Fans and supporters of UCCS Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams have the opportunity to help boost Mountain Lion scholarship funds thanks to a generous challenge by an anonymous donor.
The donor will contribute $50,000 to support basketball scholarships if 500 people make a gift of any amount to the UCCS Basketball Booster Club. Gifts can be made through http://GoMountainLions.com/Challenge.
Both UCCS basketball teams built on success of prior seasons and advanced to the NCAA Division II Championships to break their respective records for wins. The Mountain Lions were one of six schools among more than 300 in Division II with both teams to win their First Round games.
The UCCS women advanced to the Sweet 16 and regional championship game in the first national tournament appearance in program history. The Mountain Lions qualified for the RMAC Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. Abby Kirchoff was named the first All-American in program history with honors from the Division II Bulletin and the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association.
The UCCS men won its first RMAC Tournament championship and qualified for the NCAA tournament for the second straight season. The Mountain Lions were ranked as high as No. 2 in the national polls and Derrick White earned All-America honors from the National Association of Basketball Coaches, Daktronics and the Division II Bulletin.
Both Mountain Lion teams are among the most financially efficient in the South Central Region. The UCCS men operate with a budget more than $100,000 lower than any of the qualifying teams, while the UCCS women had the second-lowest budget among the qualifying teams and are nearly $85,000 lower than the average among the teams. Both teams are the only teams with one full-time coach in the region among qualifying teams.
Additional scholarship funding will allow both women and men’s basketball programs to recruit and retain talented student-athletes who excel on the court and in the classroom to build a lasting tradition of program success. Gifts can also be made by calling UCCS Development, (719) 255-5109.
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