The Cougars men's basketball team came up short against the Orediggers Saturday afternoon, falling by a final score of 89-76. Mines Seized control early in the first half, and refused to let the Cougs get back into it.  
 
It was the third game in a row on the road, but the Cougars started off strong taking an early 6-0 lead. However, the Orediggers were quick to recover and battled back to eventually take the lead less than seven minutes into the game. From that point on, Mines did not look back as they held onto the lead for the remainder of the game. The end of the first half remained steady, with the last few minutes slowing down due to fouls. The Cougars finished the half with 10 fouls, to the Orediggers 9. At the half, the Cougars trailed the Orediggers 47-30, with Dimitri Saliba leading the team with 12 points.
 
The second half started off much like the first, as the Cougars were able to cut the Orediggers lead down to ten points early on, thanks in part to a rebounding edge favoring CCU, and their ability to turn that into quick offense on the other end. Despite the quick start, Mines regained their composure, and was able to regain control. The Orediggers managed to prevail despite the Cougars strong defensive efforts and won by a final score 89-76.
 
Leaders in the game today included senior Brett Brady, who put up 24 points and went 7-7 from the free-throw line. Dimitri Saliba finished with 20 points and six rebounds. Ty McGee and Jacob Taylor also were contributors on the offense end, as McGee finished with 13 points, and Taylor finished with 12. The Cougars normally have an advantage from beyond the arc, but finished shooting 6-23 (26%) in the game, compared to Mines who hit 12-31 (39%).
 
The loss puts the Cougars at .500 across the board, going 12-12 overall on the season and 9-9 in conference play. The Cougars hit the road again next weekend as they have a pair of conference games starting with a rematch against Adams State. The two teams squared off back in December as CCU took the first matchup 110-101. Tip is scheduled for 7:30PM MST on Feb. 17^th. The team looks to finish the season strong, and fight for a spot in the conference tournament.