Basketball Mavericks Continue Push Toward Playoffs

Three weekends and five games remain in the regular season and the Colorado Mesa University men's and women's basketball teams are pushing toward the playoffs. The only question seems to be what their exact  playoff position will be. This weekend's games  in New Mexico  will go a long ways toward determining that position.

The Maverick men find themselves in second place in the RMAC standings heading into the weekend with a record of 13-4. The top eight teams in the conference make the playoffs, with the top four teams hosting a first round playoff game. WIth five games to play,  the Mavericks are 4 games ahead of CSU-Pueblo, the 5th place team and 5 games ahead of Colorado Mines, Western State, and this weekend's opponents New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico all of which sit at 8-9.

The Mavericks beat Highlands earlier this season 81-75, and Western New Mexico 58-57. Both New Mexico teams are battling just to make it to the RMAC Shootout beginning March 5th, and so the expectation is that the Mavericks will have a stiff challenge from both of their opponents this weekend.

The Maverick women find themselves in a slightly different position. Ranked #4 nationally, they are in first place in the conference at 16-1, two games ahead of Metro State (14-3) followed by UC Colorado Springs (13-3) and CSU-Pueblo(12-4. Finishing first in the conference would mean a #1 seed, a home playoff game, and the chance to host the rest of the tournament if they win that  first playoff game.

The Mavericks beat New Mexico Highlands 85-51 back in December in Grand Junction and got past Western New Mexico 63-50. Both games this weekend on the road could be interesting, and CMU Head Coach Taylor Wagner will be careful to not let his team look any farther down the road than these two games. Anything can happen in the RMAC, especially on the road.

The women's games this weekend begin at 6:00 on Friday, and 5:30 on Saturday, with men's action to follow. Next week the Mavericks are at Western State before closing out the regular season at home against two very good teams - Adams State and Fort Lewis.

(Zane Mathews provides radio play-by-play for the Mavericks on AM 1230 KEXO and on line at www.kexo1230.com)