RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Mines took on Western Colorado on Thursday night, looking to get back on track.
They accomplished that goal with strong defense and good shooting throughout the night, picking up their second RMAC win, defeating the Mountaineers 72-61.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Keagen Smith got the Hardrockers off to a good start, hitting two three's and the Hardrockers got out to an early, 8-5 lead.
With the help of
Jasper Reinalda, South Dakota Mines increased its lead to double digits at 19-9 with 10 minutes to play in the first half.
Later in the half, an
Abel Hutchinson three expanded the Hardrockers' lead to 12, 26-14.
Western Colorado would fight their way back, cutting the deficit to seven, but going into the half, the 'Rockers maintained the 34-25 lead.
Early in the second half,
Tre Dowdell stayed hot, hitting a turnaround jumper, giving him 13 and keeping the Hardrockers lead just under double digits at 40-31.
Later, a
Guido Wanschelbaum post move and score, followed by a
Guillem Garcia three, pushed the lead to 45-31.
With 5:13 to play, the Hardrockers maintained a double-digit, 57-46 lead.
Keagen Smith would continue to have a big game, expanding the lead to 64-48 with a three-pointer with 3:34 to play.
Western Colorado would bring it back to single digits with an 8-0 run, cutting the Hardrockers' lead to 64-56 with 2:16 to play.
Late threes from Garcia and Dowdell clinched the game, and South Dakota Mines won 72-61.
NOTES
Keagen Smith had a strong night, finishing with 19 points on 7-11 shooting…
Tre Dowdell and
Abel Hutchinson had 18 and 11…
Guido Wanschelbaum finished with eight points and eight rebounds…As a team, the Hardrockers shot 55.8% from the field and 57.1% from three.
UP NEXT
The Hardrockers continue at home, playing against Westminster on Saturday afternoon.
You can find the latest on South Dakota Mines men's basketball all year long on X and Instagram (@hardrockermbb), and you can also follow on Facebook at Hardrocker Men's Basketball. The latest on South Dakota Mines athletics can be found by following us on X at @GoHardrockers.
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.
