ALAMOSA, Colo.—The Adams State University Men's Basketball team will hit the road for the first games of 2021 at MSU Denver and Colorado Christian on Saturday and Sunday.
 
Game Information
Teams: Adams State (2-2, 2-2 RMAC) at MSU Denver (3-3, 3-2 RMAC)
Date: Saturday, January 2, 2021
Tip-Off: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Denver, Colo.
Site: Auraria Event Center (2,700)
Series Record: MSU Denver leads 28-11
 
Teams: Adams State (2-2, 2-2 RMAC) at Colorado Christian (1-4, 1-4 RMAC)
Date: Sunday, January 3, 2021
Tip-Off: 4:00 p.m.
Location: Lakewood, Colo.
Site: CCU Events Center (500)
Series Record: Adams State leads 17-8
 
 
Coaches
ASU: Russ Caton, 64-83 (6th Season, ASU); 116-166 (12th Overall)
MSUD: Michael Bahl, 42-47 (4th, MSU D/Career)
CCU: Liam Simmons, 1-4 (1st, CCU/Career)
 
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: MSU Denver Website (https://roadrunnersathletics.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary)
Live Stats: Colorado Christian Website (https://ccucougars.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary)
 
New Year
The Grizzlies look to open the 2021 portion of the unique 2020-21 season that has been marred by COVID-19 with two big road games at MSU Denver (Jan. 2) and Colorado Christian (Jan. 3) with both games tipping off at 4 p.m.
 
These two teams were set to open the season in early December but erring on the side of caution, the two games to open the new year.
 
Adams State returns just three letter-winners from last year's squad that finished with an 8-20 record and a 13th place finish in the RMAC. Cole Arceneaux returns for his third season with the Grizzlies where he averages 2.2 points per game. Kaelin Crane returns for his second year as a Grizzly. He averaged 13.9 points per game. Rylan O'Brien averaged 12.1 points per game in his first season last year and will be an impact for the Grizzlies this season.
 
Adams State fell to South Dakota Mines as a late run by the Hardrockers doomed the Grizzlies. The Grizzlies were led by Malik Moore who posted 15 points and four rebounds. Also helping the Grizzlies was team-mate Williams with 12 points and three rebounds.
 
Adams State closed out the 2020 portion of the season with a har-fought 100-98 loss to No. 17 Colorado Mesa University. The Grizzlies were paced by Rylan O'Brien and Destan Williams, who each added 26 points.
 
The RMAC Player of the Week for Week 2 saw Frederick Jackson win the Offensive Player of the Year award. Jackson compiled a double-double with 31 points and 11 rebounds. He helped propel the Grizzlies to an early 17-0 lead to defeat the 3rd ranked team in the coaches' poll and shot 14-of-17 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free-throw line. Of his rebounds, ten were defensive boards. He also added two assists, two steals, and four blocks.
 
Redshirt junior Nykolas Lange has been named the ASU Student Athlete of the Month for the month of November. Lange, an Evans, Colo. native, played 26 minutes as he was 2-of-6 from the field, including 1-of-4 from beyond the arch. He was 1-of-2 from the free throw line as he had four rebounds in the game, posted two assists and had three steals to add to his six points.
 
Adams State played two exhibition games during Thanksgiving Week. The Grizzlies took on NCAA Division I Weber State on Wednesday and fell 88-60. On Thanksgiving, the Grizzlies played at NCAA Division I Utah Valley In the game that they lost 100-75.
 
The Grizzlies were selected to finish 13th in the 2020 RMAC preseason Coaches' poll. ASU received 45 points while the second straight year, Colorado School of Mines has been tabbed as the RMAC Men's Coaches Poll preseason favorite. The Orediggers received 13 first-place votes and a total of 195 points.
 
Russ Caton returns for his sixth year at the helm and brings in assistant coach Trend Blackledge who capped off a nine-year professional basketball career in Japan and a stellar career at Division I Marquette University.
 
About MSU Denver
The MSU Denver Roadrunners enter Saturday's contest with a 3-3 overall record after opening the season 0-3, the Roadrunners then won three games in seven days before a two-week holiday break.
 
Sophomore forward Laolu Oke is one of the leading rebounders in the country. He tied a school record with 20 boards in a Dec. 15 win over Colorado Christian, then added 17 more in a Dec. 17 win over South Dakota Mines to earn RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors. He leads Division II in total rebounds (70) and offensive rebounds per game (6.5) and ranks fifth in rebound average (11.7), which leads the RMAC.
 
