GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa men's basketball team will head up the road to Gunnison, Colo. for the Comfort Inn Classic this weekend. The Mavericks will enter the Classic with a 1-1 record after defeating No. 21 Dallas Baptist and falling to St. Edward's in Austin, Texas.
 
RMAC OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Senior swingman Connor Nichols earned the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week award after averaging 28 points and 8.5 rebounds per game during the opening weekend.
 
Nichols scored a career-high 32 points in the Mavericks loss to St. Edward's last Saturday. The Scottsdale native was 10-for-16 from the field, 2-for-2 from three-point range and a perfect 10-for-10 from the free-throw line.
 
EFFICIENT SCORING
Colorado Mesa leads the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in field goal percentage after the opening weekend. The Mavericks are shooting at a 59.8 percent clip from the field and also have an RMAC leading 62.1 percentage from beyond the three-point line.
 
Connor Nichols ranks third in the RMAC with a 60 percent field goal percentage.
 
SCOUTING TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE
The Lions come into the weekend with a 3-0 record after defeating Oklahoma Christian (89-82), Newman (76-56) and Our Lady of the Lake (111-64). This weekend is one of two of back to back against RMAC schools as they will take on Regis and MSU Denver next weekend.
 
Commerce has five players that average double-digits after three games. Willie Rooks leads the contingent at 14.7 points per game while teammate Tyree Robinson averages 13 points and a team-high 8.3 rebounds per night.
 
Colorado Mesa took the one matchup in the series back in 2015 at the Holiday Inn Airport Thanksgiving Classic.
 
Previous Results
Nov. 28, 2015: @ Colorado Mesa 85, Texas A&M-Commerce 76
 
SCOUTING NORTHERN NEW MEXICO
The Eagles enter the weekend with a 3-3 record after opening the season with wins over University of the Southwest and Ottawa at the Ohkay Owingeh Classic in Espanola.
 
Makye Richards leads the team in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game while teammate Naquan Solomon averages 16.7 point and 6.5 boards per night.
 
The Mavericks are 2-0 all-time against the Eagles with the last meeting coming in 2014 at a tournament UCCS hosted.
 
Previous Results
Nov. 22, 2014: Colorado Mesa 80, Northern New Mexico 78 (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Nov. 23, 2012: @ Colorado Mesa 84, Northern New Mexico 51
 
WHAT'S NEXT
The Mavericks will host the annual Holiday Inn Airport Thanksgiving Classic in Brownson Arena. Colorado Mesa will take on a pair of NAIA foes in last season's NAIA National Champion Graceland from Lamoni, Iowa and Fisher College from Boston, Mass.