SPEARFISH, S.D. – In the team's final tune-up before conference play, Matthew Ragsdale poured in a game-high 23 points, surpassing 20 points for the fifth consecutive game, his longest streak since he was at Western Colorado. However, it was not enough as the Black Hills State University Men's Basketball team fell to South Dakota Mines, 77-69 on Monday night at the Donald E. Young Center.

With the loss, BHSU falls to 2-4 entering RMAC play, while the Hardrockers improve to the same mark ahead of conference competition.

Ragsdale went 10-of-18 from the field on his way to his 23 tallies, while securing a team-best seven rebounds, good for a season-high. He also dished a pair of assists and secured a steal.

Caelin Hearne added 17 points for the Yellow Jackets on 7-for-15 with five caroms.

Hoku Fisher scored nine for BHSU while snatching three steals and distributing three helpers, tied for a team high. John Shanklin pitched in six and six for scoring and rebounding, plus two blocks in the loss.

Alejandro Rama led Mines with 22 points although he needed 23 shots to get there finishing 10-23 from the field and 1-6 from three. He just missed a double-double, grabbing nine boards and adding six assists, both of which led all players.

Cameron Cohn added 19 for the Hardrockers, including a dozen in the second half, many of which were timely buckets down the stretch. He also grabbed seven rebounds.

Keagen Smith rounded out the double-digit scorers with 11 points on four-of-six, 3-5 from distance. Jasper Reinalda pitched in seven points and five caroms in the win.

The squads traded a quartet of threes across the first two-and-a-half minutes of play, then singular buckets over the next 70 ticks off the clock. A triple from Smith, a layup by Rama, and Rama splitting a pair of attempts from the charity stripe opened a six-point edge for the guests. Deegan Williams bookended an 8-2 stretch with treys leading into a South Dakota Mines timeout that was stretched into the under-12 with the squad's square at 16-all. 

The rivals remained in lockstep through the six-minute mark when the score was even at 28 before the Hardrockers put together a run. A 14-6 stretch polished off by a Reinalda three-point play for the guests opened a 42-34 lead before Ragsdale, who scored all six BHSU points during the South Dakota Mines run, ended the stretch with a layup. That brought the Yellow Jackets back within two-possessions as the score held at 42-36 at the break.

Both teams shot effectively from the field in the first half with Black Hills State shooting 51.7% from the field and 42.9% from long range (6-14). South Dakota Mines, meanwhile, connected on 47.1% of their looks, including 40.0% (6-15) of their shots from deep. The 5-0 edge in second-chance points and 7-2 lead in points off turnovers for the guests led to their advantage despite BHSU's superior efficiency.

Rama paced the visitors with a dozen at the half while snaring six boards while Smith pitched in eight. Ragsdale led all players with 13 in the stanza, connecting on six-of-nine from the field.

Black Hills State opened the second half with a 5-2 stretch with all their points coming at the charity stripe before Rama knocked down a jumper. Hearne cashed in a triple with 17:43 to get the score within two, but the Hardrockers countered with a 7-2 spurt. A pair of Ragsdale hoops and a Jackson Edman dunk off a baseline inbound play, cut the deficit to a single point ahead of the under-12 timeout.

Out of the media break, Cohn split a pair from the line before Hearne connected on a game-tying jumper. Unfortunately for the Yellow Jackets, that would be as close as they would get as both teams went scoreless across the next three minutes before Kolton Frugoli finally broke the drought with a free throw. The combination of Ragsdale and Hearne did their best to keep BHSU in it, but it was the Hardrockers who caught fire from distance down the stretch. A duo of triples from Cohn around and a tough pull-up from Rama with under two to play extended the SD Mines lead to 11 and they would never turn back and came away with win.

While the Yellow Jackets started the second half strong from the field, they tailed off late to finish with a 44.0% field goal percentage. They especially struggled from distance as the Hearne three-point make with just under 18 to play would prove to be their final made triple in the contest as they went one-for-ten in the second half.

Mines allowed BHSU to remain close by shooting sub-40 percent from the field, including under 30% from distance, but their makes were timely to pull away with the win.

Rama scored ten in the second half for the Hardrockers although he needed 15 shots to get there. Instead, it was Cohn who caught fire down the stretch to lead all scorers with 12 in the second half while adding six caroms.

Ragsdale scored ten and Hearne added nine in the comeback bid for BHSU.

The Yellow Jackets hit the road to open RMAC play next as they travel to play Regis on Friday. Tipoff is set for 7 PM.