ALAMOSA, Colo. (January 4, 2017) – Adams State University rings in the New Year with a pair of RMAC road games at the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and Metropolitan State University of Denver. The Grizzlies face the Mountain Lions on Friday at 7:30pm followed by a 7pm tip-off on Saturday against the Roadrunners.

Last Time Out
It was a bitter finish to 2016 as the Grizzlies lost road games to Colorado Christian University (110-101) and Chadron State College (66-58). The pair of defeats extends ASU's losing streak to 5.

Against the Cougars, the Grizzlies cut a 14-point deficit down to 4 late in the game thanks to a Jarrett Givens layup with 1:17 remaining. The Grizzlies were able to cut the lead to 4 multiple times moving forward but the Cougars went 9-of-10 from the free throw line in the final minute to secure the conference win. Adams State trailed just 41-40 at halftime but Colorado Christian caught fire in the second stanza by shooting 64.8 percent (24-37) from the field.

31 personal fouls from each team led to ample opportunities at the charity stripe as the Grizzlies went 31-of-42 (73.8 percent). The high foul count resulted in Ethan Caton, Shane Johnson, Bryan Umoru, and Brandon Pasker each fouling out of the game. 27 points highlighted a well-rounded game for Brandon Sly who also finished with 8 rebounds and 8-of-9 from the free throw line. The junior added 1 steal and did not have a turnover.

It was a frustrating shooting night for the Grizzlies against the Eagles the following night. The game featured 8 ties and 10 lead changes but the Eagles held the lead for the majority of the game. For the game, ASU shot 37.9 percent (22-58) from the field and 23.3 percent (7-30) from downtown. Sly finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds to collect his first double-double of the season. Sly added 5 assists and 2 steals. Johnson had 15 points with Umoru and Givens adding 10 and 9 points, respectively.

Conference Glance
Fort Lewis remains at the top of the RMAC with a 12-2, 7-1 RMAC record. Colorado Christian sits in second place at 10-4, 7-1 RMAC. MSU Denver enters weekend play in fourth place at 9-4, 5-2 RMAC with UCCS owning a 4-8, 3-4 RMAC mark. Adams State is 5-9 overall and 2-6 in conference action.

Scouting The Mountain Lions
The Mountain Lions' 82-65 win on Dec. 30^th snapped a 4-game skid to place UCCS at 4-8, 3-4 RMAC. In the win, the Mountain Lions shot a single-game high 56 percent from the field. The program posts 75.3 ppg but allows 77.7 ppg. The team is ranked last in free throw percentage (62%) and three-point defense (42%) at the conference level. However, UCCS does well on the glass with 39 rebounds per game to rank second in the RMAC. Senior TreShawn Wilford owns a team-best 13.3 ppg. and 6.2 rpg.  

Scouting The Roadrunners
Metro State has begun the RMAC stretch in strong fashion with a 5-2 mark against conference foes. Their most notable RMAC win to date came on the road at Regis University via a 72-70 final on Dec. 9^th. Most recently, the Roadrunners took down Colorado Mesa University, 98-89, at home on Dec. 30^th. Under the direction of head coach Derrick Clark, the Roadrunners once again thrive defensively. MSU Denver allows 69.8 ppg; ranking fourth in the RMAC. Offensively the team averages 74.7 ppg. Junior Cameron Williams is the team leader with 16.5 ppg as Peter Moller and Sunday Dech post 13.6 and 13.3 ppg., respectively. Moller is a three-point threat with a shooting clip of 56 percent.

Last We Met
Adams State hosted UCCS and MSU Denver in Alamosa during the 2015-16 season. The Roadrunners escaped Plachy Hall with a 74-71 win but the Grizzlies responded the following night with a 79-75 win over UCCS.

Looking Ahead
After nearly a month away from home, the Grizzlies return to Plachy Hall for games on Jan. 13^th and 14^th against South Dakota School of Mines & Technology and Black Hills State University. It will mark the first visit to Alamosa for Black Hills State since the 2013-14 campaign and the first-ever home meeting against South Dakota School of Mines since the Hardrockers became an RMAC school. Both games are slated for a 7:30pm tip-off.
 
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For any updates regarding Adams State athletics stay connected with www.asugrizzlies.com! Updates are also available through the Grizzlies official Twitter (@ASUGrizzlies) and Facebook (/TheAsuGrizzlies) accounts.
 
Team Posters
Fans, team posters are available online at www.asugrizzlies.com. Navigate to the 'Fan Zone' at the top of the ASU home page to find our 'Team Posters' link. Team posters will be updated and added over the course of the year. Hard copies of posters are also available at the ASU athletic office.