LAS VEGAS, N.M. - A hot-shooting Colorado School of Mines held off New Mexico Highlands in a wild ending to escape with a 93-86 road win Friday night.

The Orediggers (17-8, 13-5 RMAC) avenged a 74-72 loss to the Cowboys (14-9, 9-9 RMAC) from back on Feb. 1, but did not make up any ground in the RMAC title race as both Dixie State and Black Hills State won to stay two games ahead. 

Michael Glen led Mines' scoring with 22 points while Titus Reed produced an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double. Joe Miks drained five three-pointers off the bench for 15 points.

NMHU's high-pressure defense produced 21 Mines turnovers, but also sent the Orediggers to the line 36 times for 30 made free throws, including Reed's 9-for-10 and Glen's 9-for-11 games. Raquan Mitchell led all scorers with 29 points, but Mines held the RMAC's leading scorer, Sammy Barnes-Thompkins, to 15.

The first half was an entertaining one as both teams had stretches of the lead. A 9-2 run midway through the half gave Mines the largest lead of the game to that point, 31-24, but Highlands came back to tie it twice before a Reed jumper gave Mines a 40-38 lead at the break.

Consecutive Miks three-pointers early in the second half sparked a 15-0 Mines run, and that blew a one-point game wide open at 60-45 with 10:49 remaining. The Orediggers led by as mucha s 16 with 5:26 to go, but NMHU would not go away quietly. Mitchell and Barnes-Thompkins sank three-pointers and Jalen Munn a free throw to make it 84-77 Mines with 2:50 left, and Mitchell hit another three between Boone and Glen foul shots to make it 88-80 Mines with 1:37 remaining.

Desmond Carpenter's layup and two free throws by Mitchell cut the Oredigger lead to four, and Mitchell's fastbreak dunk seconds later made it 89-86 Mines with 30 ticks on the clock. Mines got it done at the line, however, as both Brendan Sullivan and Reed hit their shots and Mitchell missed two tries in the final 15 seconds.

NOTABLES
- Mines can clinch an RMAC Tournament berth Saturday with a win at CSU-Pueblo. 
- The Orediggers ended shooting .542 for the game, including .524 from three (11-of-21).
- Sullivan pitched in 11 points, six boards, and five assists, while Kobi Betts scored 10 with four assists and four rebounds.
- Miks saw a season-high 22 minutes off the bench and was nearly perfect shooting 5-for-6 from beyond the arc.
- Reed's double-double was the first of his career at Mines.
- Glen's night left him 27 shy of 1,000 points for his career.
- Mines outrebounded NMHU 40-24.
- The Cowboys had 11 steals off of Mines' 21 turnovers.

NEXT UP
Mines heads to CSU-Pueblo on Saturday for a 7:30 p.m. tip.