SPEARFISH, S.D. --- The Hardrockers were no match for the shooting of Black Hills State on Thursday night but kept it close until Black Hills State pulled away in the second half.
In the first half, Black Hills State started with all of the momentum, going up 11-0, before
Brevin Walter and
Alejandro Rama answered with a pair of three-pointers going into the first media timeout. Out of the timeout,
Keagen Smith would hit a pair of free throws, extending the Hardrocker run to 8-0 before Joel Scott answered with a basket, starting an 8-0 Black Hills State run. The Hardrockers would continue to fight but, Black Hills State would continue to lead 34-25 with under 5-minutes to go in the first half. At the half, the Hardrockers trailed 39-29.
Ealy in the second half, Black Hills State scored 5 early with a layup from Joel Scott, before Rama hit a three, followed by a lay-in from
Brannagh Walsh. A couple of minutes later, the Hardrockers would call a timeout, down 48-34. Out of that, the Hardrockers would cut it to 10 once again after baskets by Walsh and Walter. After the media timeout, Black Hills State would score 6-in-a-row, giving them their biggest lead of the night at 56-40. The Yellowjackets would continue to play well offensively, taking a 63-44 lead before
Bryce Sherrell hit a tough turnaround jump shot. Black Hills State would then take over the game, getting out to a 73-46 lead with 6:40 remaining. South Dakota Mines would continue to fight but the deficit was too much, and PJ Hayes was hitting everything, scoring 26 points on 8-10 from three-point range. When the clock hit zeroes, BHSU had won 86-65.
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 14 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.
