RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The men's basketball team took on Adams State Friday night, with playoffs on the line. In the second half, the Hardrocker offense exploded for 55 second-half points to pick up their third straight victory.
How it Happened – The Hardrockers went away from their recent trend high scoring first halves and leading early, as they were trailing 19-16 with just over 6 minutes remaining in the first half. That changed quickly, as the Hardrockers scored on five straight possessions, and outscored Adams State 14-3 to push out to a 25-22 lead. It would not slow down after a timeout, as
Brevin Walter and
Kolten Mortensen scored on back-to-back possessions, expanding the lead to 29-22 before a Chris Aibuedefe three-pointer would briefly slow South Dakota Mines' momentum. To end the half, the Hardrockers got an old-school three-point play from
Keagen Smith and a long ball from Walter, to take a 36-29 lead into the locker rooms at halftime.
Early in the second half, the Hardrockers would get hot, getting baskets from Walter, Rama, and Smith, expanding their lead to 13 with a 7-0 run. Later,
Brevin Walter would extend it to 15 after a crossover and a big throwdown. Rama would continue to play well, hitting a stepback three and the 'Rockers were in control, leading 73-50 with just under 10 minutes to play. The Hardrockers would continue to keep their foot on the pedal as they would get threes from
Trase Olsen, Rama, and Walter to go up, 89-64, and empty the bench as the Hardrockers recorded a 91-71 victory.
Notes – The Hardrocker offense exploded to the tune of 12-17 (70.6%) from three, 21-33 from the field (63.6%) and 55 points in the second half…
Alejandro Rama scored 29 points and
Brevin Walter added 22 in the game…
Kolten Mortensen was the leading rebounder and assist man with 8 and 4.
Up Next – The Hardrockers hope to continue to move closer to an RMAC playoff spot as they take on Fort Lewis Saturday at 6:00. They will honor
Kolten Mortensen for senior night.
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.
