Eagles compete with RMAC’s best
The Eagles’ men’s basketball team split home games with the RMAC’s best this past weekend, defeating second-ranked University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, 90-75, Friday, before losing 72-75 against top-ranked Colorado School of Mines, Saturday.
Both games saw new Chicoine Center attendance records set on each night with 854 in attendance Friday, and 961 Saturday.
“The players have worked very hard and it is nice to see them get that respect,” CSC Head Coach Houston Reed said.
The Eagles led the RMAC’s top team through much of the game, Saturday, including building an early 15-8 lead. The Eagles managed to hold onto that lead until Mines began gaining momentum and Mines’ Brendan Sullivan tipped in teammates missed jump shot. Sullivan was fouled on the play and his and-one attempt put the team up 70-68. Though CSC’s Diontae Champion would get the game back to even on a pair free throws of his own with about three minutes remaining, the Orediggers would hold the lead the rest of the way.
CSC was outscored 50-32 in the second half and lost both center Charles Gavin, senior of Denver, who fouled out, and center Adoum Mbang, senior of Yaounde, Cameroon, who missed time due to an ankle injury. The Orediggers out-rebounded the Eagles 19-9 in the second half.
“The pace of the game was entirely different in the second half,” Reed said. “It turned into a half-court game which played to the strength of Mines.”
The Eagles had five double-digit scorers against the undefeated Orediggers, led by Michael Sparks, junior of Denver, with 12. Teammates Mbang and Jeremy Ruffin, senior of Chicago, each had 11 points, and juniors Colby Jackson, of Las Vegas, and Jordan Mills, of Alliance, had 10. Ruffin earned a double-double by adding 11 rebounds. After shooting 57.7 percent in the first half, CSC’s shooting percentage dropped to 39.1 percent in the second.
Against UCCS Friday, the Eagles shot 64 percent from behind the arc as Sparks led the team with four 3-pointers and 15 points total. Like Saturday, five Eagle men hit double-digits against the Mountain Lions, including Sparks. Both Jaisean Jackson, senior of Denver, and Ruffin had 13, Gavin had 11 and Jordan Mills had 10.
CSC outscored the UCCS 51-40 in the second half to pull off the upset and end the Mountain Lion’s 10-game winning streak.
Reed says the team’s preparation has been the same all season long and did not change prior to facing the second-ranked RMAC team.
“Our preparation has been the same all season,” Reed said, “we were just able to execute the way we wanted to.”
After his initial ankle injury forced him to spend time on the sidelines, Mbang returned to the game and is expected to play this weekend.
Ranked seventh on the RMAC website, but tied with Black Hills State and Colorado Mesa with an 8-5 in-conference record, the Eagles will have an opportunity to climb the RMAC standings this weekend in South Dakota. Friday they travel to Spearfish to play Black Hills State, then Saturday they’ll play South Dakota School of Mines, in Rapid City. The Hardrockers are currently ranked 14 with 5-8 record.