Five players scored in double figures in the win over South Dakota Mines: freshman Kobe Sanders had 16, junior Mavrick Gildyard had 15, freshman Obi Agbim scored 11, and Durham and junior Tyrei Randall each had 10.
 
In a Dec. 12 win over Western Colorado, MSU Denver had 20 assists – its highest total in six years – which included 10 assists by Sanders, the most by a Roadrunner in 13 years. Senior Keyshaad Dixon hit two clutch 3-pointers in that game while handing out eight assists. Dixon leads the RMAC and is 14th in Division II with 20 assists.
 
Series History vs. MSU Denver
Saturday's match-up will be the 37th meeting between these two storied teams. The MSU-Denver Roadrunners hold a 28-11 overall advantage over the  Grizzlies since the team's first meeting back in 1985.
 
The Grizzlies opened the series with the Roadrunners with a 57-54 win but then only won single games in 1992, 1999, 2005, 2007 and 2011. They are on their biggest winning streak as they have won five straight games dating back to Jan. 7, 2017. The streak includes a single win last season, 91-73, in Alamosa.
 
The Grizzlies are 1-5 post season play, including 1-3 in the RMAC Tournament and 0-2 in the NCAA Division II Central Regional Tournament.
 
About Colorado Christian
The Colorado Christian Cougars will enter the weekend with a 1-4 overall record. They opened the season with two losses before defeating Fort Lewis, 84-79. They then lost to MSU Denver on Dec. 15th and South Dakota Mines on Dec. 19th to end the 2020 portion of the season.
 
By averaging 13 made three-pointers per game, the Cougars are tied for the third in the nation. Colorado Christian has made 65 in their five games this season with those 65 being the third most of the nation. As a team the Cougars are converting 38.2 percent of their shots from behind the arc which ranks 22nd nationally.
 
Justin Engesser has been a main stay in the starting line-up. The senior has started every game since his sophomore year (60 straight). He is closing in on 1,000 career points scored and needs just 144 more points this season to become the 11th players to hit the milestone. Currently he is third on the team in scoring (10.0 ppg) while leading the squad in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and steals (2.2 spg).
 
Andy Stafford has slide into the starting line-up since transferring from SW Minnesota State. The sophomore has started each game and is averaging 35.8 minutes per game; the second most on the squad. He is second in the RMAC in three-pointers made (14) and is tied for fifth in free throws made (16). From behind the arc he is making 48.3 percent of his attempts which is the best among qualified players in the league.  
 
Series History vs. Colorado Christian
Sunday's match-up will be the 25th meeting between these two storied teams. The Grizzlies hold a 17-8 overall advantage over the  Grizzlies since the team's first meeting back in 2003.
 
Last season the Cougars broke a five-game Adams State winning streak in the series with an 86-73 win in Lakewood. Since the 2003-04 season, Adams State has a 17-8 record vs. the Cougars. In the last 10 match-ups the Grizzles are 7-3.
 
The Grizzlies opened the series with the Cougars with a win, and have won only allowed the Cougars to win three straight games, once, frm 2004-2005.
 
The Grizzlies have yet to play the Cougars when they have been in the postseason or ranked.
 
Broadcast Information
Saturday and Sunday's game at MSU Denver and Colorado Christian will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/adams/) and will be produced by those respective schools. Since spectators will not be allowed to attend the game in person, fans can tune in and follow along with live stats.
 
In addition, KSPK-FM (http://stream.kspk.com:8000/live.mp3) will once again serve as the official radio station of Adams State Athletics. Adam State Director of Sports Information Eric R. Flores will be calling the Saturday and Sunday's contest for KSPK. Flores, in his first year as the SID at ASU, has several years of radio experience after he was tabbed as the 'Voice of the Mean Moose," doing radio play-by-play for numerous Alamosa High School athletic contests for KGIW-AM and KSPK-FM/TV. In his first season behind the micro-phone, Flores called the Alamosa boys basketball team's run to the state championship final in 2016. Since 2016, Flores has called over 100 Grizzly events including basketball, football and softball. Flores served as a play-by-play commentator for UCCS for men's soccer and lacrosse for one season.
 
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 play on Wednesday at CSU-Pueblo to cap off three games in five days.