RAPID CITY, SD – The Hardrockers of South Dakota School of Mines came away with the win over the Cougars after landing a 3 with under ten seconds left, making the final score 78-81.
 
HOW IT HAPPENED – Trading offensive blows, the two teams were back and forth trading leads throughout the first half. SDSM pulled away around the five-minute mark, holding a 7-point lead as they headed into the locker rooms.
 
Coming out of halftime, the Cougars were the first on the board after Andy Stafford scored in the paint. Ross Williams had three buckets in a row for CCU, putting the team down by just 1. Williams would also be the one to score at the 12:24 mark that put the Cougars ahead by 1, 57-56. The team continued to chip away, making the difference as much as 7 points after an Isaiah Alonzo three-pointer with under nine minutes left to play.
 
South Dakota School of Mines responded with a run of their own, taking the lead back again a minute and a half later. At the 3:09 mark, the teams were tied up at 73's and two minutes saw the score still tied, this time with 75 each.  A foul and a technical foul from the Cougars put SDSM at the line, where they went 4-4 to go up by 3. Ross Williams tied it up with a three-pointer, but the Hardrockers responded yet again with one of their own with nine seconds left to take the victory.
 
Four Cougars landed double-digit points on the night, with Ross Williams leading after finishing with 26. DJ McDonald had 19, and was followed by Andy Stafford and Isaiah Alonzo with 15 and 14 respectively. Alonzo led in rebounds after tallying 8 in the close game.
 
UP NEXT – Colorado Christian will host a make up game against Fort Lewis on Monday, February 14^th at 6pm for their next competition. The close loss puts the Cougars at 7-16 overall, and 4-13 in conference play.