Colorado Springs, Colorado -- Midwestern State journeys to Colorado Springs for its second game in the LSC/RMAC Conference Challenge. MSU and UCCS collide at Gallogly Events Center Saturday at 8 p.m. UCCS has won both of its previous meetings with the Mustangs, including an 87-78 victory last season.
 

MIDWESTERN STATE (0-1) vs. UC COLORADO SPRINGS (1-0)

Saturday, Nov. 12 | 8:00 p.m.
Gallogly Events Center| Colorado Springs, Colorado

Series History | UC Colorado Springs leads, 2-0

LAST MEETING | UC Colorado Springs sophomore Alijah Comithier scored 15 of his game-high 30 points in the final 5:39 to lead the Mountain Lion past Midwestern State in the Ashbrook Classic at D.L. Ligon Coliseum last season. The 6-5 guard scored seven consecutive points after MSU sophomore Pierre Sanders tied the game at 70-70 with a twisting layup with just under six minutes to play. In all, Comithier booked 15 of the UCCS' final 17 points to answer a determined Midwestern State effort. The Mustangs chipped away at a nine-point halftime deficit to take their only lead of the second half after Sanders buried a 3-pointer with 7:10 to play to push MSU ahead 66-65. Midwestern State led by a single point on two occasions in the first half, but UCCS used an 11-0 run as five different scored baskets culminated by a Comithier jumper as the Mountain Lions pushed their advantage to 38-28 with 4:36 remaining in the opening half. The Mustangs battled back in the second half before Comithier single-handled put the game away for UCCS. Carter led the way for Midwestern State scoring an efficient 14 points on 6-of-8 shooting including a pair of 3-pointers before fouling out in 16 minutes. Sanders added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting with three 3-pointers, while junior Jamey Sanders buried three 3s in the second half to finish with 13 points.

LAST TIME OUT | Colorado State-Pueblo assaulted the rim finishing 10 layups and seven dunks in a season opening 79-59 win over Midwestern State Friday night at Missari Arena. The Thunderwolves opened the second half on a 16-3 run to extend a two-point advantage to a 47-33 when sophomore Lian Ramiro buried a 3-pointer five minutes into the half. Colorado State-Pueblo, which shot 62.5 percent in the second half on 20-of-32 shooting in the second half, led by 24 points down the stretch. Senior forward Elijah Moleon scored a game-high 17 points on a perfect 7-of-7 shooting to lead a pack of four players in double figures for the Thunderwolves. Ramiro chipped 13 points, while Meekness Payne and Isaia Thompson scored 12 points each. Redshirt-freshman Mason Gibson paced Midwestern State with 15 points on 4-of-5 shooting connection on three 3-pointers, while senior forward Luke Hamilton connected four triples to finish with 14 points.

TRACKING THE MUSTANGS | Midwestern State is 52-24 in season openers dating back to its first season as a four-year institution in 1946-47… MSU was 16-15 last season with a 5-9 record on the road…Justin Leslie begins his fourth season as head coach at Midwestern State, where he is 35-45…Leslie has a career record of 301-166, spending his first 12 seasons as a head coach at Aszusa Pacific…Midwestern State averaged 68.5 points per game last season…Opponents were held to 68.1 points per game against the Mustangs in 2021-22…MSU shot 43 percent from the field last season and held opponents to 42.5 percent shooting…Mustangs shot 31.3 percent from 3-point range (222-of-710) last season…Opponents shot 34.8 percent from beyond the arc (248-of-712) a season ago…MSU outrebounded the opposition, 37.3 rebounds per game to 32.8 boards per contest in 2021-22…Midwestern scored 13.4 points off 11.4 turnovers per game last season…MSU averaged 12.6 turnovers last season and foes scored 13.7 points off turnovers…Jermane Carter averaged 14.5 points and 6.0 rebounds per game last season…Carter had 22 steals and 23 blocks in 31 games — all starts for the Mustangs….Pierre Sanders averaged 10.8 points per game last season and dished out 69 assists in 26 appearances…Amaechi Chukwu averaged 7.3 points and 4.7 rebounds in 30 games for the Mustangs in 2021-22…Luke Hamilton has shot 34.8 percent (94-of-270) from 3-point range in his two seasons at MSU…John Weger, Sanders and Jordan Teal all took at least 35 free throw attempts last season and shot 80 percent or better…MSU shot 72.4 percent (355-of-490) at the free-throw line last season…

SCOUTING UC-COLORADO SPRINGS | UCCS opened the season with five-straight wins and finished with a 21-9 record overall, 10-4 at home last season…Jeff Culver begins his 11th season and is 160-120 at the helm of the UCCS men's basketball program… …UCCS was 14-of-32 (.438) from 3-point distance and routed Cameron in its season-opening game on Friday, 92-77…UCCS went on a 17-6 run in an eight minute and 53 second span, collecting six steals…UCCS shot 47.7 percent from the field overall…UCCS scored 32 points off 24 Cameron turnovers… Jon'il Fugett scored 17 points, leading five players in double figures for the Mountain Lions… Jezza McKenzie scored 16…Sufyan Elkannan finished with 15 points…Mac Stodart added 13 points…William Beckers scored 12 on 6-of-8 shooting…Fuggett had three of nine steals for the Mountain Lions …Fuggett and McKenzie each has six assists…UCCS had 23 assists on 31 field goals…UCCS was second in the RMAC and 27th in the nation, scoring 82.6 points per game last season…Mountain Lions led the conference and were 22nd in the nation with 16.5 assists per game last season…UCCS led the RMAC with a 7.8 rebound margin…UCCS pulled 11.4 offensive rebounds per game, which led the conference….UCCS had the fifth-best shooting percentage in the RMAC last season (.477)….Mountain Lions held opponents to .432 shooting percentage last season…William Becker led the RMAC last season with 1.61 blocks per game and was third in the league with 37 total blocks…Jon'il Fugett averaged 1.85 assists per game last season, which was third best in the RMAC...Fugett was fifth in the conference last season with 1.63 steals per game and 49 total steals…

UP NEXT | Midwestern State welcomes Northwestern Oklahoma to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for the home opener on Thursday. Mustangs and Rangers tip off at 7 p.m.