GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. - #4 Colorado Mesa and #5 Colorado School of Mines played another classic as CMU outlasted the Orediggers in overtime, 75-74, to capture the 2021 RMAC Tournament championship.
The two teams - who will almost assuredly hear their names called for the NCAA Tournament when selections are announced Sunday - met for the second straight year in the final and delivered on the promise of a top-five match-up in a see-saw game as the Orediggers (16-2) and Mavericks (21-1) traded the lead 24 times in the game.
Brendan Sullivan led Mines with 22 points, including 14 in the second half and overtime.
Kobi Betts hit 20 and
Titus Reed provided 11 off the bench. Tournament MVP Ethan Menzies led all scorers with 23 and Georgie Dancer scored 18.
Down 38-30 at halftime, Mines outscored CMU 17-10 during the early part of the second half to get themselves back into it., taking the lead on
Kobi Betts' layup with 13:49 to and sparking a back-and-forth battle the rest of the way. The lead changed hands multiple times until Sullivan scored seven straight points and
Titus Reed capped a 9-0 run with his layup to give Mines its largest lead, 64-58, with 4:36 remaining.
CMU responded with a 6-2 run over the next two minutes, but Sullivan's three-point play with 2:00 left made it 69-64 Orediggers. That would be Mines' final points of regulation, however, with Dancer hitting two free throws before Jared Small canned a game-tying three-pointer with 26 ticks left to force overtime after Mines missed a winning look.
In overtime, Mesa scored the first two baskets thanks to Menzies and Dancer, but Mines had the next two on a Reed layup and Betts jumper in the paint to knot it at 73. Small made two free throws with 1:20 left, and after a missed three-pointer, Reed was fouled and made one of two free throws to cut the deficit to one.
Ben Boone grabbed the offensive board but Sullivan's contested shot missed, and after CMU missed a shot at the other end and Mines called two timeouts, their final shot to win hit the side of the rim.
NOTABLES
- Both Sullivan and Betts were named to the RMAC All-Tournament team.
- Mesa entered the tournament #1 in the NCAA Regional Rankings, Mines #2. The Orediggers will host the NCAA West regional at Lockridge Arena regardless of seeding, with the top six teams in the rankings making the field.
- Colorado Mesa improved to 6-0 in overtime games this season.
- Both teams had an outstanding night from the outside with CMU hitting 8-of-14 (.571) and Mines 6-of-12 (.500) for three. Sullivan was 4-for-5.
- Mines shot .439 overall, Mesa was .558.
- CMU held a 33-30 rebounding edge although Mines led 11-5 on the offensive glass.
- The Orediggers couldn't capitalize on 17 Maverick turnovers, producing just 17 points off of them; CMU meanwhile had 13 points off nine Oredigger giveaways.
WHAT'S NEXT
Mines will learn its NCAA fate Sunday night during the selection show streamed on NCAA.com. The West Regional begins with first-round games Friday, March 12 at Lockridge Arena; if Mines receives a top-two seed and a first-round bye, they would not play until Saturday, March 13.
