Box Score GOLDEN, Colo. - Gokul Natesan's layup with 14 seconds left put Colorado School of Mines ahead for good as they outlasted New Mexico Highlands, 61-58, to extend their win streak to eight games.

With the win, the Orediggers (15-3, 10-2 RMAC) move into a three-way tie for first in the RMAC with Fort Lewis and Saturday's opponent, CSU-Pueblo. Unlike their last several outings that were dominated by outside shooting, Mines had to play physical ball against the athletic Cowboys (6-11, 4-8 RMAC).

Matched up against one of the RMAC's biggest and most athletic frontcourts, Ben Clare produced his first career double-double with 11 points and as many rebounds, while Caleb Waitsman scored 11 points with seven boards. 

The entertaining game featured 10 lead changes and eight ties as both teams kept it close the whole way. After leading much of the second half, a 6-0 NMHU run gave them their first lead since late in the first half, 54-53, with 3:35 remaining, and that set off a wild close to the game.

Natesan gave Mines the lead back at the line with 3:10 left, then swapped layups with Kieran Woods to put Mines up 57-56 with 1:29 left. Both teams missed looks before Ramone Atkins' off-balance layup put NMHU back ahead with 25 ticks remaining; after Mines burned its last timeout and had a chance at the last shot, Natesan needed only five seconds to score a finger-roll floater that put Mines up 59-58 but left 14 seconds on the clock.

That gave the Cowboys a chance, but they lost the ball in the paint and Woods stepped on the end line after the recovery with 2.2 seconds to go. Natesan then rifled a down-court pass to Waitsman, who cruised for the game-sealing layup as time expired.

NOTABLES
- Natesan led all scorers with 19 points, making him the 11th player in program history to cross 1,700 career points (now 1,714). 
- With three assists, Natesan moved into third on the all-time list with 340, surpassing Raul Varela.
- Clare's double-double was the first by an Oredigger this season. His 11 rebounds were a career-high.
- After two straight games of over 50 percent shooting, Mines went cold at 38.2 percent, including 26.1 percent for three. Highlands also shot poorly at 37.3 percent.
- Ben Sonnefeld led all players with four assists and three steals, the latter matching his career best. 
- Marlon Johnson had a first-half double-double but was largely contained in the second as he led NMHU with 15 points and 16 rebounds.

NEXT UP
Mines will visit RMAC co-leader CSU-Pueblo Saturday night at 7:30.