RAPID CITY, S.D. – South Dakota Mines' men's basketball team closes its season this week with two contests at the King Center.
On Thursday, the Hardrockers are slated to battle with New Mexico Highlands at 5:30, while Saturday is senior day and scheduled for a 3:00 tip against Fort Lewis.
GAME INFORMATION
New Mexico Highlands
Date/Time: Feb. 27 / 7:30 p.m.
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Arena: King Center
Series Overall: New Mexico Highlands leads 10-3.
Streak: New Mexico Highlands Won 2
Series at South Dakota Mines: New Mexico Highlands leads 6-1.
Streak at South Dakota Mines: New Mexico Highlands Won 2
Watch Live: RMAC Network
Fort Lewis
Date/Time: March 1 / 3:00 p.m.
Site: Rapid City, S.D.
Arena: King Center
Series Overall: Fort Lewis leads 9-3.
Streak: Fort Lewis Won 5
Series at South Dakota Mines: Fort Lewis leads 5-1.
Streak at South Dakota Mines: Fort Lewis Won 2
Watch Live: RMAC Network
DEFENSIVE DOMINANCE
South Dakota Mines has continued to be a force on the defensive end, forcing teams to play in the half-court.
On the season, the Hardrockers allow teams to score just 67.3 points per game, which is the best in the RMAC and 26th in NCAA Division II.
NO TAKEAWAYS
Another strength for SDM this season has been their ability to take care of the ball.
South Dakota Mines turns the ball over at a very low rate, averaging 11.2 turnovers per game, the best in the league and top 50 at the Division II level.
STELLAR SMITH
Keagen Smith will wrap up his South Dakota Mines career this weekend, likely as a top-25 scorer in school history. He currently has 1,123 points and is 28th in school history.
He is eighth in the RMAC in steals and leads the league in minutes with 37:02 per contest, ninth in Division II.
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS
The Cowboys and Hardrockers are in the same spot heading into the weekend. Each team is 4-14 in RMAC play, and New Mexico Highlands is 11-15 overall.
As they typically are, New Mexico Highlands is a high-scoring bunch. They average 78.9 points per game, fourth best in the RMAC.
They like to force turnovers and push the pace, as they are third in the league in forced turnovers (14.23) per game and have a +2.8 turnover margin.
Highlands also crashes the glass on the offensive side, averaging 11.73 offensive rebounds per game.
Kenard Richardson leads the team, averaging 14.9 points per game, while Kyrie Thomas is their top shooter, hitting 1.96 threes per game.
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis is having another strong season. They are tied for fourth in the league with an 11-7 RMAC record and are 17-10 overall.
Another good scoring offense, Fort Lewis is third in the RMAC, averaging 79.3 points per game.
They get to the free throw line at a very high rate, averaging 25.8 attempts per game, eighth in NCAA Division II, and leading the conference.
Defensively, they force teams to make mistakes. They are leading the nation at the Division II level in steals per game with 12.7, forcing 19.67 turnovers per night (first RMAC, sixth NCAA Division II) and having a turnover margin of +7.2 (first RMAC, sixth NCAA Division II) per night.
Biko Johnson is the leading scorer in the league, averaging 17 points per game.
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, 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 and four associate members located in California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
