LUBBOCK, Texas - #9 Lubbock Christian pulled away in the second half to down #5 Colorado School of Mines, 79-63, in non-conference play on Saturday.

The game was closer than the score would suggest as the Orediggers, led by Brendan Sullivan's 19 points, were within a possession as late as the 8:23 mark of the second half before the Chaps ended the game on a 20-9 run.

Sullivan was 7-for-10 to build his 19 points to go with four rebounds and three assists. Adam Krasovec and Trent Dykema each scored 11 off the bench and Ben Boone and Justin Engesser pitched in eight apiece. LCU was led by Parker Hicks' game-high 25 points while Lloyd Daniels and Aamer Muhammad each scored 15.

An entertaining back-and-forth first half saw both teams build leads as much as five, and the Orediggers went into the half with a 36-35 edge after an Engesser three-pointer and a bucket by LCU's Jalen Brattain ended the period.

The Chaps came out of the break on fire with a 5-0 run before back-to-back layups by Sullivan tied the game at 40; Cameron Copley hit a jumper followed by Rowan Mackenzie's three to give the Chaps the lead, and they would not relinquish it for the rest of the game. Up 45-44 with 15:42 to go, LCU went on an 8-0 run started by threes from Hicks and Muhammad, and after Mines pulled it back to a point with their own 8-0 stretch capped by an Engesser three, another Chap 8-0 stretch that included six straight points from Hicks wrested control back.

LCU would stretch the lead to as much as 12 with 2:41 to go before Sullivan canned his final three-pointer with 2:14 left, but the Chaps scored the game's final seven points to win. 

NOTABLES
- The Orediggers shot 48.3 percent in the first half but were held to 40.7 percent in the second. Mines went to the line only eight times, making five. Meanwhile, LCU shot better than 50 percent in both halves (.533/.577) for a 55.4 percent game rate.
- Krasovec scored a career-high 11 in his second collegiate game, which included a three-pointer.
- Kobi Betts led Mines with six rebounds. 
- With 11 points over the first two games of the season, Engesser now has 998 for his career. The graduate transfer scored 987 during his career at Colorado Christian.

NEXT UP
Mines visits Fort Hays State on Thursday for a 7 p.m. CT tipoff.