RAPID CITY, S.D.  A tale of two different halves extended Sunday's Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference men's basketball match-up into overtime, where host South Dakota School of Mines outlasted Western Colorado, 82-77.

The visiting Mountaineers took the opening half of action, 37-33, but the Hardrockers came out of the break on a 14-2 run that allowed Mines to 'win' the second half, 38-34.

JUST THE FACTS
Final score: S.D. Mines def. Western Colorado, 82-77
Records: Western Colorado 3-10 (2-5 RMAC), S.D. Mines 4-8 (2-4)
Location: King Center; Rapid City, S.D.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Mines' Kolton Frugoli and Western's Matthew Ragsdale traded 3-pointers to open the overtime period. Tied again at 77-77 in the final minute of OT, the Hardrockers' Brevin Walter dropped in a short baseline jumper, was fouled on the shot, and completed the and-one opportunity to push Mines in front by three with 20 seconds to play.
• Ragsdale's tying 3-point attempt from the right wing was off the mark, with the Mountaineer rebound slipping off the hands of Cole Sienknecht out of bounds to give Mines possession with 3 seconds left.
• Walter was fouled on the inbounds play and dropped in both free throw attempts to put the game out of reach.
• First-half action never saw the Mountaineers trailing. Jaelan McCloud rained down a pair of 3-pointers for Western's first points, and from there the Mountaineers built a lead as big as 10 points, 32-22, before taking their four-point edge into the halftime recess.
• Mines' 14-2 run to start the second half turned the game around, forcing Western to play catch-up over the next 16 minutes.
• The Mountaineers finally pulled back even at 60-60 behind a Will Willis 3-pointer from straight out behind the arc.
• The game was tied soon after at 62, 64 and 69 before a Willis layup elevated Western to its first lead, 71-69, since the opening minute of the second half.
• A Frugoli jumper with under 20 seconds in the half tied the game, pushing the Hardrockers into the extra period with a bit of momentum.

COURT NOTES

• Ragsdale's 19 points led the Western offense, with Willis' 16 points also reaching double digits for the visitors.
• With 12 rebounds, Ragsdale completed the double-double. Elijah Davidson equaled Ragsdale's efforts off the glass also coming away with 12 boards.
• Mines was led by Walter's game-high 27 points. Two other Hardrockers, Alejandro Rama (19 pts.) and Kolten Mortensen (14) also scored in double figures.
• Western came down with 40 rebounds total, to outdo Mines' 32 rebounds, but the Hardrockers' 12-7 edge in points off turnovers overcame the rebounding difference between the teams.

UP NEXT

• Western will travel to Lakewood, Colorado, for a Friday RMAC contest at Colorado Christian University.
• Mines will host Fort Lewis College on Tuesday in a conference game.