SIOUX FALLS, S.D. --- The Hardrocker Men's Basketball team finished up the East/West Challenge on Saturday, taking on top-25 opponent, MSU Moorhead at the Pentagon in Sioux Falls.
How It Happened – The Hardrockers played a good first half, going into the locker room, down five, 41-36.
Brevin Walter and
Kolten Mortensen led the offense in the first half, both scoring in double digits with Walter scoring 15 and Mortensen adding 11.
Mortensen hit a three to open up the Hardrocker scoring in the second half, briefly cutting the deficit to two points, however, the South Dakota Mines offense would slow down and Jacob Beeninga and MSU Moorhead would be too much. First, an 8-0 run stretched their lead to 10, then they would continue their momentum, going up 69-51, before winning 74-57.
The second half was a battle, with the Hardrockers cutting it to within a couple of possesions, several times, including going on a 10-0 run, however the Hardrockers were not able to keep it up and Augustana closed the game on an 18-0 run, pulling away late for the 82-60 defeat. Beeninga scored 28 for the Dragons.
Leaders – Kolten Mortensen led the team with 22 points on 5-11 shooting and added a team leading 7 rebounds…
Brevin Walter added 16 points.
Up Next – South Dakota Mines has six days off, before taking on MSU Billings in a post-thanksgiving matchup on Friday, Nov. 25 scheduled for 6:00 p.m.
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 10 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.
