys per game.
As a team, Westminster is averaging 80.1 points per game and is allowing 73.3 points per game, which is third-best in the league. Westminster is shooting 46 percent from the field and 36.9 percent from the 3-point line and leads the RMAC in rebounding at 39.2 boards per game and is third in the RMAC in treys per game (9.2). WU's foes are shooting 42 percent from the field and 35 percent from the 3-point line.
The Griffins are coached by Norm Parrish, who is in his 11th season at Westminster and has compiled a 139-143 overall record with the Griffins.
Saturday's game with Westminster marks the second of two meetings this season between the two schools as the Pack holds a 17-10 edge in the series after opening its 2025-26 RMAC at home on Dec. 4 with a 65-56 win over the Griffins. The Pack has won four of the last five games in the series and is 6-4 in the last 10 games against the Griffins. The Pack split last year's match-up as the Pack won 72-62 at Westminster and fell 72-66 at home to the Griffins.
UP NEXT
Following this week's games at Colorado Mesa and Westminster, the Pack will return home for three straight games in Massari Arena beginning on Thursday, Feb. 5, against 19th-ranked ranked Black Hills State at 7:30 p.m., and then on Saturday, Feb. 7 at 3 p.m. against Chadron State, before concluding the home stand on Tuesday, Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. against UCCS. The Pack collected an 89-74 win at Chadron State on Dec. 11 and earned an 82-73 win at UCCS on Jan. 8.
