mbb preview uccs metro

PREVIEW: Playoff Seeding On The Line For Mines

2/22/2018 1:38:00 PM

Mines at UCCS, Friday, 7:30 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats]
Mines at MSU Denver, Saturday, 7:30 p.m. [Live Video] [Live Stats] [TV: CET]

 

ON THE RMAC NETWORK
Every Mines game can be seen live and for free on the RMAC Network at minesathletics.com/tv. The RMAC Network can also be found on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire, and Android TV devices by going to the app store and searching "RMAC".

WATCH US
Saturday's game will be seen live on Comcast Entertainment Television (CET) on Front Range Comcast systems. CET is located on channels 900 (HD) and 105 (SD).

THIS WEEKEND
Mines closes the regular season with trips to UCCS on Friday and MSU Denver on Saturday. Mines has already clinched an RMAC Tournament berth, but this weekend's results will determine their seeding. UCCS is battling to make the field at 13-13 overall and 10-10 in RMAC play (currently seventh) while MSU Denver is a game back of Mines at 14-12 overall and 13-7 in the RMAC.

THE PLAYOFF PUSH
With two games left, Mines could still go as high as #2 and as low as #5 in the RMAC Tournament seeding depending on this weekend's results. The Orediggers currently occupy the third spot at 14-6, a game behind Regis, a half-game ahead of Adams State, and a full game ahead of MSU Denver.

The regular-season title is still a three-way race with Fort Lewis (17-4), Westminster (16-4), and Regis (15-5). Westminster plays at Fort Lewis on Saturday in what will be a de facto title game, but if Regis wins out and Westminster loses to Adams State Thursday but then beats Fort Lewis, it would be a three-way tie for the title. Westminster, however, is not eligible for the RMAC Tournament as they are in their final year of reclassifying to NCAA Division II, and Fort Lewis owns any tiebreaker over Regis for playoff seeding.

IN THE RANKINGS
If the NCAA Tournament began today, Mines would be in after they jumped up three spots to #7 in this week's NCAA regional rankings. The top eight teams in the region at the end of the season make the NCAA Championship bracket, minus any conference automatic qualifiers that were ranked outside of the top eight.

DOUGLAS NAMED RMAC DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Duke Douglas is the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week, earning the award after averaging 3.0 blocks per game last weekend. This season Douglas has been a big part of one of the RMAC's best defenses; Mines allows 69.1 points per game, which is second in the RMAC, and the Orediggers lead the league in blocks (5.19 per game).

SONNEFELD EARNS ACADEMIC HONOR
Earlier on Thursday, Ben Sonnefeld was named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District team for his combination of athletic and academic achievement. Sonnefeld is a mechanical engineering major with a 3.71 GPA; this season he is averaging 11.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game, all of which are career highs.

FIRST TIME AROUND
Mines lost to MSU Denver, 67-60, back on Dec. 16 but turned around and beat UCCS, 79-77, the next night. Against MSU Denver, Mason Baker scored a career-high 31 but Mines was held to 34.6 percent shooting as the Roadrunners' Cameron Williams scored 26 points. Against UCCS, Mines made a 7-0 run in the closing 1:16 to beat the Mountain Lions as Michael Glen sank a pair of game-sealing free throws with 10 seconds left. Schroepfer had 21 points in that game.

LEADING THE WAY
Mines continues to lead NCAA Division II in three-point shooting percentage, hitting 44.6 percent of their shots heading into this weekend – a mark that leads all three NCAA divisions. Mines also ranks in the top 20 of several other categories, including fewest turnovers (258, 6th), total blocks (131, 13th), and assist/turnover ratio (1.50, 14th).

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will play an RMAC Tournament quarterfinal on Tuesday, Feb. 27, with the opponent and site determined following this weekend's games.
 
Print Friendly Version