CHADRON, Neb. – With one 2026 win under its belt, Chadron State men's basketball has two key games at home this week against a pair of teams tied for the final RMAC Tournament places. 

The Eagles (3-11, 1-5 RMAC) snapped a seven-game losing streak with last Saturday's win against Regis and have an opportunity to pick up key head-to-heads against Adams State (9-5, 3-3 RMAC) on Thursday at 7 p.m. and New Mexico Highlands (5-12, 3-3 RMAC) on Saturday at 3 p.m.

Shots could fly against the Grizzlies on Thursday, as Adams State scores the second-most points in the RMAC (86.6 per game) but also gives up the second-most (85.3 per game). New Mexico Highlands snapped a three-game losing streak of their own with a dominant 113-60 win against Western Colorado last weekend.

Both games will be streamed live on the RMAC Network, accessible through daily, monthly or annual subscription options, or listen live on Double Q Country 97.5 and 105.9 FM and doubleqcountry.com with Dave Collins on the call. 

Looking Back
Chadron State lost to reigning RMAC champions Colorado School of Mines 74-60 on Thursday before securing its first conference win of the season over Regis as the Rangers' comeback attempt fell short in a 68-66 CSC win.

RECAPS: Colorado School of Mines | Regis

The three-point line was the difference against the Orediggers, as Mines went 14-for-38 from behind the arc while the Eagles were just 5-for-21. Chadron State also faced a three-point deficit against Regis, hitting eight compared to the Rangers' 13, but made up for it by going 14-for-15 from the line.

Promotional Notes
Saturday is Cowboy/Rodeo night. Fans are encouraged to dress up in their favorite Western-style apparel to watch the Eagles face New Mexico Highlands. 
 
Both Thursday and Saturday's games will feature halftime games sponsored by The Nest.
 
Cool Customer
After scoring 14 points against Colorado School of Mines and 25 points against Regis, junior Jadon Cool has now been CSC's leading scorer in each of the past four games, six of the Eagles' last eight games and eight of CSC's 14 games overall this season.
 
Cool is now averaging 15.1 points per game, good for 13^th in the RMAC. The Oklahoma native has four 20-point games this season, two of which have come in the past three games (29 vs. Nebraska-Kearney, 25 vs. Regis). Cool also made a season-high eight free throws against the Rangers and had a team-high three assists plus three rebounds, including a pair of offensive boards.
 
Among qualified shooters, Cool ranks ninth in the RMAC in field goal attempts (161) and 10^th in free throw attempts (60). Cool is shooting 44.1 percent from the field, 35.6 percent from three and 71.7 percent from the line.
 
Earning Stripes
Chadron State matched a team high this season by shooting 93.3 percent from the foul line as a team (14-15) in the win over Regis. As a team, CSC is shooting 74.7 percent from the line this season, fourth-best in the RMAC.

The Eagles have shot 75 percent or better from the line in eight of their 14 games this season and have five games with over 20 total makes. Chadron State could increase their volume in getting to the line, as the Eagles rank only 11^th in the league in both free throw makes and free throw attempts despite their high conversion percentage. 

Individually, the Eagles boast two of the top 10 foul shooters in the RMAC. Isaiah Randolph ranks third in the league and 47^th in Division II with his .880 free-throw percentage (44-50) while Mack Keighran is ninth in the RMAC at .843 (43-51).

Second Chances
Chadron State out-rebounded Regis 36-24 in Saturday's win, and CSC's total was boosted by 13 offensive rebounds. The 13 offensive rebounds tied a season-high for the Eagles, matching a previous game with 13 against Sioux Falls on November 21. CSC's 36 total rebounds are the fourth-most in a game by the Eagles this season.

Freshman Luka Djuvoric led the charge, as five of Djurovic's seven rebounds Saturday were offensive boards. The five offensive rebounds were a single-game career high for Djurovic and the first game all season that the freshman pulled down more offensive rebounds (five) than defensive rebounds (two).

Even more impressively, the Eagles went the entire game without allowing an offensive rebound. All 24 of Regis's rebounds were defensive, meaning the Rangers did not get the ball back after a single missed shot during Saturday's game. 

First Double-Double
Angelo State transfer Blessing Adesipe averaged 10 points and 8.5 rebounds per game across CSC's two contests last week, leading the team in rebounds for both games. 

Against Mines, Adesipe tallied 10 points and seven rebounds for what was the Houston native's fourth game for Chadron State scoring in double figures. Adesipe made it five two nights later against Regis and also grabbed 10 rebounds for his first double-double of the season.

