GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. – The Colorado Mesa University men's basketball team face another short turnaround this week as they look to solidify on their chances for a conference title when they take on Westminster University and Western Colorado.
Coming into this week the Mavericks are tied for first place in the conference standings with Black Hills State and have just four games remaining in the regular season.
The Mavs will play to a different schedule this week with them hitting the hardwood Tuesday at Westminster at 7:30 p.m. before then hosting Western Colorado at home on Saturday at 3 p.m.
This will be the second time that the Mavs face off with both schools this season and the second time also that they have a Tuesday game against an RMAC opponent.
Saturday's game against the Mountaineers will be CMU's senior day as well with them honoring the team's lone senior in Ty Allred that afternoon in pregame ceremonies prior to the 3 p.m. tip off.
LAST TIME OUT
The Mavericks extended their winning streak to seven games this past weekend with home wins over Fort Lewis and New Mexico Highlands.
They continue their dominance at home and are now 10-1 at home this season and have the longest current winning streak in the league.
The Mavs matched a school-record by hitting 18 3-pointers in Thursday's 100-76 win over Fort Lewis, which forged a 3-way tie in the RMAC standings at the time.
The Mavs reached the 100-point mark for the time since Feb. 16, 2024 when they scored 105 on Feb. 27, 2024 at Westminster.
They also reached triple digits at home for the first time since Jan. 25, 2022 (101 vs. Colorado Christian)
Ty Allred had 25 points and a career-high six assists as the Mavs dished out 25 assists while shooting 61.1 percent (33-54) from the field.
Ben Henderson scored a season-high 23 on 7-for 11 shooting in that game as well.
In Saturday's 85-80 win over New Mexico Highlands, Clayton Jewell had a season-high 22 points and 12 rebounds to record his sixth double-double of the season.
Harvey White also added 18 points while Wes Ball and Jaylen Pitman both had 16.
Pitman's total was a career-high and his third straight double-figure effort.
With the win on Thursday against Fort Lewis the Mavs clinched a spot into the RMAC Tournament as well.
It is also worth noting that Ty Allred now has 986 career points and will enter Tuesday night's game in his home state (Utah) at Westminster just 14 away from the 1,000 point milestone.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Continually improving on multiple statistical categories due to their recent success, CMU is now scoring 79.8 points per game this season while owning a top five defense as they limit opponents to 74.0 points per game. Their 5.8 margin ranks in the top five of the conference with them holding opponents to 70 points or less in a game 10 times this season.
Just five teams in the RMAC are holding opponents to under 75 points per game with Colorado Mesa being one of them and allowing the third fewest points of any team in the league.
From the field the Mavs are shooting 49.1 percent with a 39.5 percent mark from three-point range and 81.8 percent from the free throw line. All three rank either first or second in the conference and in the top 25 of the nation.
In addition, they continue lead the RMAC and rank first nationally now with their season-long free throw percentage as they are the only team in the conference to own a free throw percentage above 80 percent.
On the rebounding side, CMU is grabbing 36.5 boards per game and holding opponents to 30.3. They rank sixth in team rebounds and second in the opponent rebounds.
Their 6.2 rebounding margin ranks third in the RMAC as well while also being top-30 in the nation.
On the individual side, Ty Allred leads the team scoring 18.2 points per game while adding 7.7 rebounds per game. He has scored in double figures in every game but three this season.
In addition, Allred ranks in the top five of the RMAC in both rebounding and scoring per game.
Clayton Jewell, Cohenj Gonzales and Harvey White serve as the team's other top offensive scorers with Jewell averaging 11.5 points and Gonzales and White sitting at around 11 points.
Jewell and Allred both have six double doubles this season to tie for the team lead.
In total ten different Mavs have recorded double figure scoring performances this season with six of them having at least one 20-point performance as well. Allred has the two lone 30-point performances.
Beyond Allred's rebounding efforts both Jewell and Wes Ball have been other players to grab significant boards this season with Jewell averaging 7.2 and Ball averaging 4.6. Jewell ranks fifth in the RMAC with that mark as the Mavs have two of the conference's top rebounders.
Jewell and Allred also rank in the top 10 of the conference in blocks. Jewell leads the team with 30 total this season to average 1.3 per game. Allred adds 28 for 1.2 per game.
Harvey White serves as the team's assists leader with 82 total to average 3.4 per game and rank in the top 10 of the RMAC. He also ranks in the top five for assist to turnover ratio.
COACH'S CORNER
Head Coach Mike Dunlap enters his second season leading the Mavs this year after going 19-10 in his debut season in 2024-25.
