RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota School of Mines men's basketball team has just two games left  in the regular season and those two games will ultimately decide postseason future of the Hardrockers.
 
After dropping five straight conference games, the Hardrockers (12-14 overall) have turned the ship around and won their last two road games, taking them to 8-12 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. They sit one spot out of the playoffs right now, behind Adams State (9-12).
 
With the Top 8 teams in the conference making the RMAC Shootout (which starts Feb. 28), the Hardrockers find themselves in a position to earn the eighth and final spot, but also could potential finish the season as high as seventh --- if the stars align and everything falls into place.
 
"In some of our losses this season our seniors didn't play like they are capable of playing, but we are seeing them come through for us now," said Hardrocker men's basketball head coach Jason Henry of his graduating class. "It's great to see them finishing their careers strong and it is great to see what they've done the last couple of games."
 
SD Mines senior Konor Kulas is finishing his career with an impressive individual display. In the RMAC, Kulas ranks seventh in scoring (17.9 ppg), second in rebounding (9.1 rpg), and first in field goal percentage (.620). The Appleton, Wis., native currently has 1,451 points in his SD Mines basketball career and is currently ranked 10th in all-time scoring for the Hardrockers. He needs just eight points to move into the No. 9 spot (Chuck Neller (1,458)) and 13 markers to pass the No. 8 all-time scorer, Mitch Slusarski (1,463).
 
Looking ahead to Friday night, the Hardrockers will take on the Regis University Rangers in Denver, Colo. The Rangers are 18-8 overall and 12-8 in conference play and have already clinched a berth in the RMAC Shootout postseason tournament. The Rangers have performed well enough to be ranked No. 9 in the region and are currently on a roll, winning six of their last eight contests.
 
Regis is led by guard Jarrett Brodbeck who is first in the RMAC in three-point field goals per game and averages over 17 points per contest (10^th in the RMAC).
 
On the other end of the table is Chadron State College, the Hardrockers' Saturday matchup. The CSC Eagles have just two wins this season and are in last place in the RMAC standings with a 2-18 mark. The Eagles have dropped 12-straight games. However, in their previous meeting with the Hardrockers they only lost by five points, 76-71, back on Dec. 16, in Rapid City.
 
The easiest way for SD Mines to earn a playoff berth is to win their final two games, but there are a number of other scenarios that can take place if the Hardrockers split on the weekend road trip, which could potentially cause two-way and three-way ties with other teams. If that occurs, SD Mines could still punch their tickets to the RMAC shootout based on several tie-breaker options.
 
"There are just so many different scenarios that could end up playing out," Henry said. "It all comes down to if this team wins or if that teams loses. It all just reinforces what I've been saying all year about how competitive this league is."
 
Henry added he is more focused on what his team needs to do, and not on different tie-break situations, "Win two games and we have a heck of a chance to make it into the playoffs. That's all I'm worried about right now."
 
Friday's game is slated for a 5 p.m. start and Saturday's game will kick off at 7:30 p.m. Watch the game broadcasts and livestats on the RMAC Network at: https://portal.stretchinternet.com/sdsmt/ .