RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team was looking to get back in the win column in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play but came up short as Colorado Mesa University pulled away in the fourth quarter Saturday night at Brownson Gym in Grand Junction, Calif.
The Mavericks led by just four points going into the fourth quarter but outscored the Hardrockers 20-11 the rest of the way for the 71-58 win. The loss dropped South Dakota Mines to 4-7 in the RMAC.
How It Happened
Colorado Mesa jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead before the Hardrockers began to chip away. South Dakota Mines tied the game at 11-11 on baskets by sophomore
Lauren Herman, freshman
Morning Grace Spotted Bear and junior
Piper Bauer. The Hardrockers took their first lead of the game on a 3-pointer by Herman and they took a 14-13 lead into the second period.
The Hardrockers had a strong start to the second, leading 19-15 after baskets by senior
Naomi Hidalgo and Bauer. Colorado Mesa responded with seven straight points but layups by Hidalgo and Herman put the Hardrockers briefly back in front and again at 28-27 on a sophomore
Savea Mansfield basket. The Mavericks came back and took a 29-28 lead into the locker room at halftime.
It was still a one-point deficit by the Hardrocker on layups by Mansfield and Bauer and again at 39-38 with 5:20 to play in the quarter on a pair of free throws by Bauer. Mesa led by six before a 3-pointer by sophomore Alex Bakhaus and two free throws by Mansfield cut the lead to 46-45. The Mavericks would go on to take a 51-47 lead into the fourth period.
A layup by Spotted Bear cut the lead to two early in the fourth but Mesa scored five straight points before senior
Madelyn Heiser ended the run. But the Mavericks came right back with 12 straight points to take control and lead 70-53 with 1:37 to play. A 3-pointer by Bauer and basket by Mansfield ended the nearly six-minute scoring drought for the Hardrockers and Mesa finished with the 71-58 win.
Notes
The Hardrockers were led in scoring by
Piper Bauer with 15 points on 6-of-16 shooting from the field.
Savea Mansfield added 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting, including 1-of-1 3-pointers.
Naomi Hidalgo added eight points and five assists, while
Morning Grace Spotted Bear finished with seven points, 12 rebounds and three assists.
Lauren Herman had seven points and
Madelyn Heiser had five points and six rebounds.
As a team, the Hardrockers shot 40 percent from the field (23-of-57) and hit 5-of-13 3-pointers from five different players. South Dakota Mines was out-rebounded 37-33.
Up Next
The Hardrockers return to action Friday, Jan. 26 at home when they host CSU Pueblo at 5:30 p.m. at the King Center and host rival Black Hills State University Wednesday, Jan. 31, also at 5:30 p.m. Fans can find the latest on South Dakota Mines women's basketball all year long on X and Instagram (@hardrockerwbb), while also following on Facebook at South Dakota Mines Women's Basketball. The latest on South Dakota Mines athletics can be found by following us on X at @GoHardrockers, hardrockerathletics on Instagram and Hardrocker Athletics on Facebook.
ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA MINES
South Dakota Mines 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.
