Eagles struggle to score points

Despite attempts to tie up the score, Chadron State men’s basketball team was unable to sink any of its last-minute shots from the arc and took a close loss to South Dakota School of Mines, 65-62.

“We have to do a better job at starting games off and when we do have the lead to stay on the gas and extend it,” Teddy Parham, Jr., junior of Los Angeles, said. “We let off the pressure and allowed the team to come back.”

With 40 seconds left of the game and being behind by only three points, Marcus Jefferson, junior of Lewisville, Texas, attempted two shots at the arc while KJ Harris, junior of McKinney, Texas, and Parham both attempted one.

Along with a struggle to sink shots at the end of the game, the Eagles faced a slow start, seeing their first points after five and a half minutes of play.

Teddy Parham, Jr., junior of Los Angeles, cut down the Hardrockers’ lead with 16 points over a stretch of nine minutes and Marcus Jefferson, junior of Lewisville, Texas, ended the first half with two free throws to tie at 32 points.

“When the game becomes close we need to be even more locked in and concise,” Parham said. “When we lose focus, we give up points or we give up opportunities for us to win.”

Despite Parham making a three pointer to start off the second half and reaching a 10-point margin with 10:42 left to play, SD Mines continuously answered back until the Hardrockers tied up the score at 60 points with 4:33 of play left.

The Hardrockers held onto the lead until the buzzer sounded. The score throughout the game tied seven times and the lead changed eight times.

Parham scored 19 points to lead the Eagles, being seven of 15 for field goals and three of nine for three pointers.

Jefferson and Mason Hiemstra, junior of Alliance, both reached 11 points. Jefferson made three field goals and three three-point shots, while Hiemstra made four field goals and one three pointer.

CSC men’s basketball travels to play Metropolitan State University of Denver at 7 p.m., Friday in Denver.