RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota Mines men's basketball team is hosting a pair of home games this weekend after splitting its first two games last weekend.
GAME INFORMATION
MSU Moorhead
Date/Time: Nov. 17 / 7:30 p.m. MT
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Arena: King Center
Series Overall: MSU Moorhead leads 1-0.
Streak: MSU Moorhead Won 1
Last Meeting: MSU Moorhead won in Sioux Falls, 74-57 (11/19/2023).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines
Augustana
Date/Time: Nov. 18 / 7:00 p.m. MT
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Arena: King Center
Series Overall: Augustana leads 5-1 (Since 2012).
Streak: Augustana Won 2
Last Meeting: Augustana won in Sioux Falls, 82-60 (11/18/2022).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines
RAMA STARS
Alejandro Rama picked up right where he left off last season in the opening weekend. After coming off a year, where he was a top-5 RMAC scorer, he opened the season with 19.5 points per game, including a 31-point game on Saturday. On Friday night, he added 10 rebounds and 5 blocks, while on Saturday, he posted 7 rebounds and 7 steals with 4 assists.
BALANCED ATTACK
The Hardrockers have four players in double-digit scoring after the opening weekend with Cameron Cohn, Brannagh Walsh, and Keagen Smith averaging 11.5, 11, and 10 points per game, while Kotlon Frugoli is also there, averaging 9.5.
CRASHING THE BOARDS
South Dakota Mines does a good job crashing the glass, despite not having a ton of traditional bigs. Rama, Frugoli, Cohn, Smith, and Guido Wanschelbaum all averaged 4.5 or more rebounds in the first pair of games.
IN THE WIN COLUMN
After falling in the first game, the Hardrockers were able to get into the win column on Saturday against Texas A&M International, thanks to a great shooting night as the team shot 53.2% and 43.5% from three-point range. Rama had 31 points but joining him in double figures were Kolton Frugoli (14), Cameron Cohn (14), and Guido Wanschelbaum (13).
SCOUTING MSU MOORHEAD
Coming off a strong 2022-23 season which included an RMAC Tournament championship and a berth in the NCAA Playoffs, the Dragons were selected fourth in the NSIC preseason coaches' poll.
Jacob Beeninga was the team's leading scorer in 2022-23, averaging 17.5 points per game. Dane Zimmer returns as the team's leading rebounder, averaging 8.9 rebounds per game to go along with 8.6 points and 1.1 blocks per game. Gabe Myren, Logan Kinsey, and Jordan Johnson also return as key bench players from last season, looking to increase their roles. Two more Division I transfers joined the fold in the offseason in Jacob Jennissen and Jamir Price from Colorado State and Cleveland State.
Their season started unblemished, with wins over Missouri Southern and Washburn University, a traditional power.
They were predictably led in scoring by Beeninga and Zimmer, averaging 24.5 and 16 points per game, while another transfer, Ja'Kair Sanchez scored 13 per game. Kinsey and Price also scored in double figures. Zimmer added 20 rebounds while Kinsey added 16.
SCOUTING AUGUSTANA
The Vikings finished just 15-14 in 2022-23, a bit down for them as a traditionally strong program, however, they bring back several key players.
Leading scorer and rebounder Isaac Fink is back after averaging 14.1 points and 7.7 rebounds last year. Jadan Graves and Akoi Akoi also return as double-digit scorers from a season ago.
In all, they return four of five starters and five student-athletes who saw action in all 29 games. Also returning as sophomores are Caden Hinker, Sam Rensch, and Brady Helgren who also played in all 29 games.
Similar to the Hardrockers, Augustana opened their season last weekend with a split.
Fink and Graves each averaged over 20 points in their opening weekend with Helgren adding 11.5 per game. Helgren and Fink averaged 8 and 7 rebounds per game to lead the team, while Graves and Fink also added 7 assists each.
Overall, as a team, the Vikings shot 48.1% from the field and 40.7% from three-point range.
LOOKING AHEAD
Following this weekend, the Hardrockers have a few days off, until playing at MSU Billing on Saturday, Nov. 25, and then again Monday, Nov. 27 against Black Hills State.
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 13 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.
