By: Con Marshall
CSC Sports Information
A 13-0 surge late in the game boosted the Chadron State College men's basketball team to a 69-63 win over South Dakota Mines in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference action in Rapid City on Friday night.
The Hardrockers led 54-50 when the Eagles launched their rally with just over six minutes remaining.
An old-fashioned 3-point play by center Porter Anderson got the ball rolling. It was followed by two baskets by forward Josh Robinson and 3-pointers by Jarrett Taylor and Dalton Peterson that put the Eagles ahead 63-54 with 3:33 remaining.
The Hardrockers didn't fold. Two free throws and a layup by Keegan Smith kept the home team in contention. But a dunk by the Eagles' John Jenkins just before the shot clock expired gave the visitors another big lift.
Jenkins also scored again with 24 seconds remaining to help offset a five-point splurge by the Hardrockers' Alejandro Rama in the final minute.
Even though he missed his first seven field goal shots, the Eagles' Bryce Latimer was the game's leading scorer with 18 points, 14 of them in the second half. Robinson added 14 points to go with a game-high 12 rebounds, while Anderson scored 12 points and Patterson nine by making three of his team's four treys.
Rama paced Mines with 16 points, Cameron Cohn and Kolton Frugoli each had 14 and Smith 11. Frugoli also grabbed 10 rebounds.
The win snapped the Eagles' six-game losing streak and improves their chances of making the RMAC playoffs. Both Chadron State and Mines are now 9-12 in the conference and are tied with Colorado State-Pueblo for seventh through ninth in the standings entering Saturday night's final games of the regular season. The top eight teams make the playoffs.
The Eagles will play at Black Hills State, Mines will host Colorado Christian and Pueblo will visit Regis tonight
Chadron State—Bryce Latimer 18, Josh Robinson 14, Porter Anderson 12, Dalton Peterson 9, John Jenkins 6, Jarrett Taylor 5, Martin Poznanovic 3, Jalen Patterson 2. Totals: 29-71 (4-19) 7-11 69 points, 42 rebounds, 12 turnovers, 5 assists.
South Dakota Mines—Alejandro Rama 16, Cameron Cohn 14, Kolton Frugoli 14, Keagen Smith 11, Brannagh Walsh 4, Abel Hutchinson 2, Guillem Garcia 2. Totals: 28-66 (4-20) 3-8 63 points, 30 rebounds, 15 turnovers, 6 assists.
Chadron State 30 39 ----69
South Dakota Mines 32 31 ----63
3-pointers: CSC—Peterson 3, Taylor 1. SDM—Cohn 2, Rama 1, Smith 1.