The Western New Mexico University basketball teams will hit the road this Saturday to open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play against in-state rival New Mexico Highlands University.
It will be a pair of early start times with the women playing at 2 p.m. followed by the men’s game at 4 p.m.
On the women’s side, the Lady Mustangs (2-3) will look to snap a two-game losing streak falling to a pair of Lone Star teams in Angelo State and Eastern New Mexico. WNMU has wins against Oklahoma Panhandle State and the University of the Southwest.
Desiree Smith is pacing the Lady Mustangs at 8.4 points per game. She also adds 2.6 rebounds, 13 assists and nine steals. Cristiana Yepa (7.8) and Jade Botelho (7.0) are next on the list in scoring. Deandra Williams leads the team in rebounds at 7.4 per contest and also adds 6.6 points. The Lady Mustangs average 52.4 points per game with seven players averaging at least 6.2 points per game. Last year WNMU swept both games from the Cowgirls winning in Las Vegas, 72-59, before closing the regular season with a 51-45 home win.
NMHU is 2-2 on the season with wins over Texas-Permian Basin and Oklahoma Panhandle State. They also lost to a pair of Lone Star teams in West Texas A&M and Eastern New Mexico. Michelle Traynham leads the team with 18.3 points per game and also adds 4.3 rebounds. Giulia Simioni is also in double-figures pouring in 11.8 per game. Michelle Tapia (9.3) and Kylee Reibel (9.0) average close to 10 points per game. Tapia leads the team in rebounds at 8.5 per game. The Cowgirls average 62.75 points per game.
On the men’s side, the Mustangs (0-5) are coming off of a tough two-point loss to Benedictine-Mesa. So far this season, four of the losses have been by nine points or less. Willie McCray has started off strong in his first season for the Mustangs as he leads the team in points per game at 12.2. He also adds 2.6 rebounds, four assists, a block and also leads the team in steals with seven and three-pointers with six. Emery Range also averages in double-figures in his first season for WNMU at 11.4. He is the team leader in rebounds at 8.2 per contest and also has seven assists and six steals. Steven Loucks (8.6) and Makhtar Fall (8.4) are next on the scoring list. Fall leads the team in blocks with nine and also brings down 6.8 rebounds. WNMu averages around 72.4 points per game.
The Cowboys are 1-5 on the season winning their first game of the year against Eastern New Mexico. They have played a difficult schedule so far that included games against West Texas A&M (twice), Wyoming, Concordia Irvine and California Baptist. Returner Jonathon Mines leads the team in points per game at 19.3. Marlon Johnson adds 14.7, Kendrick Nichols at 11.5 and Ron Lawton with 10 are all in double-figures in terms of scoring. Johnson leads the squad in rebounds at 8.7. NMHU averages 75.50 points per game.
The teams split last year’s matchups with each winning on their home floor. NMHU took the earlier meeting of the season in Las Vegas, 92-69, before WNMU closed the season in dramatic fashion with an 84-83 win in Silver City.
The game can be heard locally on 92.9 FM KSCQ or streaming live on the web at www.silvercitysports.com . Broadcasts begin at 3:30 p.m.