In his first year with the program, Dunlap had three players named to All-RMAC including returner Ty Allred, who was named to the First Team.
Allred and Harvey White were also named to the 2025-26 Preseason All-RMAC team after both playing being key contributors in Dunlap's inaugural year with the Mavs.
Despite being new to CMU, Dunlap is no stranger to the RMAC as he is currently a member of the conference's hall of fame with him having coached at MSU Denver for nine years and collecting two national championships.
He is a two-time NABC Division II National Coach of the Year.
2025-26 marks Dunlap's 45th season in the coaching ranks with him coaching all the way from Division III to serving as an NBA Head Coach of the Charlotte Bobcats (now known as the Hornets).
Dunlap is joined by assistants, Skyler Burgess and Eli Scott, with this being Burgess' second season as a part of the staff and as the head assistant. Scott enters his first season with the team and was hired prior to the start of the year. He reunites with Dunlap after having previously played for him at Loyola Marymount University.
IN THE POLLS
The Mavs were picked to finish third in this year's RMAC Preseason Poll with them being voted as a top-3 conference team after finishing third in 2024-25.
They earned one first place vote in the voting with them garnishing a total of 158 points. Black Hills State University was picked to win the conference with 183 points while Colorado School of Mines was tabbed second with just nine more points than the Mavs at 167.
The Mavs move up two spots from the previous year's Preseason Poll where they were picked to finish fifth.
In addition to being selected third in the conference, the Mavs also began the year receiving votes in the National American Basketball Coaches Association Preseason Poll.
CMU has faced off with three team's ranked in the NABC poll as well, taking down #3 Dallas Baptist University and falling to #25 Lubbock Christian and #21 Black Hills State.
They have also defeated Colorado School of Mines who began the season as the #10 ranked team nationally.
ABOUT WESTMINSTER
The Griffins come into this week owing a 10-14 record overall while sitting at 5-11 in the RMAC.
They currently sit in 13th place of the conference standings with them three games back of eighth place.
This past week they went 1-1 in their games played with them falling to New Mexico Highlands before beating Adams State University.
The last time they faced off with Colorado Mesa was on Jan. 17 in Grand Junction with the Mavs collecting a 79-62 victory. The Mavs have won the last six matchups between the two schools with them owning an all-time record of 15-9.
As an offense the Griffins are averaging 80.8 points per game this season while allowing 74.5 points per game to opponents. They rank in the top five of the conference with both of those marks.
Michael Frazier and Colin Hayes tie for the team's leading scorers with both of them sitting at 12.8 points per game. Cole Kadoguchi is the only other player to average in double figures at 10 points per game.
Jonah El-Farra leads the team in rebounds with 6.3 per game while Frazier adds 6.2 himself.
Tomorrow's game will be the team's final home contest of the regular season with them playing their following three games on the road. The Griffins will head to Gunnison on Saturday to take on Western Colorado before CMU does on Saturday.
ABOUT WESTERN COLORADO
The Mountaineers are 8-16 this season while going 6-10 in RMAC play so far. They are currently tied for ninth place in the conference standings with three other schools.
This past week they went 1-1 in their games played with them hosting both Adams State University and Fort Lewis College. They were defeated by the Grizzlies first on Thursday before taking down Fort Lewis on Saturday.
The last time they faced off with Colorado Mesa was on Jan. 13 in Gunnison with the Mavs claiming a 72-69 victory.
Colorado Mesa has won the last 10 matchups between the two schools with them owning an all-time record of 68-26.
Western Colorado is averaging 74.8 points per game this season with opponents faring better as they outscore the Mountaineers, 81.7.
They are outshot in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage but thrive better at the free throw line with them ranked second in the conference at 76.6 percent.
Aidan McDowell leads both the team and RMAC in scoring with him averaging 27 points per game this season while being a five-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week.
Tyler Halligan (12 ppg) and Jordan Kuac (10.6) serve as the team's other top scoring options.
The Mountaineers will host Westminster on Thursday first before traveling to Grand Junction on Saturday.
RMAC NETWORK NEWS
The RMAC Network has moved to a pay-per-view model for the 2025-26 season. This season, all RMAC athletic events broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members will only be available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their programs.
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them with access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants access to a single game for 24 hours.
Additionally, a discounted annual subscription price will be available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Purchasing options and pricing for individual RMAC Championships will be announced closer to each event.
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
UP NEXT
The Mavs will conclude the regular season in South Dakota next week when they travel North to face off with both South Dakota Mines and Black Hills State. Games are set for Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 with RMAC playoffs beginning the following week.
