Eagles Drop Regular Season Finale, Apparently Make RMAC Tournament Anyway

By Con Marshall BOX SCORE

 The Chadron State College men played some of their best basketball of the season Saturday night at Black Hills State University, but still wound up losing 94-83 in overtime in the regular season finale for both teams.

They led all the way after breaking an 8-8 deadlock about 5-minutes into the game until Black Hills State tied the score at 76-76 on a layup with 16 seconds remaining. That sent the regular-season finale into overtime, when the Yellow Jackets outscored their visitors 18-7 to win 94-83.
             
Despite the disappointing outcome, apparently there’s still some positive news for the Eagles and their fans.  While the official word had not been received when this story was written, it’s anticipated that Coach Shane Paben‘s team with its 9-13 conference mark has qualified for the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs as the No. 8 seed. 
             
If so, that means the Eagles will be in the first round of the playoffs at Colorado Mesa in Grand Junction on Tuesday, March 5.  The Mavericks claimed the RMAC regular-season title Saturday night when they improved their conference record to 21-1 by defeating Western Colorado 74-55 while Colorado School of Mines handed Fort Lewis its second conference loss by a 70-65 score.
             
The way the game in Spearfish turn out was painful for the Eagles.  They got off to a great start, knocking down their first six 3-point shots while building a 32-16 lead midway through the first half. 
             
The Yellow Jackets served notice they are potent by scoring the final eight points of the first half to draw within 45-40 at intermission.  But the Eagles maintained the lead through the next 19 minutes and 44 seconds, or until Caelin Hearne’s layup tied the score.
             
Chadron State’s biggest margin of the second half was 10 points—69-59—with 6:45remaining.  The visitors still led 76-69 with 2:39 left after making one of two free throws.  Nearly a minute passed before Black Hills cut the lead to five with two free shots.
             
But after the Eagles committed one of their just five turnovers, the roof started to cave in when Yellow Jackets’ star, Matt Ragsdale nailed a 3-pointer to make it 76-74 with 69 seconds left on the clock.  Chadron State knew it needed to score again, but missed a jumper, got the rebound, but also could not make the putback.  The hosts’ Hoku Fisher got the second rebound.
             
There was still 33 seconds left on the clock.  While it was anticipated that Ragsdale, who had already scored 32 points, would get the ball, it was Hearne, who had made just two of 11 shots while playing nearly 30 minutes, who took the ball to the hoop to knot the score 76-76.  
             
There were still 16 seconds left for the Eagles to win the game, but a last-second jumper did not connect and it was overtime.
             
Both teams missed a 3-point shot and a contested layup to open the extra session, but Ragsdale finally connected from in the paint to break the ice with 3:37 still showing.
             
When it rains it pours and the Yellow Jackets wound up making three more field goals, two of them treys by Fisher and Herne, before sinking all of eight of their free throws in the final 41 seconds.  The Eagles did not score in overtime until just 1:17remained.
             
Ragsdale, a fifth-year senior and the RMAC’s scoring leader for the season with a 22-point average, finished with 36 points. He was 15 of 26 from the field, including 5-of-10 from long range. Fisher contributed 16 points and Hearne 13. All three are 6-foot-4.
             
Four Eagles reached double-figures, led by 6-7 senior center Porter Anderson with 17 points on 7-of-8 from the field.  Guard Bryce Latimer and 6-9 John Jenkins each scored 16 and Josh Robinson 13. Alternate guards Jarrett Anderson and Jalen Patterson added nine and eight, respectively. 
             
Black Hills is 16-12 for the season and its 14-8 conference record is good enough to make it one of the four teams to host a first-round playoff tilt. CSC finishes the regular season with a 12-16 record,
             
When Mesa visited Chadron on Jan. 12, the Eagles’ Jarrett Taylor nailed a 3-pointer at the buzzer to tie the score at 85 and send it into overtime. The Mavericks eventually won 102-9, but CSC had played the conference champs even-Steven for 40 minutes, just like it did against Black Hills on Saturday.      
             
Chadron State—Porter Anderson 17, Bryce Latimer 16, John Jenkins 16, Josh Robinson 13, Jarrett Taylor 9, Jalen Patterson 8, Martin Poznanovic 4. Totals: 34-84 (8-19) 7-10 83 points, 45 rebounds, 5 turnovers, 10 assists.
             
Black Hills State—Matt Ragsdale 36, Hoku Fisher 16, Caelin Herne 13, Myles Johnson 8, Ronnall Tape 7, Deegan Williams 6, John Shanklin 4, Joel Speckman 4, Totals: 32-67 (9-29) 21-23 94 points, 42 rebounds, 4 turnovers 9 assists.
             
Chadron State                         45          31         7                —-83
             
Black Hills State                       40         36       18                —-94
             
3-pointers: CSC—Taylor 3, Latimer 2, Patterson 2, Jenkins 1. BHSU—Ragsdale 5, Fisher 2, Herne 1, Tape 1.