CMU’s men’s and women’s basketball teams are on fire, combining for 18 straight wins as they solidify their standings in the conference. The men’s team, winners of four straight, have surged into fourth place, while the women’s team extended its winning streak to 14 games, clinching a home game for the RMAC Tournament while maintaining control of the conference.

    With the postseason fast approaching, both Colorado Mesa University (CMU) basketball teams are peaking at the right moment, setting the stage for deep RMAC Tournament runs.

The Mavericks men’s team, 17-9 overall and 11-7 RMAC, kicked off their winning streak with a road win over Fort Lewis. Mesa grabbed an eye-popping 59 rebounds, including 19 on the offensive glass.

“We were minus 23 on the turnovers, but plus 36 on the rebounds. We had a bigger size advantage and our guys did a good job pursuing every possession,” Assistant Coach Skyler Burgess said.

The Mavericks followed up with a 78-72 road victory over New Mexico Highlands, this time relying on balanced scoring. Five players finished in double figures, led by freshman guard Mason Honeyman’s 18 points.

“The balanced scoring really helps, that’s been our recipe for success lately,” Assistant Coach Burgess said.

Back at home, CMU showcased its defensive dominance with a 69-51 win over South Dakota Mines in their Blizzard at Brownson Arena game.

Sophomore center Yaak Yaak led the way with 16 points and 12 rebounds, recording his fourth double-double in five games.

“Will [Mortimore] really kept us in the game in the first half, and Yaak in the second half. Nine offensive rebounds between the two […] they’re playing really well right now,” said Burgess.

CMU controlled the glass, winning the rebounding battle 41-19 and forced an eight-minute field-goal drought to seal the win.

The streak extended to four games with a 64-57 win over Black Hills State (BHSU), securing CMU’s spot in the RMAC Tournament. Defense proved to be the difference, as the Mavericks matched a school record with ten blocks and added ten steals. They held BHSU to 31.7% shooting and just one field goal in the final eight minutes.

Redshirt junior Ty Allred led a balanced attack with 11 points and 10 rebounds for his second career double-double. Yaak and Honeyman each scored 13, while Redshirt senior guard Christopher Speller added 11.

“I think just this year, we’ve been improving week to week and had huge jumps. I think the guys have done an incredible job getting better every day, every practice, each week,”said Burgess.

The CMU women’s team, 21-4 overall 15-2 RMAC, has been just as dominant, clinching a home game in the RMAC Tournament while extending their winning streak to 14 games. Behind a relentless defense and efficient offense, the Mavericks have kept their hold on the top spot in the conference.

Their streak began with a hard-fought 78-71 win over Fort Lewis, led by junior forward Olivia Reed-Thyne’s monster 34-point performance. She also recorded her 14th double-double of the season with 11 rebounds.

CMU never trailed but faced a battle throughout, as Fort Lewis cut the deficit to 72-68 late in the fourth. Despite early struggles at the free-throw line, the Mavericks hit 17 of 17 in the second half, outscoring Fort Lewis 23-3 at the line to seal the win.

“The biggest thing is that they’re giving us free points. We got to step up and knock them down […]  I think it was just changing our mindset—like, hey, they’re going to make us earn it, and we have to take advantage,” Assistant Coach Hannah Pollart said.

Next, CMU traveled to Las Vegas, New Mexico, to take on rival New Mexico Highlands. The Cowgirls’ aggressive full-court press forced CMU into nine first-quarter turnovers, leading to a back-and-forth start. But a second-quarter explosion changed everything.

A 20-0 scoring run turned a tight game into a 32-12 Mavericks lead in minutes.

Senior guard Kylie Kravig hit a key jumper, sparking another run to regain control. Senior forward Brooklyn Palmer tallied 10 points and 15 rebounds, while Kravig added 13 points and two clutch threes.

With momentum on their side, the Mavericks returned home for their Blizzard in Brownson game, where defense took center stage. The Mavs held South Dakota Mines to just 29.6% shooting and a staggering 20% in the first half.

Junior guard Mykaela Moore and Kravig each contributed 14 points, while senior guard Riley Hayes added 10. CMU’s defense forced 20 turnovers, converting them into 17 points.

“A lot of our steals came from helping in the post. [South Dakota Mines] has some really great post players that are good with their back to the basket, but they like to dribble. I think a lot of our steals came from helping down there, and then there were mismatches, and we were just helping, and ended up with the steal,” said Kravig.

The Mavericks clinched at least a share of the RMAC Regular Season title with a 77-74 win over third-place Black Hills State. This marks their 14th straight win, matching their longest winning streak since a program-record 25-game streak in 2013-14

Reed-Thyne led all players with 21 points and added eight rebounds, six assists, two blocked shots and a steal. Three other Mavericks finished in double figures: Palmer with 16 points, including a season-high four 3-pointers; Moore with 14 points; and redshirt sophomore Macy Larsen with 13 points off the bench. The Mavericks committed just three turnovers, a season-low.

“If we won tonight, we knew we got a share of the title. That was first and foremost, we wanted to be able to get it on our home floor, but we’ve still got two more regular season games,” Head Coach Taylor Wagner said.

As both teams prepare for the final stretch, they control their destinies. The men’s team sits in fourth place with two home games remaining, while the women’s team looks to maintain their grip on the No. 1 seed.

With the RMAC Tournament looming, one thing is certain: both CMU basketball teams are peaking at the perfect time.