Cooperation between Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schools goes a long way this time of year when teams need nonconference games, but tight budgets make scheduling difficult.
The Colorado Mines and Metro State men’s basketball teams last season created and co-hosted a four-team event, the “Metro/Mines Classic.”
Texas A&M Commerce (6-4) and University of St. Francis (6-6) from Joliet, Ill., will play Mines (2-1 in RMAC, 5-3 overall) and No. 17 Metro State (3-1, 8-2), on Friday and Saturday in the second year of the event.
Unlike the inaugural tournament, however, the games will not split venues evenly. Three of the four games will be played on Metro State’s Auraria campus in downtown Denver.
“There was an error in the contract and Commerce would not play us at our place, so Metro gets two home games out of it and we get one, but it’s OK,” Mines coach Pryor Orser said. “We’re here, we’re not traveling and, hopefully, we can continue the relationship.”
The Orediggers have not played since Dec. 16. After a post-exam break, they returned to their Golden-based campus Tuesday for two-a-days in preparation for these nonconference games and the heart of the conference schedule.
The injury-plagued team is dealing with the loss of two of its top seven players. Grant Gunhus has a severe case of the flu, which required hospitalization, and Ben Mohr broke a rib. Gunhus is the team’s third-leading scorer at 8.5 points per game, and Mohr averages 6.1 points and 4.9 rebounds.
Orser has scouted both upcoming opponents via film and is concerned by his team’s lack of quickness. Against St. Francis, he’s hopeful a size advantage will pay off.
For the first time all season at the academically rigorous school, the players won’t be balancing basketball and books.
“It’s a great time for us to play,” Orser said. “We’re done with exams, the players can focus. We try to play as many games as we can when they’re not in school.”
Women’s basketball
The Metro State women only fell one spot in the National Association of Basketball Coaches Division II national poll, from No. 15 to 16, after a 52-50 loss to Colorado State-Pueblo. The Roadrunners took a break last week and return to action Friday as hosts of the Christmas Classic. The four-team event includes fellow RMAC member Adams State as well as Nebraska-Omaha and Texas Women’s University, based in Denton.
Men’s basketball
Patrick Hannaway of CU-Colorado Springs continues to lead the RMAC in scoring average (25.3) and field-goal shooting percentage (71.7). Regis’ Brandon Butler is next in shooting accuracy at 67.4 percent, while averaging 16.8 points.
Footnote
Regis has added women’s lacrosse to its athletics programs and hired its first coach, Sarah Averson , a 2003 Cornell University graduate.
