DENVER, Colo. --- The South Dakota Mines men's basketball team held a double-digit lead for most of the first half, before it was back and forth towards the end of the game. The Hardrockers leaned on
Brevin Walter scoring a single-game school record, 45 points and wound up claiming a 93-88 victory.
How it Happened – Brevin Walter started the game off for the Hardrockers with a pair of three-pointers and that continued throughout the first half, with the Hardrockers on fire throughout the half. South Dakota Mines shot 51.6% and scored 46 points.
Brevin Walter scored 19 with Mortensen adding 14 and 4 assists to get the Hardrockers out to a 46-33 lead heading to the locker rooms.
Early in the second half, the Roadrunners were able to recapture momentum, outscoring the Hardrockers 19-7 over the first several minutes, bringing the 'Rockers lead to 53-52 with 15:03 to play but the Hardrockers would score the next nine to bring the lead back to double digits, 62-52. MSU Denver would continue to push back, with the Hardrockers keeping them at arms' reach leading 77-65 with 7:58 to go, led by 33 from Walter, 18 from Mortensen as well as 9 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 rebounds from
Kolton Frugoli. With 6:30 to go MSU Denver cut it to 8 on a layup, and to 4 with 5:09 to go. A Yaw Reener three from the Roadrunners would cut the Hardrocker lead to just 1 with over 3 minutes to play and Caleb McGill would tie it up at 81 on a pair of free throws. The two teams would continue to trade buckets down the stretch. With 24 seconds, the Hardrockers had the ball, leading 88-86,
Brevin Walter would be fouled hitting two free throws, giving him 43 points. MSU Denver hit a layup on the other end only to get the ball back in the hands of Walter, who was grabbed by the jersey resulting in a technical foul. He would hit the first, tying the school record, then hit the second to give him 45 on the night to break the record and lead South Dakota Mines to a 93-88 victory.
Notes – Brevin Walter broke the 50+ year-old single game record of Doug Schlepp (44 points vs. BHSU, 1973-74) with 45 points…Mortensen was also in double figures with 18 points and nine rebounds…
Kolton Frugoli once again played a great all-around game, scoring 12, adding seven assists, and 4 rebounds.
Up Next - The Hardrockers play at home next weekend before a two-week break. They take on CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands on Friday at 7:30 and Saturday at 6:00.
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.
