Box Score SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – #11 Colorado School of Mines' historic season came to end in the NCAA Elite Eight, falling to #2 Bellarmine 92-72 at the Sanford Pentagon.

The Knights (32-3) shut down the Orediggers (30-5) on their defensive end, running away with the win as Mines was held to 5-of-27 shooting in the second.

Luke Schroepfer led Mines with 18 points, and Gokul Natesan scored 13 with seven assists. Adam Eberhard was outstanding for BU with 26 points on 10-of-12 shooting.

Mines was hurt by foul trouble in the first half as Bellarmine used a 10-2 run late in the period to pull away. Natesan, Zach Rusk, Caleb Waitsman, and Luke Schroepfer were all saddled with fouls, and that let Eberhard score 12 of his first-half 17 in a three-minute span before halftime.

Mines cut the deficit to workable 13 with five straight points from Murphy Gershman, including an and-one, but Bellarmine ended the half with an Alex Cook dunk and Brent Bach's buzzer-beater three point to lead 55-39.

The Knights continued their hot shooting with the first nine points of the second half, and put the game away with Mines on a six-plus minute field goal drought early in the half. Mines was held to 8-of-32 shooting in the second half with a 1-for-10 start by the outstanding Bellarmine defense, which generated 14 turnovers overall.

NOTABLES

• Schroepfer scored 17 of his 18 in the first half.
• Natesan finished his career with 14 points, putting him fourth all-time at Mines with 2,014 career points. He is Mines' career steals leader (249) and is second in assists (427) and free throws made (575) over a career. It was his fifth consecutive 5+ assist game.
• Bellarmine's 55-point first half was their highest-scoring of the season. The Knights shot 65.5 percent in the first half to Mines' 50 percent. BU, the D-II leader in shooting percentage, shot 59 percent for the game to Mines' 37 percent.
• Caleb Waitsman had eight points and seven boards in his final career game. His 696 career rebounds puts him sixth all-time at Mines.
• The Orediggers end 30-5, a program record for wins. The senior class won more games in their careers than any other Mines class (102).
• It was Mines' first-ever Elite Eight trip. Bellarmine was in their fourth appearance and second in three years. BU advances to play top-seeded Fairmont State.
   

QUOTABLES
"No one plays like them in college basketball. Back when Indiana and Bob Knight where running that great motion, nobody plays like that." – Orser on Bellarmine's ball movement

"Eberhard with his passing and his efficiency, he's one of the best players I've ever coached again." – Orser on Bellarmine's Adam Eberhard

"I realized they were really converging on me, so I could kick it out to Luke and the big guys in the lane." – Natesan on his seven-assist game and passing in the postseason

"I've been shooting well and that's a product of the team around me. Guys like Gokul, they're good at finding me." – Schroepfer on his 18-point night

"It's the first time our school basketball team has been this far. It's really fun playing with the guys on this team, and it's been great to be here. It's been a blast." – Schroepfer on the Elite Eight experience in Sioux Falls.