RAPID CITY, S.D. – The cold weather snap outside the arena didn't affect South Dakota Mines offense inside.

The Hardrockers used a warm shooting effort, especially in the second half, to register a 68-52 victory on Saturday afternoon against Colorado Christian.

HOW IT HAPPENED: The Hardrockers didn't trail in the contest as Colorado Christian battled from behind in their attempt for a comeback win.

South Dakota Mines jumped out to an 11-2 lead but the Cougars chipped away and tied the contest at 18-18 when Justin Engesser nailed a three-pointer with 8:06 left until halftime. For nearly six minutes both team's offense hit a chilly spell as they combined for four made field goals during that stretch. The home team slowly nudged ahead as they nabbed a 28-20 advantage heading into the locker room.

During the final 20 minutes the Hardrockers offense dictated play as they missed just seven of their 21 field goal attempts (61.9 percent). They upped their lead to 39-24 less than four minutes into the second half. However, the Cougars battled back and found themselves down just six points (58-52) when Andy Stafford finished off a three-point play with a foul shot.

Unfortunately, Colorado Christian went cold down the stretch and couldn't get their deficit down to a single possession.

COUGAR LEADERS: Stafford notched a career high 22 points on 8-for-16 shooting in 37 minutes of action. The sophomore also added a Cougar high six rebounds. DJ McDonald added 18 points on the strength of a team high three made three-pointers.

INSIDE THE BOXSCORE

• South Dakota Mines scored 34 points in the paint while the Cougars has 12
• The Hardrockers have won six straight against Colorado Christian
• The home team converted half of their 50 field goal attempts

UP NEXT: The Cougars make the trip to Black Hills State tomorrow to complete the two-game trip through the Mount Rushmore State. The tip-off for the contest with the Yellow Jackets is 5:00 p.m.