GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University Men's Basketball Team will continue their road swing to begin the season as they head to Durango this coming weekend to take part in the Skyhawks Hardwood Classic.
The Mavericks are slated to play two more schools from the Lone Star Conference with Lubbock Christian and Western New Mexico. The games slated for a 5 P.M. start on both Friday and Saturday at Whalen Gymnasium.
This is the second year in a row the Mavs will take part in this tournament after going 2-0 in their trip last year when they defeated both Northern New Mexico College and Western New Mexico.
In addition, both teams the Mavs will face in this year's tournament also hail from the South Central Region with these games making for a large impact on potential bids into the postseason.
LAST WEEK'S GAMES
The Mavericks opened the season by going 1-1 at the D2 Conference Challenge in Dallas, Texas this past weekend with this being the fifth year in a row of tournament taking place.
Colorado Mesa took on NABC national poll No. 3 Dallas Baptist and St. Edward's, both schools hail from the South Central Region which is shared by the Lone Star Conference and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.
The Mavs claimed victory in the first game of the season with 78-77 win over No. 3 Dallas Baptist as Ty Allred hit a game-winning buzzer-beat 3-pointer.
Newcomer Cohenj Gonzales scored 20 points in that win and had 15 more in Saturday's 72-62 loss to St. Edward's as well.
Harvey White had 18 points in Friday's win over DBU while Allred had 15 points and eight rebounds.
Mason Honeyman also joined Gonzales with 15 points in Saturday's game against St. Edward's.
Friday's win over DBU was the Mavs' first over a nationally-ranked opponent in second year head coach Mike Dunlap's tenure with the Mavs and the first time Colorado Mesa had defeated DBU since the 2022-23 season.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Through two games of action, the Mavs are averaging 70 points a game while giving up 74.5 points per game in return.
Offensively they are shooting 47.3% from the field which ranks fourth-best in the RMAC while their defense also ranks at that mark with opponents shooting just 39.5% against them.
Nine total blocks have been recorded already to bolster that defense and rank second in the conference.
Individually, Cohenj Gonzales is the team's leading scorer averaging 17.5 points per game to go along with 48% shooting from the field. Joining Gonzales as the team's other leading scorers are Ty Allred (11.5 PPG), Mason Honeyman (11.5 PPG) and Harvey White (10 PPG).
Allred is grabbing six boards a game to lead the rebounding category while Clayton Jewell is adding 5.5. Wes Ball and Gonzales also are grabbing five rebounds per game.
ABOUT LUBBOCK CHRISTIAN
Lubbock Christian is ranked 25th in the NABC Preseason Poll and is off to a 4-0 start this season, including a 63-58 home win over No. 10 Colorado School of Mines this past Friday.
They have competed in two tournaments so far with them taking part in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Classic and the South Central Region Crossover.
In their hosting of the South Central Region Crossover they faced off with both Mines and Regis University from the RMAC with them taking the victory in each game.
As an offense they are averaging 88.5 points per game while limiting opponents to just 62.3. Additionally, they are shooting a staggering 54% from the field and 48.9% from three-point range.
Five different players average over 10 points a game for the team with that group being led by Amondo Miller Jr. who is averaging 23 points a game, second best in the LSC.
Kendall Dow adds 15 points per game for the second-best mark on the team while also shooting 65.2% on three-pointers.
Both the Chaps offense and defense rank in the top three of the conference.
ABOUT WESTERN NEW MEXICO
Western New Mexico is currently 1-1 in this young season while beating New Mexico Highlands before falling to Fort Lewis this past weekend in Portales, New Mexico.
Heading into the Skyhawks Hardwood Classic they will face off with Fort Lewis again for back-to-back games before taking on the Mavs.
In last year's matchup against the Mavs, Colorado Mesa took home the win as they claimed a 76-73 victory.
This season the Mustangs are averaging 76 points per game while holding opponents to just 70 points, the sixth best mark in the conference.
Through just two games they have totaled 36 turnovers but make up for it by their ability to block shots with 11 already.
Carson Kelly is averaging 15 points per game to lead the team while three others are averaging in double digits as well.
Isaiah Broady is grabbing 8.5 rebounds per game to lead the team while tying for third most in the conference.
HOW TO WATCH
Streaming will occur via the RMAC Network through their pay per view plan with live stats available online to follow along with.
UP NEXT
Returning home after a four-game stretch to start the season, Colorado Mesa will host the Maverick Thanksgiving Classic on Nov. 28 and 29 while welcoming the schools of Texas A&M International, MSU Billings and Western Colorado to Brownson Arena. The Mavs will take on both Texas A&M Int'l and MSU Billings that weekend with both games being set for 7 P.M.
COLORADO MESA TURNS 100
The CMU Century Celebration stands as the cornerstone of Colorado Mesa University's year-long centennial celebration. This ambitious initiative unites our community in honoring a rich heritage while boldly envisioning the next hundred years of academic excellence.
Led by the Steering Committee and six specialized sub-committees, we're orchestrating a transformative experience that will resonate through generations. Each committee brings unique expertise to create an unforgettable commemoration of our past, present and future.
To learn more about Colorado Mesa's 100-year celebration, visit cmucentury.com
