DENVER, Colo. --- The South Dakota Mines women's basketball dominated the glass and were able to fight their way back into it midway through the third, after trailing by 13. For the second straight game, the Hardrockers had 23 offensive rebounds. Prior to this weekend, that hadn't happened in a game since 2011. The 52 total rebounds were also the most since 2/7/15 (57, vs. Johnson & Wales). The Hardrockers and Roadrunners would trade baskets down the stretch and after fouls on three straight possessions with under 30 seconds to go, MSU Denver escaped with a one point win.
How it Happened – Early in the first quarter, MSU Denver would be able to get out to a fast start, leading 8-2 and eventually 13-2, with Kendra Parra leading with five points. Going into the second quarter, the Roadrunners held an 18-9 lead.
In the second, the Hardrockers would do a great job on the offensive glass with 10 offensive rebounds for the game with just over five minutes to go in the second quarter and the Hardrockers had a late surge, cutting it to seven, before an MSU Denver three before the buzzer gave them a 32-23 lead at half.
Early in the third quarter, a 7-0 run with five points from
Naomi Hidalgo would cut the deficit to 35-30. With just under five minutes to go in the quarter,
Piper Bauer hit a jumper to pull the Hardrockers within 4, 38-34. A great skip pass into the post from Bauer to Heiser would make the score, Roadrunners, 41-38 with 1:48 to play in the third.
Bailey Johnson would hit a layup, followed by a pair of free throws by Hidalgo, giving the Hardrockers their first lead, 42-41, before a jumper from Mariana Silva Pereira closed the third quarter with MSU Denver leading 43-42.
In the fourth, the Hardrockers would continue to own the boards, but the quarter would start slow on the offensive end for both sides, but MSU Denver led 47-46 with 5:57 to go, before a
Jansi Merz layup regained the lead for South Dakota Mines. The Roadrunners would score 4-in-a-row with under five minutes to play, to take a 55-50 lead, but the Hardrockers would answer with four-in-a-row, cutting the deficit to 55-54 after a pair of Hidalgo free throws. The Hardrockers would force a turnover on the following possession and Hidalgo would come through again, scoring in the post, taking a 56-55 lead. Hidalgo would continue to dominate, hitting a layup with 16.3 seconds to go, expanding the lead to 58-55 and giving her 16 in the game with 10 in the fourth. On the other end, Hidalgo would get called for a foul on a three. Parra would hit all three tying it up at 58. With the Hardrockers in possession,
Madelyn Heiser got fouled and hit one, but another foul would send MSU Denver to the stripe, where they would hit both, escaping with a 60-59 win.
Game Notes – Naomi Hidalgo had 16 points to lead the team, including 10 in the fourth quarter… Dutsche added 13 rebounds with six coming offensively, the most by a Hardrocker since 2019.
Up Next - The Hardrockers finish out their pre-break schedule next weekend, back at home in the friendly confines of the King Center. They take on CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands on Friday at 5:30 and Saturday at 4:00.
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.
