ALAMOSA, Colo.—The Adams State University Women's Basketball team will look to rebound as they take on No. 24 Colorado Mesa University inside Plachy Hall on Friday night set for 5:30 p.m..
 
Game Information
Teams: Adams State (1-1, 1-1 RMAC) vs No. 24 Colorado Mesa (3-1, 3-1 RMAC)
Date: Friday, December 18, 2020
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Alamosa, Colo.
Site: Plachy Hall (2,500)
Series Record: Colorado Mesa leads 10-47
 
Coaches
ASU: Jaime Green, 7-49 (3rd Season, ASU); 49-63 (4th Overall)
CMU: Taylor Wagnor, 197-47 (9th Season)
 
Media Coverage (Click Links)
Live Video: RMAC Network (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/adams/)
ASU Radio: KSPK-FM, 104.1 FM (http://stream.kspk.com:8000/live.mp3)
Live Stats: ASU Website (https://asugrizzlies.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary)
 
Fast Start
The Grizzlies look to finish the 2020 portion of the season on the right foot when they host the No. 24 ranked Colorado Mesa University Mavericks on Friday with their third game of the season. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
Adams State fell in Saturday's home game against South Dakota Mines, 70-57.
 
The Grizzlies opened the season by snapping a 16-game losing streak against CSU-Pueblo with a 62-61 win. The win was the Grizzlies' first since 2011 and marks the first time the Grizzlies opened the season 1-0 since 2017.
 
Adams State returns just three letter-winners from last year's squad that finished with a 4-24 record and a 14th place finish in the RMAC.
 
Adams State will be returning two players who sat out all but one and two games, respectively, in 2019-20 due to injury. Kaela McClure, who played in just one game will be back, while Stephanie Ruiz returns to the Grizzly ranks as a leader. Ruiz, who has played in 54 games as a Grizzly, starting 44 of them, averages 11.6 points per game as she is a consistent 37 percent shooter from the field and an equal 33 percent shooter from beyond the arch.
 
Kassie Schell returns for her junior season. She has played in 36 games for the Grizzlies including 12 in the starting lineup. She averages 2.6 points per game and 2.1 rebounds. Sophomore Laura Gutierrez will play her second season as a Grizzly. Last season she played in 27 games, starting 20 of those, averaging 8.6 points per game as she was a 28 percent shooter from the field. Also returning for her second season is Paiton Demps. She played in 27 games last season, 22 of which she started in. She averaged 4.8 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game.
 
Adams State got stellar reinforcements this season in Division I transfer Kaitlyn Bell and junior college transfers Kayla Harris and Haley Eaves and freshman Elaina Watson.
 
The Grizzlies were selected to finish 13th in the 2020 RMAC preseason Coaches' poll. ASU received 37 points while Colorado Mesa, the two-time defending RMAC Tournament Champions have been tabbed as the favorite to repeat in the 2020-21 RMAC Women's Basketball poll. The Mavericks received 189 points and eight first-place votes. They finished last year with an overall record of 26-5.
 
About Colorado Mesa
Colorado Mesa University enters Friday's game with a 3-1 record and ranked No. 24 in the D2SIDA poll. The Mavericks defeated Colorado Christian (75-61), MSU Denver (91-57), and Chadron State (78-28) while falling to Black Hills State (50-60).
 
The Mavericks averaged 73.5 points per game and are shooting 41.3 percent from the field and 35.8 percent from beyond the arch.
 
Senior Daniella Turner is the leading scorer as she is averaging 18 points per game, boosted by a 29-point performance against MSU Denver. Natalie Bartle (15), Kylyn Rigsby (12.3), and Kelsey Siemons (10.8) all average double-digit points per game.
 
Turner is joined by Sierra McNicol as the team's leading rebounders. Both average 7.5 per game as they both have 30 rebounds on the season including 25 and 26, respectively, on the defensive side.
 
In the preseason coaches' poll, the conference head coaches selected the Mavericks to win the RMAC title this season after winning the past two RMAC crows. Last season they finished 19-3.
 
Series History vs. Colorado Mesa
The Grizzlies and Mavericks will battle for the 58th time on Saturday. Colorado Mesa leads the series as they have won 47 of the previous 57 matchups, dating back to Jan. 19, 1991.
 
The Mavericks are on a 17-game winning streak as they have won every game since Dec. 12, 2011. During that streak, the Grizzlies are 0-4 against the Mavericks who are currently ranked No. 24, were ranked in the top-25.
 
The Grizzlies are 3-25 in Grand Junction and 7-23 in Alamosa. The two teams have met once in the postseason and that game was on March 1, 2011, when the Grizzlies defeated the Mavericks 77-57 en route to the NCAA Division II Sweet 16 that season.
 
Broadcast Information
Friday's game with Colorado Mesa will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/adams/) and will be produced by ASU. Since spectators will not be allowed to attend the game in person, fans can tune in and follow along with live stats (https://asugrizzlies.com/sidearmstats/wbball/summary).
 
In addition, KSPK-FM will once again serve as the official radio station of Adams State Athletics. TJ Blackhurst will call Saturday's action for Adams State.
 
Fans can access the game online (http://stream.kspk.com:8000/live.mp3) or on the radio dial KSPK can be heard on 100.3 in Colorado Springs, Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, 104.1 in South Fork and Trinidad, and 102.3 in Pueblo and Walsenburg.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies will now be off until Jan. 2 and 3, 2021 when they play at MSU Denver and Colorado Christian. Both games are set to start at 2:00 p.m.
 
Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 in the San Luis Valley and Colorado, all Adams State University home and away games for the 2020-21 season will be played without spectators. ASU Athletics will continuously re-evaluate the policy as local and state guidelines change.