CHADRON -- The schedule for the Chadron State College basketball teams is unusual this week. Instead, of having two games on the weekend, the Eagles will play Colorado Christian in Lakewood on Wednesday (Feb. 7) evening and at Western Colorado in Gunnison on Friday night.
             
The Eagles are fresh from winning a pair of competitive, fast-paced games at home last Saturday against South Dakota Mines. 

The CSC women took the lead with their first shot of the fourth quarter and continued to stay ahead while making eight of their 12 field goal attempts and all nine of their free throws in the frame for a 70-67 victory.
 
The men had a little more breathing room most of the time, and used a dunk and four free throws in the final 1:30 to clinch the verdict 76-70.

The Lady Eagles are now 6-12 for the season and 4-10 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Coach Travis Brewster said Tuesday he's unsure whether the team's three veterans—Shay Powers, Olivia Waufle and Awoti Akoi—will be able to play this week. 

Powers, the team's leading scorer and rebounder, has missed the last four games and Waufle the last three because of injuries.  Akoi also sat out Saturday's game.

The Colorado Christian women are 12-9 for the season and 8-7 in the RMAC.  They are led by the conference's leading scorer, 6-foot-1 sophomore Maggie Hutka, who is averaging 19.4 points and 6.7 rebounds.  

The Cougars' men are 8-12 overall and 4-10 in the conference. Their main weapon is 6-footer Noah Kon, who is averaging 15.6 points. He scored 30 against the Eagles when they visited Chadron on Dec.12. The Eagles won the game 80-73. 

Both Western Colorado teams have struggled to win, but have made things interesting at times. Overall, the women are 5-14 and the men 6-14. Both are 3-11 in the conference.

The Lady Mountaineers have won three of their last five games and lost to Colorado Mesa, which has a 17-4 record, by only 76-70 on Jan. 30.  Their leader is Rachel Cockman, who is shooting 46% from the field and is averaging 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds, to rank among the top seven in the RMAC in both categories.

The Western men lost to Colorado Mines, which has 19-4 record, by only 77-72 in Golden in late January and were edged by Westminster 79-76 last Saturday. The Mountaineers' leading scorer is 6-footer Kaden Juelfs at 12.2 points a game. He's the son of former CSC football standout Joe Juelfs. His grandparents, Bill and Carol Juelfs, live in Bridgeport. 

Eagles fall in doubleheader at Flagler

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. -- The Chadron State College softball team was defeated 9-5 and 8-0 in their double header against Flagler College in St. Augustine, Florida on Tuesday.
 
The Eagles, who will play a total of 10 games over five days in Florida, drop to 0-4 to begin the season. The Saints improve to 5-1 overall.
 
In game one of the doubleheader, the Eagles started hot by gaining an early 4-0 lead.
 
J'Lyssa Martinez, a junior from Denver, Colorado, drew a walk as the first batter and stole second one pitch later.
 
After Aliyah Rothstein, a junior from Lakewood, Colorado, also was walked, Lauren Zimmerman hit a grounder to third base but an errant throw allowed Zimmerman to be safe at first, Rothstein to advance to third and Martinez to cross home plate.
 
Jaelyn Martinez, a sophomore from Aurora, Colorado, pinch ran for Zimmerman and instantly stole second to have both runners in scoring position.
 
CSC's four-hole hitter, Ashland Baca, a senior from Pueblo West, Colorado, brought both runners and herself home with a three-run homer over center field, giving the Eagles a 4-0 lead.
 
The Saints pulled their starting pitcher after the homerun and substituted Madelyn Wise. Wise struck out the first two batters she saw before forcing a groundout to first to end the top of the inning.
 
After a walk and a single, an error by the Chadron State defense brought home the hosts first run.
 
With two outs and runners on second and third, the Saints next three batters hit two singles and a double to score four more runs and take a 5-4 lead.
 
Both teams were scoreless in the second inning but Flagler had five hits, including a two-run homer, to gain a 9-4 lead in the third inning.
 
Chadron State added one more run in the top of the fourth inning. After J'lyssa Martinez was hit by a pitch and stole second, Zimmerman, a junior from Reno, Nevada, singled to center field, bringing Martinez home.
 
Neither team scored again in game one. The Eagles had the bases loaded in the top of the sixth and seventh inning but were unable to bring a runner home.
 
Tori Haug, a senior from Commerce City, Colorado, received the loss on the mound in 2.1 innings of work. Kenzi Garner, a junior from Broomfield, Colorado pitched 3.2 innings of relief. The Saints nine runs were credited to Haug, eight being earned.
 
Wise received the victory for Flagler while pitching all seven innings. She struck out 11 Eagle batters and walked six.
 
Offensively for Chadron State, Baca led the team with three RBI's while Zimmerman had two.
 
In CSC's game two loss, the hosts scored four runs in the third and three runs in the fourth inning, before adding an eighth run in the bottom of sixth inning to run rule the Eagles.
 
Brooklyn Levin, a freshman from Littleton, Colorado, received the loss on the mound for Chadron State. In 3.1 innings, she allowed 10 hits and seven runs, five being earned. Garner and Jazlyn Arvizo, a sophomore from Denver, Colorado, both pitched in relief of Levin. Arvizo faced three batters in the 6^th.
 
Offensivley, Baca led the Eagles with two hits. In both games combined, Chadron State left 20 runners on base and had 22 strikeouts.
 
Chadron State faces Eckerd College in a double header Wednesday in St. Petersburg, Florida. The games are scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. (MT).