Mines vs. Chadron State, Friday, 4 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats] 
Mines vs. Black Hills State, Saturday, 4 p.m. [RMAC Network] [Live Stats] 

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MINES STAYS HOME FOR NEW YEAR'S TWINBILL
Colorado School of Mines sends off 2021 and rings in 2022 at home this weekend, hosting Chadron State and Black Hills State in a pair of rare afternoon matinees. The Orediggers (4-5, 2-3 RMAC) are returning to Lockridge Arena for the first time since Dec. 2 to start a three-game homestand. Both contests will stream live on the RMAC Network.

MASKS REQUIRED AT LOCKRIDGE ARENA
Consistent with the Jefferson County Public Health indoor masking order, masks will be mandatory for all spectators attending Colorado School of Mines home basketball games until further notice. 

BEFORE THE BREAK
The Orediggers are 4-5 overall this season and hope to get on the right side of .500 this weekend after dropping two road contests before the winter break. Mines fell 83-78 in a back-and-forth game at Western Colorado on Dec. 17 despite Brendan Sullivan's 25 points and Adam Krasovec's double-double; Fort Lewis came back late to win 86-78 the next day as the Orediggers were paced by Ben Boone's career-high 24 points and a 14-point, six-assist Kobi Betts effort.

BOONE HITS CAREER HIGH
Ben Boone is coming off a career-high 24 points at Fort Lewis, surpassing his high of 23 set during the 2019-20 season. The senior went 9-of-12 at FLC and 3-of-4 from long range. This season Boone leads Mines at 16.9 points per game shooting a team-high .514 overall and .436 for three.

ROOKIE IMPACT
has been one of the RMAC's top rookies so far this season as the Hungarian big man continues to improve with playing time. Krasovec is on a four-game run of double-digit scoring including his first career double-double against Western Colorado (16 points and 10 rebounds, both career highs); this season he is averaging 8.3 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game, but those averages jump to 11.2 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game in RMAC play.

AT THE HELM
The 2020-21 season marks the 21st on the bench for Mines head coach Pryor Orser. Under Orser, Mines has gone 383-206, won five RMAC regular-season championships and two RMAC Tournament titles, and qualified for 11 NCAA Tournaments. His 270 RMAC wins (270-141 overall) are the second-most in conference history, and he has the chance to reach two milestones this season. His overall wins are currently three behind Mines all-time leader Jim Darden (386 wins), and he could become only the second RMAC coach to reach 400 career victories as well. 

GLEN EARNS GRADUATION HONOR
Former Oredigger post player Michael Glen earnedhis B.S. in mechanical engineering on Dec. 17, and the four-time all-RMAC standout was named one of two President's Senior Scholar-Athletes this week in recognition of his outstanding career. Glen, who wrapped up his fourth and final season last spring, is the only player in Mines basketball history to compile 1000+ points, 700+ rebounds, and 150+ blocks, ranking third all-time in program history in blocks, and finished his career with 1,294 points and 757 rebounds averaging 11.3 points and 6.6 rebounds per game over 114 career starts. Academically, Glen was a two-time RMAC First-Team All-Academic selection and one-time RMAC Academic Honor Roll member. 

MINES VS. CHADRON STATE
Mines and Chadron State are meeting for the 87th time since 1938, with CSC holding a slim 44-42 edge in the series. The Orediggers, though, have dominated in the last decade-plus with 25 consecutive wins over the Eagles dating back to the 2007-08 season. The two met once last season, a 79-63 Mines win in Nebraska, as Brendan Sullivan scored 25 and Kobi Betts 21.

The much-improved Eagles, at 6-8, have already surpassed their win total from last season and are coming off a 61-57 win over New Mexico Highlands before the break. CJ Jennings leads Chadron with 14.6 points per game while Marcus Jefferson adds 12.3 points a night; both are shooting better than 80 percent at the line and have 20+ three-pointers.

MINES VS. BLACK HILLS STATE
Mines leads the all-time series with BHSU 15-8 including three in a row. Mines won 85-83 in overtime in Spearfish last year thanks to Kobi Betts' free throws with seven seconds left; the two met again in the RMAC Tournament semifinals, with Mines prevailing 71-64 on a combined 28 points from the post duo of Austin Means and Michael Glen.

Black Hills State is 8-3 overall and a perfect 6-0 in RMAC play, entering the weekend on a six-game win streak as they visit #20 Regis on Friday. They are led by the conference's leading scorer in Joel Scott (24.2 ppg), who is shooting .638 and adds 10.9 rebounds per game. Sindou Cisse scores 15.7 and Adam Moussa 13.4 points per game, as well. 

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines stays at home to host New Mexico Highlands Jan. 8.