Rapid City senior Taylor Molstad made sure of it on their final try. After Friday night's win over Colorado Colorado Springs, the Hardrockers held off a good Colorado School of Mines squad Saturday, 56-54, to close their home schedule.

Molstad, a Rapid City Stevens High School graduate, closed her final two games with a bang, scoring 22 points in each of the last two contests. Friday night, she went over the 1,000-point mark in her career.

"It was the longest two games of the season honestly; I just wanted to win so bad, get a home sweep, something we have been trying to do all season," Molstad said. "It felt so good; it was a great way to go out."

It wasn't easy as the Hardrockers led by six with about five minutes to play, but couldn't shake off the Orediggers. SD Mines went scoreless the final 5:50, but didn't let Colorado Mines completely catch up.

The final three seconds took about 10 minutes in real time with three time outs — one by each team — and a long look at the monitor by the game officials when it was eventually ruled that the shot clock ran out on the Hardrockers.

But the Orediggers were not able to get a shot off and the Hardrockers celebrated their 11th win of the season (11-14, 8-13 in RMAC).

"I don't know how long it was 56-52, but it seemed like it was the entire fourth quarter, although I know it wasn't," Mines coach Ryan Larsen said. "When we were up six and up four, I was feeling really darn good. We will get two more baskets, three more baskets if we're lucky; we're going to get this thing done. But we just kept getting stop after stop.

"It was an incredible defensive effort on our part."

SD Mines' biggest lead was six points in the fourth period and Colorado Mines' biggest lead was five points in the first. Other than that, it was a back-and-forth game until those final minutes.

The Hardrockers led 31-30 at halftime and 43-42 going into the fourth.

Despite some struggles in the win column, Larsen said he has been saying this for a while that this has been a rewarding season. Things just hadn't gone their way as far as injuries and tough breaks.

"We were expecting a good year and we weren't able to do that with a lot of kids out. But we continue to just battle, battle and battle, and just continue to get better," he said. 

"Two months ago we could have thrown in the towel, but Taylor Molstad wouldn't let this group do it. It's her senior year and she was going to go out with a bang. There is no better way to do than have our one home sweep of the year on the final weekend, where she scores her 1,000th point on senior night."

In the final couple of possessions Molstad said they were focused on getting the last rebound and staying strong; just playing strong defense.

It was the best way possible for her to end her home career as a Hardrocker.

"I don't even have the words to say it, it just means so much," she said. "We had a big crowd today, it felt so good to get the win for them, knowing they have been behind me the past four years.

"I was trying to get my 1,000th point and that took off the pressure tonight. I wanted to go out and have fun on my senior night."

Junior Anna Haugen also had a big game with 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Hardrockers. Denali Pinto led all scorers for the Orediggers, 13-8, 16-10, with 25 points and nine rebounds

"Denali Pinto is a tough kid to guard; she is going to be a handful in the next three years," Larsen said. "By that fourth quarter we had a lot of help on her and made it difficult for her. That was probably the biggest thing, not letting them go on a big run."

The Hardrockers look to keep the momentum Friday night when they face arch-rival Black Hills State University in Spearfish.

In reflection, Molstad said that staying home was the best decision she could have made.

"I had my family in the stands every night, all through high school and all through college," she said. "It meant everything that they could be here and celebrate this with me."

And she'll get one more shot at the Yellow Jackets.

"I've never won a game up in Spearfish, so that is our next goal right there," she said.\