WEEK IN REVIEW
The Mavericks entered the annual Holiday Inn Airport Thanksgiving Classic 0-4 for the first time in 12 seasons but had reason for hope as they hadnt played at home yet where the Mavericks have won over 80 percent of their games since head coach Taylor Wagner arrived on campus.

The Mavericks opened the Thanksgiving Classic with Northern Sun foe Wayne State. Colorado Mesa led by as many as 24 points in the contest but their youth showed in the end and wound up falling to the Wildcats 62-59.

In their final game, they played conference for Fort Lewis in a non-conference matchup. Four Mavericks scored in double figures as they came away with their first win of the season 78-61.

WALKING DOUBLE DOUBLE
Freshman forward Olivia Reed has had a terrific start to her career and has proven she is a threat to record a double double night in and night out.

The Windsor, Colo. native averages 11.8 points and 10.8 rebounds to lead the team in both categories. If those stats hold throughout the season, Reed would become the first Maverick since Rosa Masler in 2003 to finish the season averaging over 10 rebounds per game.

Reed recorded a season-high 15 points in two games (NW Missouri State and Fort Lewis) and pulled down a season-high 18 rebounds against NW Missouri State.

She is currently tops in the conference in total rebounds (65) and ranks No. 11 in all of NCAA Division II in the category. Reed is also No. 11 in the country in double doubles with three.

GETTING SETTLED IN
Junior transfer Laura Gutierrez is starting to settle in to her role with the Mavericks after moving over from Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference foe Adams State. She is beginning to provide some of the veteran leadership with a team full of first and second year collegiate players. She is the second oldest on the team in terms of years of service as a redshirt junior with only redshirt senior Monica Brooks older on the squad.

While she started off somewhat slow, she has begun to turn it on and become a contributor off the bench for the team. She has three double figure scoring games including an 18 point effort in the win over Fort Lewis. While her field goal percentages were not great, she was 7-for-8 from the free-throw line and made three three-point baskets.

STAY STEADY SENIOR
Senior Monica Brooks has continued to give the Mavericks steady minutes in the starter role for the team. Brooks is averaging 11.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. She is also second on the team with 15 assists.

During the matchup with Wayne State, Brooks pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds and handed out six assists which tied her career-high.

QUALITY POSSESSIONS
One of the things that has plagued the Mavericks this season has been the turnovers. Those numbers continue to improve as the season progresses.

The Mavericks are sixth in the conference in turnovers per game at 16.8 and is on the verge of entering the three in the conference in the category as they are just 0.4 turnovers out.

In the win over Fort Lewis on Sunday, the Mavericks committed a season-low 10 turnovers. Colorado Mesa's opponents this weekend average 12.8 (Mines) and 19.2 (MSU Denver) turnovers per game.

STRONG SECOND HALF
One of the Mavericks keys to success moving forward will be to close out games in the second half. They have had strong starts in each game this season but have failed to close games out.

Colorado Mesa has outscored their opponents 205-193 but have been outscored in the second half 224-156.

ONE AND OUT
Despite the Mavericks struggles this season, the team is one of the top rebounding defense teams in the conference. They are allowing an average of 30.7 rebounds per game which is tops in the conference. For that, they are limiting teams to just one possession during each trip, limiting their opponents second chance point opportunities.

STRENGTH OF SCHEDULE
For the third time in four weeks, the Mavericks will be facing an opponent whom is ranked in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) national poll. This week their ranked opponent is No. 10 Colorado School of Mines.

Previously, Colorado Mesa has played then No. 6 West Texas A&M who is now 6-0 and ranked No. 3 in the country while Fort Hays State entered the season ranked No. 3 in the poll but fell to West Texas A&M and now No. 6 Minnesota State.

Wayne State and Northwest Missouri State are 4-1 on the season.

Collectively, their opponents in the non-conference portion of the schedule are 24-11.

RMAC PRESEASON POLL
Colorado Mesa was picked to finish fifth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference as voted on by the coaches. The Mavericks are coming off a year where they made the the NCAA South Central Region Tournament for the sixth time during his tenure.

Colorado School of Mines was picked to win the conference garnering 183 points and eight first place votes. RMAC coaches seemed to be mixed on what they think. Five schools received at least one first place vote which included Mines, second place CSU Pueblo, third place Black Hills State, fourth place MSU Denver, and the Mavericks.

THE LONE SENIOR
With the large group of COVID players exiting a year ago, Colorado Mesa has just one senior on their roster this season. In fact, they have just one junior on the roster as well.

Redshirt senior Monica Brooks is the lone senior on the roster and one of three Mavericks that has starting experience on the team as she entered the season with 19 career starts and has a record of 13-6 in those starts when she started the season.

THE STAFF
Joining head coach Taylor Wagner on his staff is long time assistant Hannah Pollart. The Colorado Mesa grad has been the Mavericks assistant coach since May of 2016 after a short stop at Northeastern Junior College. She was responsible for on and off campus recruiting, conditioning, weight training, player development, and scouting reports.

With Colorado Mesa, she coaches the posts, assists with recruiting, develops scouting reports, and coordinates travel among other duties taht assist in the development of the program.

As a player, she starred at Colorado Mesa for one season and helped lead the Mavericks to the NCAA South Central Region Championship game. During her senior season, she averaged 7.2 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.