The Chadron State College basketball teams are opening their Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference schedules this weekend by playing at Colorado State-Pueblo on Friday night and at New Mexico Highlands on Saturday night.
             
The CSC women are 2-2 with non-conference wins over two Nebraska schools, College of St. Mary located in Omaha and York College, both in Chadron, and losses on the road to Texas A&M International in Laredo and at Nebraska-Kearney.
             
The Eagles' men are 2-3, defeating Texas A&M-Kingsville and Bethany College of Kansas, both in Chadron. They were nipped 80-78 at home by Texas A&M International in the season-opener and have lost by 12 points to both Nebraska-Kearney and Sioux Falls when CSC was visitor.
             
Juniors Shay Powers and Olivia Waufle have been the Lady Eagles' leaders in the early games. Powers is shooting 62.2% from the field and averaging 13.8 points and 5.8 rebounds. Waufle has made 55.2% of her field goal shots and is averaging 10 points and 4.8 rebounds. Sophomore Kyra Tanabe has dished out 25 assists.
             
Senior guard Bryce Latimer is pacing the CSC men in scoring at 23.3 points a game and has made 29 of 32 free throws.  Another senior, forward Josh Robinson, is shooting 58.2% from the field but surprisingly has made only three of 12 charity shots.  Robinson is still averaging 16.2 points and leads the rebounders at 9.2 a game.
             
Both the CSC men and their opponents have sunk 42 three-pointers.
             
The Pueblo women lost three of their first four games this season, but have won the last three and are now 4-3. They have a tall front court.  Both transfer Alisha Little and freshman Leilani Love are 6-foot-1.  They are averaging 17.4 and 11.4 points, respectively.  Little also is averaging 10.4 rebounds and Love 5.1.
             
The New Mexico Highlands women are 1-4 after splitting two games with Northern New Mexico and losing to both Western and Eastern New Mexico as well as to West Texas A&M.  The Cowgirls' scoring leader is 5-5 sophomore Juliana Aragon with an 11.8-point average.  She tallied 26 points against the Eagles last year, when her team won 73-65 in Las Vegas, after Chadron State had won 89-59 at home earlier in the season.
             
After losing their first two games, one of them in overtime. the Pueblo men have won four straight, the last one by a 100-39 margin over Oklahoma Panhandle.
Only three members of last year's Thunderwolves' team are still on the roster.  One of them is 6-3 Makaiah Morris, who is averaging 11.7 points.  The scoring leader so far is 6-6 transfer Daeyon James, who is averaging 16.5 points and has made 26 of 53 three-pointers. 
             
The Highlands men are 3-2 after defeating Angelo State of Texas and Northern New Mexico twice, but losing 102-75 to Eastern New Mexico and 80-79 to Western New Mexico.  The Cowboys include 6-foot-11 Ezichi Kalu, a native of Nigeria, who is averaging 10.3 points and 8.8 rebounds. The top scorer so far is 6-5 transfer AC Curry at 10.6 points a game.
             
Both Chadron State teams will be at home for afternoon games on Saturday, Dec. 9 against Western Colorado and then host Colorado Christian in a double-header starting at 5:30 on Tuesday, Dec. 12.