RAPID CITY, S.D. --- As the end of the season fast approaches, the South Dakota School of Mines men's basketball team finds itself just on the outside of the Rocky Mountain Athletic post-season playoff picture.

But hope is not lost.

The Hardrockers still have an opportunity to grab the seventh or eighth and final spot for the RMAC tournament --- which is set to start in just over two weeks (Feb. 28).

First and foremost, SD Mines will have to be perfect from here on out. With just three games left on the schedule there is no room for error. The Hardrocker squad got off on the right foot this past Saturday after a 78-59 dismantling of Black Hills State in Spearfish, S.D., to push the 'Rockers to 11-14 overall on the season and 7-12 in the conference.  

"Our guys really showed up on both ends of the floor, executed and scored Saturday night," said Hardrocker men's basketball head coach Jason Henry. ""We kept plugging away, kept extending the lead. Our seniors finished the rivalry with an 8-1 record against BHSU. That's going to give us some momentum going forward."

SD Mines will need a bit of help to extend the season as Colorado Christian and Adams State occupy spots just above the Hardrockers right now. That however could change after Saturday as those two squads --- each with nine conference wins --- will face each other.

The Hardrockers are slated for an important rematch with Western State Colorado University Saturday night in Gunnison, Colo. The Mountaineers upset the Hardrockers back on Jan. 27 with a 91-81 win, which was the start of a five-game tailspin for SD Mines.

Western State is 5-18 overall on the season and 4-15 in RMAC play and haven't won a game since that matchup with SD Mines back in January, losing five straight since then.

Despite their sub-par record, the Mountaineers still rank in the Top 4 of the RMAC for scoring, earning 80 points per game while SD Mines is posting just over 70 markers each time out. On the flip side, the Hardrockers allow just over 73 points per game, putting their defense in the RMAC's Top 5, while the Mountaineers' defense ranks last in the conference as opponents have been averaging just under 86 points per game.

"Western State is a team we've never beat," Henry said. "They defeated us (in Rapid City) early in the season and we fell to them last year at their place. Gunnison's 'claim-to-fame' is having the highest elevation gym in the nation. Last year it really got to us with guys cramping up and being fatigued. We'll be better prepared this year."

Western State's top player, Ben Beauchamp, who exploded for 35 points in the first meeting with the Hardrockers, is the second leading scorer in the conference. The junior is averaging 19.1 points per game. WSCU junior Collin Smith and sophomore Brady Subart are also good point-producers, both averaging just over 11 points per game.

For the Hardrockers, senior Konor Kulas is back in his early-season form and has been unstoppable the last few games. He's now averaging 17.6 points per game, ranked seventh in the RMAC for scoring and leads the conference in offensive rebounds (79) and is second overall, averaging 8.9 per game.

Fellow SD Mines seniors Jamall Taylor and Marco Pascolo are also contributing on offense. Taylor is cashing in for 9.9 points per game and Pascolo is proving to get the job done on the perimeter and in the paint averaging 8.9 points per game.

The post-season picture will become clearer after Saturday with just a week left in the season, and despite not being in charge of their own destiny, the Hardrockers will still need to handle their business. That first step is exacting revenge on the Mountaineers.

The game is slated for 7 p.m. Saturday. Catch the broadcast live on the RMAC Network at: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/sdsmt/ .