SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University men's basketball team was edged, 73-69, by No. 11/13 ranked Colorado School of Mines on Friday evening.

Makaleb McInnis led the Yellow Jackets (14-10, 13-7 RMAC) with 26 points, while Stefan Desnica had 15 points. Antonio Capley pulled down nine boards.

The Yellow Jackets opened the game hot, going on a 7-0 run before the Orediggers (23-3, 20-0 RMAC) got on the board. McInnis scored the first five points, followed by two points by Capley, as BHSU led, 7-0, with 17:49 to play in the first. Mines got within one, 11-10, with 14:44 left in the first half, but the home team were able to push their cushion out to eight, 22-14, with 10 minutes remaining. The nationally ranked Orediggers fought back again, and tied up the game, 28-28, before eventually taking their first lead of the night, 31-30, with just under four minutes to play in the first. A last second bucket by Mason Baker put Colorado School of Mines up three, 39-36, heading into the break.

The two teams exchanged baskets for the first eight minutes of the second half. With just over 12 minutes remaining, the score was tied, 51-51, but the Orediggers went on a 9-2 run to take a seven-point lead. The visitors led by eight with just over a minute to play in the game. The Yellow Jackets forced two turnovers, and made five unanswered free throws to draw within three, 69-66, with 15 seconds to play. BHSU was forced to foul, and Baker sunk both of his three throws, before Dez Stoudamire's trey was off line. The Orediggers made two more free throws to lead by seven and seal the victory.

BHSU shot 45.8 percent from the field (27-for-59), while CSM was 44.8 percent from the floor (26-for-58). The Yellow Jackets were 6-for-18 (33.3 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Orediggers were 3-for-12 (25.0 percent) on three-pointers. BHSU was 9-for-13 (69.2 percent) from the charity stripe, and Mines was 18-for-22 (81.8 percent) from the free throw line. The Green and Gold was outrebounded, 39-31.

Baker led the Orediggers with 15 points, while Ben Clare had 14, and Ben Sonnefeld had 13 points, eight boards, and five assists.

The Green and Gold will next be in action on February 23. The Yellow Jackets host UCCS at 6 p.m., with two games remaining in the regular season.

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Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.

---BHSUAthletics.com---