RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team was looking to break a two-game losing skid in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play Friday night at the King Center against Colorado State Pueblo.
The Hardrockers did it in a big way, never trailing and led by as much as 29 points before crushing the ThunderWolves 71-44. South Dakota Mines combined outstanding play on offense, shooting nearly 50 percent, and on defense, giving up just 12 points in the second half. The win was the largest victory for South Dakota Mines since beating Chadron State College by 27 points Feb. 26, 2021 in Chadron, Neb.
The win moved the Hardrockers to 5-7 in RMAC play and dropped CSU Pueblo to 6-6.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Hardrockers ran out to a nice 10-4 lead behind four points each from junior
Piper Bauer and sophomore
Savea Mansfield. Two straight 3-pointers by Bauer put South Dakota Mines up 20-10 with just under two minutes remaining in the opening period.
CSU Pueblo responded with four straight points and the Hardrockers took a 20-14 lead into the second quarter. Bauer had 12 points and Mansfield six points as the 'Rockers hit 9-of-15 from the field (60%) in the first period.
A three-point play by senior
Naomi Hidalgo and another 3-pointer by Bauer put the Hardrockers up 26-16 early in the second. A layup by Hidalgo kept South Dakota Mines up 32-24 with four minutes until halftime.
The ThunderWolves scored the final four points of the quarter as the Hardrockers led 36-32 at the halftime break. Hidalgo had eight points in the period and Bauer still led the way with 17 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field, including 3-of-5 3-pointers.
Hidalgo stayed red hot in the early part of the third, opening with two layups. Baskets by freshman
Morning Grace Spotted Bear and Mansfield, and another by Hidalgo put the Hardrockers back up 46-36 three minutes into the quarter.
Five straight points by Bauer and a jumper by Hidalgo gave the Hardrockers a 15-point lead. A late turnaround hook shot by Mansfield, followed by another 3-pointer by Bauer in the final seconds put them up by 20, 58-38 going into the fourth. The 'Rockers, still shooting 54 percent from the field, outscored the ThunderWolves 22-6 in the third period.
South Dakota Mines kept that momentum early in the fourth, scoring the first six points and leading by 26. The Hardrockers cooled off offensively a bit before a basket by Mansfield, a three-point play by Hidalgo and a basket by Spotted Bear put them back up by 29 with three minutes to play.
South Dakota Mines would go on to close the game for the 71-44 win, giving up just six points again in the fourth quarter.
NOTES
Piper Bauer had another outstanding night offensively, leading the Hardrockers with 25 points and three steals.
Naomi Hidalgo dominated on both ends of the court with a season-high 22 points on 10-of-17 shooting, along with eight rebounds and three steals. Savea Mansfeld and
Morning Grace Spotted Bear also scored in double figures with 14 and 10 points respectively. Mansfield had her second double-double of the year with 10 rebounds and Spotted Bear added five boards. As a team, the 'Rockers shot 48 percent from the field (31-of-65) and hit 5-of-14 3-pointers. South Dakota Mines out-rebounded the taller ThunderWolves 38-22, outscoring CSU Pueblo 40-28 in the paint.
UP NEXT
The Hardrockers stay home with a mid-week conference contest, hosting rival Black Hills State University Wednesday, Jan. 31, at the King Center. Tipoff inside Goodell Gymnasium is at 5:30 p.m. On Saturday, Feb. 3, South DaKota Mines travels to Chadron, Neb., to take on Chadron State College at 1 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.
