GOLDEN, Colo. - Third-seeded Colorado School of Mines started off its RMAC Tournament run with a 73-66 win over New Mexico Highlands on Tuesday.

The Orediggers (21-9) held the Cowboys (18-10) to a season-low 66 points to move on in the RMAC Tournament. Mines will face seventh-seeded South Dakota Mines on Friday at 5 p.m. at top-seeded Dixie State; the host Trailblazers play Colorado Mesa in the other semifinal.

Brendan Sullivan notched his second straight double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds, Michael Glen scored 20 to go with eight boards and three blocks, and Mason Baker came off the bench to score 18 to pace Mines.

For NMHU, RMAC scoring champion Sammy Barnes-Thompkins had a game-high 33 points to go with 10 rebounds, but Mines held the RMAC's third-leading scorer, Raquan Mitchell, to just six points on 1-of-14 shooting. Darius Harrison contributed 13 points off the bench. 

Both teams held the lead for stretches of the first half, but the Orediggers went to the lockers with a 36-35 lead after a 6-0 run that included an off-balance Baker shot to close the half. That momentum carried into the second half as Glen scored six of Mines' first eight points as part of an 11-5 run to open up a 47-40 lead; moments later, a Baker and-one opportunity extended the lead to double digits at 53-43.

Mines would lead by as much as 11, 60-49, at the midway mark of the half, but the Cowboys would not go home quietly as they found a 10-3 run to cut the deficit to a point after Barnes-Thompksin' three-pointer with 2:36 to go. The Orediggers reponded with the next six points as Baker and Sullivan had free throws and Titus Reed and Glen made inside baskets; ultimately NMHU would be held to a single basket in the final two minutes, a Barnes-Thompkins layup with 23 seconds left, as Mines secured the win.

NOTABLES
- In the other quarterfinals, Dixie State beat Regis 84-71, Colorado Mesa held off UCCS 69-66, and SDSMT was an upset winner over second-seeded Black Hills State 80-71.
- Mines advances to the RMAC Tournament semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. The Orediggers are shooting for their first title since 2017.
- Mines and NMHU met in the postseason for the first time since 1990. 
- Mines shot .522 for the game and made just four three-pointers, but went 21-of-30 at the line. NMHU was held to .371 overall including just .290 in the second half.
- Sullivan was superb, adding five assists, three steals, and a block to his double-double. 
- Titus Reed scored 11 but also snagged five rebounds with three steals as he played all 40 minutes. 
- Baker, who has fought through injuries in the second semester, hit double digits for the first time since playing NMHU on Feb. 1 as he also snagged six rebounds in the game. 
- Mines outrebounded NMHU 41-29.
- The Orediggers overcame 22 turnovers in the game.