GOLDEN, Colo. - A late surge by Colorado School of Mines couldn't erase CSU Pueblo's hot start to the second half as the Thunderwolves held on for a 70-63 win Saturday at Lockridge Arena.

The Orediggers (14-15, 10-8 RMAC) lost ground in their quest for a postseason berth but remain in the top eight in the RMAC despite the loss. The Thunderwolves (19-7, 13-5 RMAC) remained in contention for a top-four seed having already clinched their RMAC Tournament spot. 

Shelton Henton led Mines with 17 points including a 5-for-6 afternoon from beyond the arc, while Alex Romack had 15 and Jonathan Moore 13. Jaden Kennis scored a game-high 20 off the bench for CSU Pueblo, who shot 55 percent for the game and went 17-for-22 at the line.

Both teams struggled to find offensive output in the middle of the first half until three-pointers by  Henton, Kellon Johnson, and Trent Minter pushed both teams into the break with momentum. Derek Lamb's last-minute bucket was the difference in a 28-25 Oredigger lead at halftime. 

The Thunderwolves were the only team to carry that momentum into the second half, starting out on a 9-0 run to lead 34-28 to force a Mines timeout. The Orediggers responded with a Romack basket and Jonathan Moore's three-pointer, but the Thunderwolves swung the game back on a 9-2 run to take their largest lead of the game to that point at 43-36 midway through the half.

Mines hung around through a fast-paced CSUP attack, but the Pack eventually went ahead double-digits on back-to-back Jordan Blair drives, 60-50, with 5:18 to go. Romack and Henton produced a quick 5-0 burst out of the under-4 media timeout to cut the deficit to 60-55, and after Bryce Riehl and Henton traded threes, Pueblo took care of their foul shots in the final minute to seal the win.

NOTABLES
- Mines held a 27-26 rebounding edge in the game. Moore's six rebounds led all players while Derek Lamb pitched in four off the bench. 
- The Orediggers produced nine steals with two each from Trent Minter and Henton. 
- With just one game remaining to be played at the time of publication in tandem with other results across the league Saturday, Mines has locked up a spot in the 2026 RMAC Men's Basketball Championship

NEXT UP
Mines will host Regis Tuesday night in their home finale and Senior Night.