RAPID CITY, S.D. --- After battling for much of the game, the Hardrocker men's basketball team struggled for a stretch in the second half and couldn't overtake the Griffins.
The men's basketball team didn't get off to a great start offensively with some early turnovers. Westminster got out to a 5-0 lead after a Matt Kitzman three and a Lewis Johnson layup.
Kolten Mortensen would get South Dakota Mines on the board with a three-pointer. Moments later,
Brevin Walter would draw an offensive foul via a charge, then hit a three on the other end, giving the Hardrockers an early 6-5 lead. The offenses weren't able to get much going with the score just 14-10, advantage Westminster with 11:20 to go. They would stretch that lead to 16-10 on a Taylor Miller jumper, however, South Dakota Mines would respond with a 5-0 run, with a Mortensen three and a layup by
Bryce Sherrell.
Alejandro Rama would join the party hitting a three to extend the run to 8-0 and give the Hardrockers an 18-16 lead. The offenses were starting to roll then answering bucket for bucket with Mortensen hitting another three off of Rama's third dime of the half, followed by Matt Kitzman hitting one for the Griffins. Only to be followed by another Mortensen three and another Rama assist. Each of Kitzman and Mortensen had 12. Westminster would call a timeout.
Early in the second half, the two teams picked up where they left off in the first with the offenses rolling. Mortensen would continue to play well, hitting another three, but the Hardrockers were trailing 41-39. The two teams continued to trade baskets until Reme Torbert hit a three, giving the Griffins a 52-46 lead. They would continue to expand on that lead, going up 57-46 forcing a South Dakota Mines timeout. The Hardrockers would fight back, cutting the deficit to 64-60 after a
Bryce Sherrell layup and a
Keagen Smith three. Matt Kitzman would continue his strong night, putting an end to the run with a three-point play. From there, Westminster would re-open up a double-digit lead and close out the game, winning 76-70.
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.
