GOLDEN, Colo. - Colorado School of Mines ran its win streak to six games, making a huge defensive adjustment in the second half to run away from Colorado Christian 97-80.

It truly was a tale of two halves as the Cougars (2-8, 0-4 RMAC) shot 70 percent overall in the first half but were held to only 28.6 percent in the second. The Orediggers (7-3, 4-0 RMAC) were red-hot in the first half as well, hitting 72.4 percent of their shots on the way to 61.4 percent for the game. Mines used a 20-3 run wrapped around halftime to take control of the game.

Mines feasted in the post with 56 points in the paint as Ben Clare and Austin Means combined for 42 points on 19-of-24 shooting. Clare drained 22 to go with seven rebounds, two steals, and two blocks, while Means came off the bench for a 20-point, 9-for-10 night that included five boards and two blocks.

Neither team could miss in the first half, and CCU held the lead most of the way with three scorers in double digits - Jeremiah Hanson (10), Braxton Tucker (13), and Justin Engesser (11) - before the break. Mines' advantage developed late in the half largely thanks to Clare, who scored 18 of his 22 in the first on 8-of-9 shooting, and Means, who had 13 points in only eight minutes. Trailing 50-47 with 1:24 left, the Orediggers ended the half on an 8-0 run as buckets by Mason Baker, Means, and Brendan Sullivan's three-point play swung it to a 55-50 lead at the break.

The Mines momentum continued into the second half with a 12-3 run to open things up keyed by five Michael Glen points in that span; that made it a 67-53 lead four minutes into the half, and the Orediggers would never lead by fewer than 10 the rest of the way as they won going away in the closing minutes.

NOTABLES
- Mines has scored 87 or more points in each of its last six games, including 97+ in the last three. The Orediggers are averaging 98.0 points per game in RMAC play this season.
- With a perfect 10-for-10 night at the line, Baker has made 18 consecutive free throws dating back to the Western Colorado game; he is .855 from the line this season. Baker had 15 points overall. 
- Sullivan impressed with 12 points and a career-high six assists.
- Sonnefeld had eight points and five assists as he inches closer to the 1,000-point mark at 940.
- Reigning RMAC Offensive Player of the Week Joe Miks came off the bench for his third straight double-digit scoring night, hitting 10 points with four assists.
- CCU held a 30-27 rebounding edge. The Cougars were led by Hanson's 18 points. 
- Colorado Christian was 21-of-30 overall in the first half including 6-of-9 for three; the Cougars were 8-of-28 in the second half with an 0-for-6 three-point showing.

NEXT UP
Mines will face Regis on Sunday at 3 p.m.