GOLDEN, Colo. - #1 Colorado School of Mines suffered its first loss of the season as #7 Colorado Mesa came back to win 64-58.

The Orediggers (13-1, 12-1 RMAC) led by as much as 13 in the first half, but the Mavericks (16-1, 16-1 RMAC) flipped the script in the second half to eventually take control of the game. 

Ethan Menzies and Georgie Dancer led CMU with 17 points apiece. Brendan Sullivan had a team-high 15 for Mines with Kobi Betts scoring 14 and Michael Glen 12. Mines shot .538 in the first half to just .278 in the second; it was the opposite for the Mavs, who overcame .304 first-half shooting with a .524 second-half clip. 

The Orediggers enjoyed a red-hot start, leading 19-6 after Titus Reed's jumper capped a 10-0 run at the midpoint of the first half. The lead remained around 10 for most of the first half before Dancer's final bucket of the half made it 31-24 at the break. 

Mines continued to hold CMU at bay until a long scoring drought the the middle of the second half turned the game around for the visitors. Sullivan's basket at the 11:24 mark to make it 48-38 Mines would be their last points for 6:11, and in the meantime CMU went on a 13-0 run to take a 51-48 lead with 5:40 left. Mines responded with a 6-0 spurt that included four straight points by Betts, retaking the lead 54-51, but Dancer's three-point play tied it up before Menzies put the Mavs ahead 56-54 with 2:24 to go.

Betts hit off glass at the other end to tie it 56-56, but another Menzies score followed by free throws by Mac Riniker and Reece Johnson gave CMU a two-possession lead they wouldn't relinquish.

NOTABLES
- With the RMAC regular-season title and #1 seed determined by RPI, the Mavericks appear to have an unofficial edge over Mines heading into next week's final weekend of the regular season. Both teams are virtually assured of being the 1 and 2 seeds, depending on how the final weekend shakes out.
- Mines' 13-0 start was tied for the second-best in program history.
- Mines outrebounded the Mavs 35-31 led by Glen's seven and Kai Barr's career-high eight of the bench.
- Reed scored eight points and collected five rebounds off the bench.
- Ben Boone had four steals and Sullivan three as Mines picked off 11 balls. Sullivan also had three blocks among the Orediggers' seven overall.
- Both teams had 15 turnovers but CMU did more with them, outscoring Mines 20-10 in points off giveaways.
- Mines had an off night at the line, going 12-of-18, while CMU was 23-of-31. 

NEXT UP
Mines closes the regular season on the road at Adams State and CSU Pueblo next Friday and Saturday.