Colorado School of Mines vs. Western Colorado, Friday, 7 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
Colorado School of Mines vs. Colorado Mesa, Saturday, 7 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats]
 

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THIS WEEKEND
Mines continues RMAC play with their first conference back-to-back of the season, hosting Western Colorado and Colorado Mesa on Friday and Saturday. The Orediggers hope to bounce back from a tough loss to UCCS last Saturday to start the conference slate.

TICKET/PARKING INFORMATION
Fans can purchase tickets online or at the door. All seating in Lockridge Arena is general admission. Parking is free on Saturday. 

THE CHAMPS ARE HERE
Before Friday night's game, the 2018-19 team will be honored with their RMAC championship rings after the Orediggers went 21-1 in conference play to win the regular-season title. Current members of the team along with last year's seniors Ben Clare and Ben Sonnefeld will receive their rings.

LAST TIME OUT
A late surge by UCCS carried them to an 82-77 win over Mines in both teams' RMAC opener last Saturday. The Orediggers led as late as the four-minute mark of the second half before the Mountain Lions went on a decisive 8-1 run to win the game. Mason Baker led Mines with 27 points and Titus Reed had a hard-fought 18 points on 7-of-8 shooting. Michael Glen added 10 points and seven rebounds and Ben Boone scored 10 as well. DaRaun Clark scored a career-high 30 off the bench for UCCS. It was a tale of two halves for Mines, who shot 57.1 percent in the first and just 38.5 percent in the second; the Orediggers led by as much as 12 early in the second half.

OREDIGGERS TOP PRESEASON RMAC POLL
Mines was the overwhelming favorite to repeat as RMAC champion in the annual preseason coaches' poll announced in mid-October. The Orediggers (25-6, 21-1 RMAC in 2018-19) earned 224 votes overall and 14 of 16 first-place nods, with Dixie State, Regis, New Mexico Highlands, and MSU Denver rounding out the top five. In addition to the poll, Mason Baker and Michael Glen were named "Preseason Players to Watch" by the conference.

MINES QUICK LOOK
The Orediggers have battled early-season injuries as they're 2-3, but are still trending the right way statistically at +6.6 points and +1.6 rebounds per game. Mason Baker has been superb leading the team with 19.4 points per game (third in the RMAC) shooting an impressive .455/.500/.931. Brendan Sullivan, although he missed the UCCS game, is averaging 17.0 points and 5.0 rebounds, while Michael Glen has pitched in 13.4 points and 7.2 rebounds per game. Titus Reed has been a breakout player starting for the Orediggers, scoring 9.8 points per game shooting a team-high .630 overall.

SCOUTING WESTERN COLORADO [Series: Western, 98-83]
The Mountaineers are 3-3 this season but have yet to open RMAC play. They're coming off a split at the Colorado Mesa Thanksgiving Classic where they lost 73-71 to Montana Western but beat Missouri Western 86-82. Josh Tomasi leads the team scoring 14.3 points per game to go with 6.8 boards, while Cole Sienknecht (13.3 ppg) and Jackson Ehrlin (12.8 ppg, team-high 7.6 rpg and 3.8 apg) have also been big contributors. One of the oldest existing series in Mines basketball, the two teams first met in 1924-25, a 31-26 Mines win. Last year's game was the largest margin of victory in 181 meetings as Mines won 109-60 in Gunnison; Joe Miks was an eye-popping 9-for-11 from three-point range on the way to a career-high 29 points, while Michael Glen had a perfect 9-for-9, 22-point performance as the Orediggers shot 61.2 percent in the blowout.

SCOUTING COLORADO MESA [Series: Colorado Mesa, 49-29]
Colorado Mesa is off a 4-2 start and are yet to open RMAC play. They lost their first two games, 79-76 to #20 St. Edward's and 67-66 to Dallas Baptist, but have bounced back to win four straight averaging an impressing 96.5 points per game in that span. The trio of Tommy Nuno (16.3 ppg), Michael Skinner (15.3 ppg), and Georgie Dancer (14.2 ppg) lead the way. CMU leads the all-time series 49-29, but Mines has won four straight and eight of the last nine dating back to 2013-14. Last year, Mines erased a late deficit to win 99-94 in overtime in Grand Junction as CMU coughed up a 10-point lead in the final two minutes. Ben Clare poured in 23 points and nine boards, Ben Sonnefeld scored 20, and Mason Baker had 19 in the win; Joe Miks added 14 off the bench including a key go-ahead three-pointer in overtime.

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines' first road contests of the season won't be far from home as they visit Colorado Christian and Regis on Dec. 13-14.