RAPID CITY, S.D. – On Wednesday evening, South Dakota mines and Black Hills State met up to renew the basketbrawl.
In the 202nd meeting, the Hardrockers were victorious in a low-scoring, defensive battle, getting the 59-54 victory to also pick up the season sweep for the first time since 2016-17.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Early in the first half, the two teams would keep it close, mostly matching each other offensively. At the 10-minute mark the two teams were locked at 16. The Hardrockers would finally get some space, getting back-to-back post scores from Keagen Smith and Brannagh Walsh before Cameron Cohn hit a three giving South Dakota Mines the seven-point, 27-20 advantage. Black Hills State would cut that deficit down throughout the remainder of the half going into the locker rooms with the Hardrockers leading 33-31.
To begin the second half, the Hardrockers scored five-in-a-row, but the two teams would continue to battle. With 13:15 remaining, the Hardrockers held a 43-39 lead. With 9:27 to play, Matthew Ragsdale scored his 22nd and 23rd points on a lay-in, giving the Yellow Jackets the 46-45 lead only to be answered by a Keagen Smith and-1 sparking a 12-0 run to take a 57-46 lead with just over 5-minutes to go.
Ragsdale would bring the Yellow Jackets back, however, hitting a jumper to make it a one possession game with under 1-minute to go, 57-54, advantage 'Rockers. Black Hills State would get a chance, but a couple of made South Dakota Mines free throws later and the Hardrockers picked up the victory and the season sweep, the first since 2016-17.
NOTES
Cameron Cohn led the team in scoring with 16, while Rama added 15…Keagen Smith chipped in for 13…Brannagh Walsh and Smith grabbed eight and seven rebounds...Rama also recorded five steals, while Smith stole it three times.
UP NEXT
The Hardrockers have another game on tap this week, taking on Chadron State on the road as they continue to try to improve their playoff position.
Fans can find the latest on South Dakota Mines men's basketball all year long on X and Instagram (@hardrockermbb), while also following on Facebook at South Dakota Mines Men'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
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.
