CHADRON, Neb. – On Saturday afternoon, the Hardrockers finished up rivalry week with another rival, taking on Chadron State in Nebraska.
In the matchup between two teams who are 7-6 in the league, Chadron State was able to pick up the victory, 76-70 sending the Hardrockers to 9-11 (7-7).
HOW IT HAPPENED
Chadron State was able to get an early lead, getting out to a 19-12 advantage after a 9-3 run after the first media timeout. The Eagles would continue to maintain a 7-point advantage with 6. Alejandro Rama had a solid first half for the Hardrockers, scoring 14 points, but defensively, South Dakota Mines had trouble stopping the Eagles' offense and trailed 38-24 with 1:43 to go. The Hardrockers would close on a 6-0 run, trailing 38-30 at the half.
Early in the second half, Cameron Cohn hit a three but Chadron State would stretch the lead back to double-digits, 48-36. The Hardrockers would continue to fight, scoring six in a row after trailing by 16, 57-47, but Chadron State would continue to answer. Going back up by 16. Rama would hit a three with under three minutes to play to bring the deficit back within single digits, 69-60, advantage Chadron State. That would be followed by a Keagen Smith who had a great second half, hit a layup followed by a Rama three, cutting the Eagles' lead to 70-56 with 1:30 to play. In the end, it wasn't enough as a 4-point Chadron State spurt would seal it and the Hardrockers fell,
NOTES
Keagen Smith led the team in scoring with 24 points and recorded another double-double with 10 rebounds…Alejandro Rama scored 22 points, while Cameron Cohn had 16 points…Brannagh Walsh grabbed eight rebounds, while Rama added seven…Cohn recorded a season-high six assists, while Rama added four along with another four steals.
UP NEXT
The Hardrockers head back to the road for a pair of games next weekend as they take on MSU Denver and Colorado School of Mines next weekend.
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.
