RAPID CITY, SD --- The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team is right on the edge of qualifying for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference post-season tournament. The Lady Hardrockers have a 7-9 record in the RMAC after splitting results from last weekend's games. They are 2-2 in their last four games, the two losses both one-possession heartbreakers.
 
"I am very encouraged by the way we played Friday and Saturday --- even with the loss," said Hardrocker women's basketball head coach Ryan Larsen. "I am very, very optimistic about what we have going on right now."
 
This weekend will be the last two home games of the season for the Lady 'Rockers. Friday night they will host University of Colorado Colorado Springs. UCCS is often respected as one of the better teams in the RMAC and currently have an 11-4 record in conference play. The Mountain Lions defeated the Hardrockers in their first meeting this season.
 
The Mountain Lions' Brittany Hernandez has had a huge hand in their success this season. Hernandez is Top 5 in the RMAC in scoring, rebounding, blocks, and field goal percentage.
 
"She is fun to watch and hard to guard," said Coach Larsen of Hernandez. "Five kids need to know where she is at, at all times. Five kids need to defend her."
 
Saturday the MSU-Denver Roadrunners will take the court against the Hardrockers. MSU-Denver is on a three-game win streak, taking them to 9-6 in the RMAC. SD Mines fell to the Roadrunners in their previous meeting this season but with home-court advantage may have the upper hand come Saturday.
 
"They are a difficult matchup for us," Larsen said when asked about MSU Denver, "They are all 5-foot-10-inches to 5-11, just about everyone can shoot it and they all post up."
 
MSU-Denver boasts one of the RMAC's top defenses. The Roadrunners have only allowed opponents 56.8 points per game and have a positive scoring margin of 6.4 points.
 
"We need to get on top of these close games at some point," concluded an optimistic Coach Larsen. "It's just going to take one time for us to win one of those close ones to get that monkey off our back and we will be just fine."
 
There will be more than just basketball happening at the King Center this weekend. Friday's games will play host to Scholar Athlete Night, honoring those SD Mines athletes who have excelled in the classroom as well as their sport. Then at Saturday's games will be Pink-Out Night, so put on some pink and come support the Hardrockers!