LAS VEGAS, Nev. - Cooper Mroczek's late putback basket gave Colorado School of Mines the edge as it closed out 2025 with a 72-70 win over Rollins at the DII Holiday Hoops Classic at The South Point Arena.

The Orediggers (5-9, 2-2 RMAC) were buoyed by the bench production of the freshman Mroczek, who scored a career-high 18 points (including 13 in the second half) to lift his team in a close battle against the Tars (7-5, 1-3 SSC). 

Mroczek's 18 points led Mines as he added three assists and four rebounds in his 27 minutes off the bench, while both Kellon Johnson and Trent Minter scored 12 with Johnson dishing a game-high five assists. Alex Romack did a little bit of everything with nine points, three assists, and four steals. Nze led Rollins with a game-high 22 points, with Omar Figueroa pitching in 13.

The Orediggers led by as much as eight points late in the first half, and ended the period on Johnson's layup to make it 36-29. The lead extended to 10 points on Minter's three-pointer early in the second half, but the Tars slowly chipped away and eventually took their first lead since the game's early minutes on a Nze layup with 7:25 left, going up 63-61. Their lead was short-lived as Romack's momentum-shifting and-one bucket put the Orediggers back on top, but it was Nze again to tie the game both at 68-68 and 70-70 in the closing minutes, the latter coming with 41 seconds remaining in regulation.

Mines missed its first shot of the ensuing possession but Mroczek was there for the tip-in, and after a missed Nze three-pointer, Rollins called timeout with three seconds remaining but ultimately missed Jackson Gaffney's inside shot attempt to tie it at the buzzer.

NOTABLES
- Mines overcame a 42-31 rebounding deficit, but shot 11 percentage points better than the Tars at 49.1 to 38.1 to make up for it. Three-pointers made (9-8 Rollins) and free throws made (13-12 Rollins) were virtually even, as were turnovers (12-11 Mines). 
- Minter's 12 points were a career high as he was 5-of-6 at the line. 
- Johnson's five assists were also a career high for the freshman as he logged 37 minutes, his most of the season.
- It was the first-ever meeting between Mines and Rollins, a member of the Sunshine State Conference out of Florida.

NEXT UP
Mines returns home to open 2026 against Northern New Mexico on Jan. 3 at 3 p.m. Admission to the game is free but fans are asked to bring non-perishable food items, or make cash donations, to benefit Blaster's Basket, the university's on-campus food bank.