(Zach Carattini, CSC Sports Information)
The South Dakota School of Mines Hardrockers defeated the Chadron State College women’s basketball team (7-17, 6-13 RMAC) 65-64 during a well-contested Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference battle Thursday night in Rapid City.Â
Both teams traded blows from start to finish resulting in 15 lead changes. It was a slow second quarter and a missed layup in the concluding seconds of the game that sealed a winless road record for the Eagles this season.
The first quarter started with the Eagles scoring first with a Samiyah Worrell jump shot in the paint. The Hardrockers responded with two shots from the field and a three-pointer to take a 7-2 lead. Then Worrell landed back-to-back threes to take the lead back 8-7.
After a layup and free throw gave Mines a 14-12 lead, Olivia Waufle swished the Eagles’ third three-pointer of the quarter at 2:30.
Worrell’s third and final three-pointer came at 1:25 to give the Eagles a 20-14 lead, which would be cut down to 20-17 after a three was made by Mines’ Ryan Weiss with six seconds left in the quarter. The Eagles would not land another three-pointer for the rest of the game.
The Eagles were held to only 10 points in the second quarter while Mines scored 15 to take a 32-30 lead at halftime. During the quarter Chadron State went 4-12 on field goals, 0-1 on three-pointers, and 2-4 on free throws.
Though the Hardrockers maintained the lead during the third quarter, the Eagles never trailed by more than four points as the offense shot 57.1% on field goals (8-14) and 100% on free throws (2-2) for 18 points. A last-second jumper by Waufle tied the game 48-48 at the end of the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a nail-biter that showcased eight lead changes. Ashayla Powers gave the Eagles a 52-48 lead after landing a layup and two free throws. After another Eagles free throw, Mines responded with two shots from the charity line and two jumpers in the paint to take a one-point lead at 54-53.
The two teams went back and forth until Powers tied the score at 64 with a free throw at 0:15. The Hardrockers subsequently kept the ball away until Worrell was able to foul Madelyn Heiser to force two free throw attempts.
Heiser made her first free throw but missed her second. CSC’s Bailey Brooks rebounded the ball and called for a timeout with six seconds remaining in the game.
With enough time left for the Eagles to take one last shot, Brooks passed the ball inbounds to Powers. In double-coverage Powers missed the game-winning layup as time expired, giving the Hardrockers a 65-64 win over the Eagles.
The Eagles’ final games of the season will be this Friday and Saturday at home versus MSU Denver (17-6, 13-5 RMAC) and Colorado Christian (7-16, 4-13 RMAC). Both games tip-off at 5:30 p.m.
Chadron State—Samiyah Worrell 20, Ashayla Powers 15, Riley Aiono 8, Micheala Dammann 8, Olivia Waufle 5, Jori Peters 4, Brittni McCully 2, Bailey Brooks 2. FG/3PT/FT: 23-58/4-12/14-18, 64 points, 28 rebounds, 8 assists, 12 turnovers.
South Dakota Mines—Ryan Weiss 17, Naomi Hidalgo 16, Madelyn Heiser 10, Bailey Johnson 6, Melissa Johnstone 6, Makenna Bodette 3, Piper Bauer 3, Sydnee Durtsche 2, Anna Combalia 2. FG/3PT/FT: 27-57/3-12/8-9, 65 points, 30 rebounds, 8 assists, 14 turnovers.
Chadron State 20 10 18 16 –64
South Dakota Mines 17 15 16 17 –65
3-pointers: CSC—Worrell 3, Waufle 1. SDSMT—Weiss 1, Heiser 1, Bauer 1.