Rapid City, S.D.--- The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team opened the 2022-23 campaign Friday night against the University of Texas Permian Basin Falcons. The Falcons traveled up to Rapid City from Odessa, TX. and won the game 72-55 in the first day of the Conference Challenge Tournament.
The Hardrockers will now face West Texas A&M at 7:00 PM in the Goodell Gymnasium.
How It Happened - The Hardrockers looked to have first game jitters as the offense was not on point in the first quarter. The Hardrockers trailed after one quarter of play 14-6.
The second quarter started like the first as the Hardrockers had trouble breaking the zone defense of the Falcons. With 2:22 left in the half the Falcons were up 37-10. The Hardrockers put together a little run at the end of the half scoring six straight points, but the Falcons took a 38-16 lead into the half.
Piper Bauer led the Hardrockers with five points at halftime.
In the second half the Hardrockers scored 10 points in the first five minutes of the third quarter but still trailed the Falcons 50-26. The Hardrockers started to find their grove as they put 20 points on the board but were still behind at the end of the third quarter 57-36.
The Hardrockers started the fourth quarter with back-to-back three pointers by
Madelyn Heiser and
Kaydin Davis. The Hardrockers kept fighting in the fourth cutting the gap in the score to 14 with five minutes to go in the game. With 2:10 left in the game the Hardrockers were behind the Falcons 70-55. The Falcons would go on to win the game 72-55.
Notes – Bauer led all scorers with 19 points in the loss...Heiser chipped in 12 for the Hardrockers…
Lily Peterson had five assists.
