The Mavericks defeat the number one team in the nation for the first time in their Division Two history as they win 64-58 over the Orediggers.
Colorado Mesa University (CMU) also claimed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s best record as they improved to 15-1.
Senior guard Georgie Dancer and sophomore center Ethan Menzies tied for a game-high in points with 17. Dancer added six rebounds and five assists in the game.
Menzies nearly had a double-double as he compiled eight rebounds against the Orediggers.
Colorado School of Mines (CSM) led for 31 minutes and 21 seconds of the game.
The Mavericks opened the second half down 24-31, but CMU was first to get on the board in the first half. Menzies cut the Orediggers lead down to three-points with 18:58 left in the game.
Each time CMU cut CSM’s lead to three-points, the Orediggers were quick to answer with a bucket of their own.
Brendan Sullivan pushed the Orediggers lead back to 10-points as he made a three with 11:24 left in the game. The Mavericks scored 12 unanswered points in the next five minutes as they took a three-point lead.
CSM took the lead right back with 3:40 left in the game and they extended their lead to three-points 30 seconds later. Dancer got into the paint on the next possession to convert the layup and draw the foul.
Dancer converted on the and-one opportunity and tied the game up at 54. Menzies made a layup on the next trip down the floor to give CMU a two-point lead before CSM immediately tied it back up.
The Mavericks pushed their lead to four points with 33 seconds left as freshman guard Reece Johnson going one for two from the free-throw line. Kobi Betts cut the Maverick’s lead back down to two-points as he made a jumper in the paint for CSM.
The Orediggers were in a must foul situation in the final 30 seconds of the game. CSM fouled Dancer twice and he was a perfect four for four to give the Mavericks a six-point lead to win the game.
CSM opened the first half by taking a 7-5 lead in the first four minutes of the game. Reed Titus pushed the Orediggers lead to 13-points as he got into the paint to make a jumper.
The Mavericks were quick to answer with a seven-point run of their own to make cut CSM’s lead to six-points.
Each time the Mavericks cut the Orediggers lead to six or seven points, the Orediggers were able to push it back to double digits.
Dancer got into the paint to make a jumper with 55 seconds left in the first half to cut the Orediggers lead back to seven points.
Freshman guard Christopher Speller was CMU’s third-leading scorer with 13 points.
The Maverick’s next game is Friday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 p.m. against Western Colorado University in Grand Junction, Colo.