Stat Standouts

• The Eagles are scoring 70.1 points per game (14^th in RMAC) and allowing 86.8 points per contest (12^th).
• Chadron State is making 74.7 percent of its free throws as a team, which ranks fourth in the RMAC.
• The Eagles rank ninth in the league in blocks (2.36 per game) and 10^th in steals (6.79 per game), but are 15^th in assists (10.21 per game)
• Isaiah Randolph ranks third in the RMAC and 47^th in Division II with an 88.0 percent free-throw percentage. Randolph's .584 field goal percentage (52-89) would rank second the RMAC if Randolph had enough attempts to qualify.
• Randolph also ranks fifth in the RMAC with 1.8 steals per game. 
• Luka Djurovic ranks fifth in the RMAC with 7.5 rebounds per game. Blessing Adesipe (5.6) is 18^th.
• The Eagles have two players scoring in double digits – Jadon Cool (15.1 per game, 13^th in RMAC) and Isaiah Randolph (11.7 ppg). 

In the Polls
Chadron State was picked seventh out of 15 teams in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, receiving one first-place vote. 

Black Hills State was picked to win the league, receiving 10 of 15 first place votes, while reigning champs Colorado School of Mines were second, receiving three first-place votes. Colorado Mesa received the final first-place vote and finished third while UCCS and Fort Lewis rounded out the top five. 

The remainder of the RMAC tournament positions were filled by MSU Denver, the Eagles and Colorado Christian. The poll was rounded out by Adams State, Westminster, New Mexico Highlands, CSU Pueblo, Western Colorado, Regis and South Dakota Mines. 

Black Hills State is the only ranked program in the RMAC at No. 15. Chadron State is 0-3 against nationally ranked opponents this season, losing twice to No. 16 West Texas A&M and once to the Yellow Jackets.

Scouting the Opposition
Adams State
The Adams State Grizzlies are 9-5 overall and 3-3 in the RMAC. They are coming off a statement 2-0 week that saw ASU tally home victories over Westminster (91-76) and Colorado Mesa (102-98, OT). The latter victory was Adams State's first win over Colorado Mesa in six years. 

The high scoring is nothing new for the Grizzlies, as Adams State averages the second-most points in the RMAC (86.6 per game) but also gives up the second-most (85.3 per game). Adams State has scored 99 points or more in four of its wins this season, and has scored over 85 in three of its five losses.

The Grizzlies boast five double-figure scorers – Luke Williams (15.6 points per game, 10^th in RMAC), Wyatt Helming (14.4), Dillan Baker (10.2), Emilek Jallow (10.2) and Jarmell Johnson (10.1). All but Jallow are seniors. Adams State has had the same starting five of Williams, Helming, Baker, Johnson and Jaylen Alexander for 13 of ASU's 14 games, and the only change in the 14^th game was Jallow starting in place of Alexander, who did not play.

Helming also ranks second in the RMAC with 1.4 blocks per game (19 total) and is fourth in the RMAC in rebounds, averaging 8.0 per game. Head Coach Kenny Tripp is in his third season with the Grizzlies after spending four seasons as an assistant at the University of Idaho. ASU was 20-36 in his first two seasons.

New Mexico Highlands
New Mexico Highlands is 5-12 overall, but the Cowboys sit at 3-3 in RMAC play. After a rough 1-9 start, NMHU won three consecutive games against Adams State, Western Colorado and Cameron (Lone Star Conference), then dropped three in a row to Colorado Christian, CSU Pueblo and Colorado Mesa before rebounding with a huge 113-60 win over Western Colorado last Saturday.

The outburst was 27 more points than the Cowboys had previously scored in a game this season while the 60 points allowed was NMHU's second fewest of the year. New Mexico Highlands averages 73.6 points per game and allows 77.4 per game on average.

Senior Marcus Pierce leads the Cowboys in scoring at 13.8 points per game (19^th in RMAC) and is coming off a season-high 24 against Western last Saturday. Pierce is shooting 55.9 percent from the field, 50 percent from three (17-34) and 84 percent from the line. Nikk Williams averages 9.7 points and ranks sixth in the RMAC with 7.3 rebounds per game. 

The Cowboys have a first-year head coach in Zach Settembre. He has been a Division I assistant coach at Coastal Carolina, New Mexico State and Tarleton State, where he served on the staff of former Kentucky coach Billy Gillispie. Settembre also has two years of head coaching experience at Tallahassee Community College, where he put together a 46-9 record in 2019 and 2020 before leaving for the Division I ranks.

Coach's Corner
Chadron State Head Coach Chris Francis is in his second season leading the Eagle men's basketball program. In his first season, Francis put together a 15-14 overall record with an 11-9 record in RMAC play. The Eagles qualified for the RMAC tournament as the No. 8 seed.

Francis comes to Chadron after serving as the head coach at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma (NAIA) where Francis compiled a record of 176-94 in nine seasons. Francis led the Drovers to five NAIA National Tourney appearances, a Sooner Athletic Conference Championship, and a Sooner Athletic Conference Tournament Championship, also taking USAO to an NAIA Elite Eight. Francis is a two-time Sooner Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, winning the award in 2017 and 2022. 

A former student-athlete, Francis was a starting guard and captain of the men's basketball team at Rogers State University. In 2011, he helped lead Rogers State to the NAIA Elite Eight and a 30-2 record. Following that season, Francis was named the Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year. He was recently inducted into the Rogers State Athletic Hall of Fame.