GOLDEN, Colo. – The #10/9 Colorado School of Mines men's basketball team kicked off the winter break in a big way Saturday night at Lockridge Arena, using a red-hot start to the night to get back into the win column with one of their biggest wins in recent memory, speeding past MSU Denver 106-70.
 
The Orediggers (10-1, 4-1) never trailed in the game, charging out to an early lead and never looking back as they cracked the century mark in scoring while the Roadrunners (4-7, 1-4) struggled to get out of the gates in the first half, shooting just 18% from the floor as they came alive in the final 20 minutes of the night but were unable to overcome such a large deficit.
 
It was all Mines from the word go as a miss on the first possession of the night unfortunately was a forebearer of what was to come for the Roadrunners, as Sam Beskind put the Orediggers on the board first as 14 of the first 15 points of the game went the way of the home team. MSUD's first point came on a Caleb McGill free throw less than three minutes in but their first field goal of the night didn't come until the 14:35 mark, at which time it at already an 11-point game at 14-3.
 
The shooting woes continued for MSU Denver as Mines quickly made it 20-5 with 12 minutes in the half on a Brendan Sullivan layup before the margin became 20 on a triple from Adam Thistlewood at 9:22 at 27-7. Another three from Thistlewood with five minutes in the half made it a 30-point cushion for the first time before the Roadrunners managed to close the gap slightly at 45-22 with 2:13 in the half. Beskind, Cade Mankle, Trent Dykema and Thistlewood closed the half for Mines a 7-0 run to again take a 30-point lead into the break.
 
As play resumed, Mines continued to keep MSUD at a comfortable margin and extend the lead further, making it a 40-point game with 13:57 to play on a three from Sullivan, who erupted for 20 in the second half behind six triples, five of which came in succession over a span of 2:12. The Roadrunners managed to keep pace with the Orediggers offensively in the second half, as they shot better than 56% over the final period, but just couldn't overcome their sluggish start to the night.
 
The lead fluctuated some over the final 10 minutes but continued hover around 40 as the Orediggers emptied the bench in the final five minutes, with Taylor Spurlock, Grant Pressly and Caleb Clark all getting some extended action. A pull-up jumper from Spurlock put Mines over the century mark in the game at 101-63 with 3:30 to go as the final minutes came and went as the night ended in a 106-70 victory.
 
NOTABLES
-Four players finished in double-digits for Mines for the sixth time this season, led by Sullivan with 22 on 6-10 shooting including 6-8 from three with seven boards
-Thistlewood went for 19 on 5-8 shooting and had six rebounds
-Beskind had another all-around night, finishing with 17 points on 5-6 shooting and going 6-6 from the stripe with six assists, four boards and three steals
-Barr posted his fourth double-figure game of the season with 10 points on 5-8 from the floor and eight boards with two blocks and two assists in just 16 minutes
-11 different players scored for the Orediggers who shot 57.6% from the floor and 40.7% from three in the game while recording 21 assists on 38 made field goals
-Mines also pounded the glass, outrebounding MSUD 47-25 including 12-6 on the offensive boards
-Saturday was the first 100-point outing for the Orediggers since February 13, 2021 when they dropped 103 on Western Colorado and the 36-point final margin is the largest since a 40-point win over Westminster on January 22

LOOKING AHEAD
Mines closes the books on home action in 2022 Sunday at 7 p.m. with another RMAC match against Western Colorado at Lockridge Arena.
 
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.