Colorado Christian vs. Western Colorado
Saturday, Jan. 9 | 7:30 p.m.
Gunnison, Colo. (Paul Wright Gym)
No Fans Allowed

• Over the last 22 games in the series, each team has 11 wins
• For games played in Gunnison during that time, the Cougars are 3-7
• They have flipped-flopped wins over the last five contests; Western won the last game of the series 90-78 in Lakewood last season

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Only Once This Weekend

With the Cougars game at Fort Lewis postponed due to COVID-19, they will only play Saturday's game this weekend.

Player of the Week Times Two

Ross Williams has been named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on two occasions this season. He is the only player to earn the honor twice.

In mid-December he won the accolade after putting up 28 points, 17 rebounds and five assists in an 84-79 win vs. Fort Lewis (Dec. 12). The 17 rebounds is the second best single game effort in the RMAC this season. 

Last weekend he scored a total of 66 points in two games. He opened the weekend with 35 points against CSU Pueblo then followed that effort with a 31-point performance vs. Adams State. In the game against CSU Pueblo he made 14 field goal attempts which was the fifth most in school history.

He leads the nation in three-pointers made (31) while ranking 13th in the country, and first in the RMAC, in scoring (23.3 ppg). He has made 31 of his 61 three point shots (50.8 percent); also a conference best mark.

Nationally Ranked Shooting 

The Cougars are on a three-point shooting mission. As a team they have made 86 shots from behind the arc which is the second most in the nation. Their 12.3 three-pointers made per game is seventh in the country.

Closing In on 1,000 Points

Justin Engesser has been a main stay in the starting line-up. The senior has started every game since his sophomore year (62 straight). He is closing in on 1,000 career points scored and needs just 121 more points this season to become the 11th players to hit the milestone. Currently he is third on the team in scoring (10.4 ppg) and is second on the squad in rebounding (6.7 rpg) while leading in steals (1.5 spg). 

Stafford Fitting in Nicely

Andy Stafford has slide into the starting line-up since transferring from SW Minnesota State. The sophomore has started each game and is averaging 36.3 minutes per game; the second most on the squad. He is second in the RMAC in three-pointers made (16) and is tied for ninth in free throws made (20). From behind the arc he is making 47.1 percent of his attempts which is the second best among qualified players in the league. 

Head Coach - Liam Simmons

The Colorado Christian athletics department is pleased to announce the hiring of Liam Simmons as its ninth men's basketball head coach in program history. The 2020-21 campaign will be his first at Colorado Christian.

The Australian-born Simmons has most recently served as the head coach of the Franklin Bulls in New Zealand's National Basketball League. Simmons joins the Cougars staff with a wealth of knowledge and passion for the game.

During the 2018-2019 season Simmons stepped away from college basketball to focus his effort and energy on enhancing the skills of individual players at the NBA and professional level. As a skill development coach, Simmons based himself in Philadelphia and worked with several players, but dedicated his time and focus to specifically working parallel with the Philadelphia 76ers staff, supporting their coaches in the development of All-Star Ben Simmons.

Simmons has NCAA coaching experience at the Division I and II levels. In 2018 Simmons enjoyed an opportunity to work at University of California Riverside under fellow Australian, and mentor, head coach David Patrick. He also gained collegiate coaching experience at Southwest Baptist (MO) under head coach Clark Sheehy. Simmons spent four seasons (2014-2018) with the NCAA Division II school, earning a promotion in the final two seasons as the program's associate head coach. Before his four seasons with the Bearcats, he was an assistant coach at Nichols State (LA) during the 2013-14 campaign under head coach J.P. Piper.

He earned a Bachelor's of Science degree in Kinesiology in 2007 from San Diego Christian. Simmons also has a Master Degree in Education from Australian Catholic University in Melbourne (2008). 

Ground Rules

In late November, the RMAC released information about the season structure and return-to-play guidelines for basketball. All teams will have a 22-game conference schedule (non-conference play being optional), and any game that is not played due to COVID-19 issues will be declared a "no contest." All student-athletes and team support staff must test negative within 72 hours of the game, and in the state of Colorado, everyone in the arena will wear a mask except for the 10 active players on the court. An RMAC champion will be declared if at least five teams complete 50 percent of their originally approved schedule (11 games). The champion and RMAC Tournament qualifiers will be determined by use of the NCAA Division II RPI system.