GOLDEN, Colo. --- The Western Colorado men's basketball team committed 12 first-half turnovers that led to 17 Colorado School of Mines as the Mountaineers trailed by 12 at the break and eventually dropped their RMAC opener 85-67 Friday at Lockridge Arena.

WCU (3-4, 0-1) trailed 39-27 at the half and wouldn't get closer than 12 to the Orediggers (3-3, 1-1) in the second half.

Jackson Ehrlin and Matthew Ragsdale led the Mountaineers with 17 points apiece with Ehrlin adding a team-high seven rebounds. Cole Sienknecht added 15 points as the trio scored 49 of the team's 67 points.

WCU finished the game shooting 40.4 percent from the field (29.6 percent in the first half), including 4-for-16 from 3-point range.  

The Mountaineers travel to take on UCCS on Saturday.