LAKEWOOD, Colo. --- In a tight contest full of hot three-point shooting it was Colorado Christian who emerged with the victory thanks to 39 points from Ross Williams.

Early in the first half, the Hardrockers were able to get out to a good start, up 14-6 early. Ross Williams for the Cougars got off to a hot start, scoring their first 17 points. Eventually, that would get them caught up, with the Hardrockers leading 19-17. From there, the scoring would start to balance out for the Cougars, and they would take control of the game, getting out to a 33-23 lead. Towards the end of the half, the two teams were matching three-for-three with Brevin Walter and Bryce Sherrell hitting them for the Hardrockers with a CCU answer from Andy Stafford. The Hardrockers would pick up some momentum though, after the second three, getting a pair of free throws from Kolton Frugoli to cut the deficit to 5 before an 11th three of the first half by the Cougars. To end the half Keagen Smith drilled a three to go into the locker rooms with the Hardrockers trailing 39-34.

Early in the second half, Kolten Mortensen would score off of a post-move, followed by a 1-2 trip to the free throw line for Smith which cut the Cougar lead to 41-37. Following the media timeout, Frugoli would hit a three, cutting the CCU lead to 1. Andy Stafford would immediately answer for the Cougars. Unfortunately for the Hardrockers, Ross Williams and Andy Stafford would continue to cook, hitting back-to-back threes expanding their lead to 7. It was Williams' 7th three of the game. South Dakota Mines would continue to have success offensively, getting a 6-point spurt to cut the Cougar lead to 57-55. A bit later, Ross Williams would continue to torment the Hardrockers, this time it was a 4-point play and then another three-pointer, leading to a South Dakota Mines timeout. Out of the timeout, Smith would hit a three, cutting the Cougar lead back to one possession at 66-63. Moments later a Mortensen three would be answered by an and-one by, you guessed it, Ross Williams who had now scored 38 points and upped the Cougar lead to 70-66 with just over a minute to play. South Dakota Mines couldn't get the stops they needed, falling 73-66.

About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 11 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.