RAPID CITY, S.D. --- South Dakota Mines was competitive for much of the first half but had an almost 3-minute scoreless stretch that coincided with a 10-0 UCCS run that the Hardrockers were ultimately unable to come back from.
How It Happened –
Early in the first half,
Alejandro Rama was rolling, scoring the first 8 points for the Hardrockers, getting them out to an 8-4 lead. Going into the next media timeout, UCCS would outscore the Hardrockers 8-5 with the scoring coming from Alijah Comithier and Mac Stoddart. That run cut the deficit to 15-13. An 8-0 UCCS run coinciding with an over two-and-a-half-minute scoreless streak for South Dakota Mines led to UCCS going into the locker room with a lead of 35-24.
Trailing by 13 in the second half,
Brevin Walter and Rama would convert a 3-point play the traditional way and hit one from behind the arc, cutting the Mountain Lion lead to 7. The momentum wouldn't last, however, as UCCS would push their lead to a game-high 14, 56-42. The Hardrocker offense would continue to score, improving on the 24 first-half points by scoring 37 points but they couldn't get the defensive stops necessary to get back into the game, falling 80-61.
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 11 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.
