DENVER, Colo. – The Western New Mexico University basketball teams will remain on the road this weekend when they will open Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action Friday night at Regis before completing the trip Saturday against Metro State in a snowy Denver.


On the women's side, WNMU (0-3) will face a 2-4 Regis team Friday night that is coming off a loss last time out to Sioux Falls (66-55). Prior to that defeat, The Rangers reeled off two wins over Barry (56-49) and Rockhurst (64-38).


Leading the way for Regis, Tae'lor Purdy and Sarah Feeney average in double-figures with Purdy posting 12.8 points, while she also leads the team in rebounds with 6.2 to 10.2 points for Feeney.


The team has shot 34.7 from the field and just a 19.2 clip from three-point land. Regis won both games last season, winning the first game in Silver City, 69-57, before taking the game in Denver in the second to last game of the season, 87-65.


It won't get any easier for the Mustangs on Saturday, as they will face the No. 3 team in the nation in Metro State.


The Roadrunners are 4-0 to start the season having pulled out two close wins over Nebraska-Omaha (64-61) and West Texas A&M (66-65) and also have wins over Northwest Nazarene (77-67) and Angelo State (68-55).


The 'Runners are hitting at a 40 percent clip from the field and are at nearly that same percentage from downtown (38).


Jenessa Burke and Alyssa Benson power the offense as both average in double-figures, with Burke tallying 13.5 per game to 12 for Benson.


Last season, Metro State took both games by 20-point margins, winning the first matchup in Silver City (56-36) and then in Denver (73-53).


The Mustangs will look to rebound from a 74-46 defeat Tuesday night to Texas-Permian Basin in Odessa.


Prior to that matchup, WNMU came close in their first two games of the season at home against University of the Southwest (89-81) and Texas A&M International (75-70).


Three Mustangs average in double-digits in terms of scoring, led by Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School)'s 13.7 points per game, as she is shooting 32 percent from downtown. Kassie Scott (El Paso, TX/Coronado High School) adds another 11.3 per game, while Heather Hamilton (Ely, NV/White Pine High School) is also averaging 11.3 per contest, while she also pulls down 7.3 boards per game. Jelesia Gray (Sierra Vista, AZ/Buena High School) is fourth on the team in scoring (9.3), but she leads the team in rebounding (7.7) and blocks (5).


On the men's side, WNMU (0-3) returned home for just a few days before turning around to go back on the road.


Regis enters the game 3-1 after an overtime victory over Sioux Falls, 77-69, last time out on Nov. 26. Other wins include Northern New Mexico (65-52) and Langston (76-65).


Their lone loss came against Sterling out of Kansas, 84-81.


The team is shooting over 46 percent for the season (46.4) and feature several scoring threats.


Breen Weeks leads the team with 16 points per game and is followed by Dionte Goodlett and Jon Conley with both posting 13 per contest, Demitrius Owens at 11.5 and Chris Johansen at 10 per contest.


Owens averages a double-double, going for 11.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game.


The Mustangs took both matchups last season, opening conference play with a 70-55 win at home over the Rangers and later took a two-point meeting in Denver, 70-68.


Just like on the women's side, WNMU will face the No. 3 team in the nation Saturday night in Metro State.


The 'Runners have pulled off victories over Bemidji State (71-60), Winona State (73-69), South Dakota Mines (56-45), Black Hills State (69-51) and last time out on Nov. 22 against Colorado College (71-43).


Metro is shooting even better than Regis from the field connecting on an almost 45 percent clip (44.6), including a 33.3 effort from beyond the arc.


Reggie Evans, the pick for Preseason RMAC Player of the Year is living up to the billing, as he leads the team in points per game at a 20.5 clip, while also adding 7.5 rebounds a game.


Jonathan Morse (14), Brandon Jefferson (12.6) and Demetrius Miller (10.8) all average in double-figures in points.


WNMU came close in the first matchup of what would turn out to be three against Metro last season, as the 'Runners came away with a 62-56 win in Silver City and followed that with two victories over the Mustangs in Denver, the first (80-50) near the end of the season before a 90-69 win in the first round of the conference tournament.


The Mustangs came close in all three of their first games, falling by five points twice to Hawaii-Hilo before a seven-point defeat against Hawaii Pacific.


TJ Riley (Tyler, TX/Chapel Hill High School) comes in averaging more points per game than Evans, posting 21.3 per contest, shooting 50 percent from both the field and from three-point range, to go along with eight steals, two assists per game and 2.7 rebounds per game.


Lucio Luttrell (Las Cruces, NM/Las Cruces High School), coming off of his career high 25 points against Hawaii Pacific is second on the team in scoring at 15.7 per game, as he is hitting almost 58 percent (57.7) of his shots and is making over 69 percent (69.2) from downtown.


Third on the team in scoring, Chad Carter (Tucson, AZ/Ironwood Ridge High School), who along with Riley, were named to the RMAC Preseason All-RMAC team, is averaging 13.3 per game, along with 5.3 rebounds, six blocks and four steals.


The Mustangs are shooting right around 42 percent (42.1) from the field and an even better 45.5 from three-point land.


The men will tip first Friday night at 5 p.m., followed by the women's game at 7 p.m. against Regis. On Saturday against Metro State, the women will open the action at 5 p.m., followed by the men at 7 p.m. Live stats and live video will be available for all four games, while Mike Rowse will broadcast both men's games this weekend on KSCQ 92.9.