RAPID CITY, S.D. – The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team is looking to close the season on a strong note, starting with Chadron State College Friday night at the King Center.
The Hardrockers saved the best for last and came-from-behind to down the Eagles 53-47 for their second straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory. With the win, South Dakota Mines moves to 7-14 in league play, while the Eagles fall for the seventh straight time and are 4-17.
The Hardrockers broke out and led by as many as 12 points late, outscoring Chadron State 22-14 down the stretch to pick up the win.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Both teams struggled offensively for much of the opening quarter. The Eagles scored on their second possession, but the 'Rocker defense clamped down and held them scoreless for four minutes, 30 seconds. Sophomore
Savea Mansfield provided the spark offensively with four free throws and a layup for a 6-2 lead with 4:43 to play.
Chadron State bounced back and held the Hardrockers scoreless for two minutes before Mansfield hit 1-of-2 free throws, and freshman
Morning Grace Spotted Bear added two free throws for a 9-6 lead with just over two minutes remaining in the first.
South Dakota Mines hit just 1-of-11 from the field in the first quarter but nailed 9-of-10 from the free-throw line for an 11-10 lead at the end of one.
Points were scarce again in the second period before sophomore
Megan Alexander hit the Hardrockers first 3-pointer for a 20-19 lead. There were eight ties and 11 lead changes in the first half before the Eagles took a 23-22 lead into the locker room at halftime. It was a defensive battle in the first half as the 'Rockers hit 21 percent of their shots (5-of-24), while Chadron State shot 31 percent (9-of-29).
After Chadron State took a five-point lead early in the third, South Dakota Mines rallied and got consecutive layups by Mansfield and Spotted Bear and a short jumper by sophomore
Alexis Backhaus to regain the lead at 30-28.
The Eagles responded with five straight points and led 33-31 going into the fourth quarter.
Most of the fourth quarter belonged to the Hardrockers. A basket by junior
Piper Bauer and a 3-pointer by senior
Madelyn Heiser put the 'Rockers up by three. A three-point play by senior
Naomi Hidalgo, a jumper by Mansfield and a 3-pointer by sophomore
Lauren Herman gave the 'Rockers a 46-37 lead.
Hidalgo's 3-pointer at the top of the key gave South Dakota Mines its first double-digit lead at 49-39 with 3:13 to play. The Eagles used a late 8-1 run to cut the 12-point lead to five with 15 seconds remaining.
Bauer hit 1-of-2 free throws and South Dakota Mines held on for the 53-47 victory.
NOTES
Savea Mansfield led the way offensively for the Hardrockers with 13 points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field and 7-of-8 from the free-throw line. She added seven rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocked shots.
Naomi Hidalgo came on in the fourth quarter with eight points and finished with 12 on 5-of-10 shooting from the field, hitting her lone 3-point attempt and her only free throw. She added six rebounds and had two assists. Bauer scored six of her eight points in the fourth and grabbed six rebounds.
Morning Grace Spotted Bear scored seven points and had a team-high eight rebounds along with five steals. As a team, the 'Rockers shot 61 percent from the field in the fourth (8-of-13). They connected on 3-of-5 3-pointers and hit 32 percent for the game at 17-of-53, along with 4-of-17 3s and 15-of-21 free throws. South Dakota Mines outrebounded the Eagles 33-26 and had 14 steals in the contest.
UP NEXT
South Dakota Mines closes the season Saturday afternoon at 4 p.m. when they host Colorado Christian University for Senior Night. Hardrockers to be honored will be
Naomi Hidalgo,
Madelyn Heiser and
Lily Peterson.
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.
