GOLDEN, Colo. – It was a back-and-forth contest all game long Saturday night at Lockridge Arena that had everything one could ask for in a battle of Top 10 unbeatens except a positive outcome as the #8/10 Colorado School of Mines men's basketball team went to the wire in overtime against #4/5 Black Hills State before being dealt their first setback of the season by a final score of 68-61.
 
The Orediggers (9-1, 3-1) had an opportunity to seal the win in the final seconds of regulation but couldn't convert before struggling to convert on offense in the extra period as the Yellow Jackets (10-0, 4-0) shot 50% and scored six of the 15 points in overtime at the line to remain unbeaten.
 
Riley Schroeder got an easy bucket off the opening tip to begin the night as it was tightly contested between the two teams early. Black Hills State took an early five-point lead just over four minutes into the action before Schroeder put Mines back ahead with a pair of free throws at 11:18 to make it 15-13.
 
The lead then exchanged hands seven times over the following six minutes, with the Orediggers finally gaining the advantage in the closing moments of the first half behind a pair of treys from Brendan Sullivan sandwiched around an Adam Krasovec jumper to make it 35-29 in the final 73 seconds before Joel Scott laid one in to make it 35-31 heading to the break.
 
The Yellow Jackets opened the second half on a 6-0 run and were able to eventually run their lead up to nine at the 13:13 mark after a Matthew Ragsdale three made it 52-43. Slowly Mines managed to battle their way back, as a 6-0 run that included four free throws made it a two-point game at 56-54 with just over 10 to play in regulation.
 
Cade Mankle closed it to a one-point game before Kai Barr had a pair of 1-2 trips to the stripe to briefly put the Orediggers back out front at 59-58 with just under eight minutes left. The back-and-forth action resumed as the lead exchanged hands briefly one again before a quick 8-0 run by Mines capped by a Sam Beskind jumper made it 67-61.
 
An Adam Thistlewood free throw made it a seven-point lead in the final two minutes, but momentum swung back in favor of BHSU after Barr, who played most of the second half with three personal fouls, fouled out in the final 92 seconds on a pair of tightly officiated calls on both ends of the court. A 1-2 trip to the line by Beskind only followed and made it just a three-point lead at 72-69 with 28 seconds as the Yellow Jackets looked to tie the game, which a three from Adam Moussa did with 23 seconds to play. Out of timeouts and with a chance to win in the final seconds, Beskind was stripped on his way to the rack as regulation ended with the score even at 72.
 
Black Hills State won the tip to open the overtime period and quickly got a layup and three from Scott and Moussa to go ahead by five in the opening two minutes. Beskind drained two free throws to make it 77-74 with 3:05 to play but Mines struggled to get back into a rhythm on offense as BHSU continued to lead. Reagan Koch nailed a three off a steal with 87 seconds left but that ended up being the final points of the night for the Orediggers, as Black Hills State scored the final six in overtime to win 85-77.
 
NOTABLES
-Mankle registered a career-high 15 points on 5-6 shooting and was a perfect 3-3 from deep with five boards
-Beskind also went for 15 points and added five assists, four rebounds and two steals
-Thistlewood finished in double-digits for the sixth straight game and ninth time in the first 10 games of the season
-Sullivan dropped 12 points for the second Saturday in a row with three boards and two steals
-Mines shot 52.9% (9-17) from three in the game

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines will close out their home slate in the 2022 calendar year next weekend when they host MSU Denver and Western Colorado Saturday December 17 and Sunday December 18 at Lockridge Arena. Tip off both nights is set for 7 p.m.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines men's basketball on Twitter at @minesmbb. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.