RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Mines' men's basketball team has a pair of home games to wrap up their home schedule and the regular season for the 2023-24 season.
Currently, the Hardrockers are sitting in the seventh seed in the RMAC, but very much have things to play for with the season wrapping up. One win will get them into the RMAC playoffs while various scenarios could lead to them being the six, seven or eight seed as the opening round of the playoffs is set for Tuesday, March 5.
GAME INFORMATION
Chadron State
Date/Time: March 1 / 5:30 p.m. MT
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Arena: King Center
Series Overall: Chadron State leads 117-67.
Streak: Chadron State Won 3
Series at South Dakota Mines: South Dakota Mines leads 15-6 (Since 1994)
Streak at South Dakota Mines: Chadron State Won 1
Last Meeting: Adams State Won in Rapid City, 83-77 (1/6/24).
Watch Live: RMAC Network |
www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines/
CCU
Date/Time: March 2 / 7:30 p.m. MT
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Arena: King Center
Series Overall: South Dakota Mines leads 7-4.
Streak: CCU Won 1
Series at South Dakota Mines: South Dakota Mines leads 4-1.
Streak at South Dakota Mines: South Dakota Mines Won 3
Last Meeting: Fort Lewis won in Rapid City, 82-76 (1/5/24).
Watch Live: RMAC Network |
www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines/
KEAGEN KILLING IT
Keagen Smith has had the best year of his career and has been especially strong over the past couple of months. He has scored in double digits in 10 of the last 12 games, averaging 16.3 points per game in that stretch to up his season average to 13.1. This past weekend, Keagen scored 48 points on 16 of 25 shooting and 9-15 from three-point range. For the season, he's hitting 42.1% from three-point range, third in the RMAC.
LEAVING A LEGACY
Alejandro Rama has scored 1,493 points for his career, 8th in school history. Once he hits 1,500, he will be just the eighth player in school history to reach that milestone.
CONSISTENT CAM
Cameron Cohn has had a great first season with the Hardrockers as he is leading the team in scoring and is third in the RMAC, averaging 18.5 points per game. He gets to the free throw line at a high rate, leading the RMAC with 166 attempts and hitting 75.9% from there.
RAMA RUNS THE RMAC
After three RMAC All-Conference selections,
Alejandro Rama has one upped himself this year, not just as one of the leading scorers in the RMAC (fifth, 17.5 points per game), but in sitting on the leaderboard in nearly every category. He averages 5.1 rebounds per game (16th), hits 41.1% of his shots (22nd) and 33.5% of his three's (12th). It doesn't end there as he makes 2.5 threes per game, the third-best in the league, averages three assists per game and has an assist-to-turnover ratio of 1.0, both eighth in the RMAC. On the defensive end, his .8 blocks per game and 2.1 steals per game are sixth and second in the conference.
PLAYOFF SCENARIOS
South Dakota Mines is close to clinching a playoff spot for the first time since 2020-21, just need one win to qualify. If they were not able to pick up a win this weekend, New Mexico Highlands or CSU Pueblo would need to win two. The Hardrockers also have a chance to move up to the sixth seed or down to the eighth seed.
SCOUTING CHADRON STATE
Chadron State is also looking to secure a playoff spot this weekend and the Friday matchup is a big one in terms of seeding. With Chadron State sitting at 11-15 overall and 8-12 in the RMAC, just one game behind the Hardrockers, this matchup will likely decide the seven seed vs. the eight seed.
Chadron State has struggled away from the Chicoine Center, going 2-9 on the road this season.
Bryce Latimer is one of the tougher matchups in the RMAC as he averages 19.1 points per game, second most in the conference and does it on high efficiency, hitting 46% of his shots, 16th in the conference.
Dalton Peterson is also dangerous, hitting 39.9% from three-point range, the sixth-best mark in the RMAC.
The Eagles are stronger on the offensive side of the ball than the defensive as they are sixth in the league, scoring 78.5 points per game, but allowing 79.6 per game which is 12th.
Rebounding is also a strength as the Eagles average 37.5 per game which is one of the best marks in the league.
They pass the ball at an elite level as well, averaging 14.69 assists per game, third in the RMAC.
The last time these two teams met, earlier this year Chadron State was able to emerge victorious, 76-70 with Latimer nearly posting a triple-double, scoring 17 points 10 rebounds and eight assists along with two blocks and two steals.
SCOUTING CCU
CCU is no longer in the mix for a playoff spot as they are 10-16 overall with an RMAC record of 6-14.
Noah Kon is their offensive leader as he scores 15.3 points per game, hitting 43.9% of his shots. Kon averages three assists per game, to sit in a tie for seventh in the league.
Bradley Land is a top 10 rebounder in the conference, averaging 5.6 per game.
Rebounding is a strength for the Cougars as they are fifth in offensive rebounding, gathering 10.7 per game and they allow 33.7 rebounds per game to opponents to sit in the top half of the league.
Colorado Christian is not strong on the defensive end as they allow 79.9 points per game on that end, the second most in the RMAC. They allow teams to shoot 48.5%, the highest percentage in the league.
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 Hardrocker 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
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.
