GOLDEN, Colo. ---  The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team was competitive in the first half, before falling in defeat to Colorado Mines.

To start the game, both teams were playing good defense and weren't able to get much going in the first quarter, as Colorado Mines held an 11-8 lead.

Early in the second Piper Bauer hit a three, assisted by Ryan Weiss to tie it up. The offense was moving a little faster in the second. Later back-to-back Hardrocker threes by Bauer and Weiss would give the Hardrockers a 17-13 lead. To end the 2^nd quarter, Colorado Mines took advantage of some turnovers and built a 29-22 lead before a layup by Jansi Merz and another Bauer three, gaining momentum and heading into the locker rooms, Colorado Mines led 31-29.

The third quarter would start with Colorado Mines scoring the first six points, taking a 37-29 lead forcing a Hardrocker timeout. Out of the timeout, down 10, Anna Combalia banked in a three-point shot to help cut it to 6, but after cutting it to 43-35, Colorado Mines would end the quarter on a 13-0 run to take a 56-35 lead into the 4^th.

The bleeding would not stop early in the fourth with Colorado Mines scoring 8 in a row, taking a 64-35 lead. Merz would hit a pair of free throws to get the offense going, following it with an interior basket but could not eat into the deficit much continuing to score, but eventually falling 80-51.

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.