Eagles rolls RMAC competition

By Eben Rosentrater – Sports Editor

The CSC men’s basketball team continued their winning streak after a narrow three-point win over the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, of Rapid City, South Dakota, on Saturday, and a rolling double-digit victory over the Colorado Christian Cougars, of Lakewood, Colorado, on Tuesday.

Despite going on the road for the first time since Jan. 7, the Eagles were able to extend their win streak to five, improving to 10-5 in the RMAC and gaining another win towards the fourth seat in the conference over the current holder, Colorado Mesa, of Grand Junction.

Saturday’s game on the road against the Hardrockers started slow for the Eagles. 

South Dakota Mines was quick to jump out to a commanding lead.

The Eagles scored just 11 points in the first 10 minutes of the contest, compared to the Rockers’ 23 points which made the game seem bleak in the beginning.

However, Chadron State fought back, going on a 15-point run before the end of the first half. The Cougars, in contrast, scored seven points before the end of the first half.

The Eagles brought the game back within four points, trailing 26-30 going into halftime.

Chadron State’s shots would begin to fall in the second half. The Rockers may have been leading by double-digit at three different points in the second half, but consistent points off of turnovers kept the Eagles in it.

Trailing with three minutes left, the Eagles went on nine-point run off of the hot-handed shooting of Isaiah Wyatt, junior of Fort Worth, Texas, and Bryce Latimer, junior of Stone Mountain, Georgia.

A last second steal from Josh Robinson, junior of Paris, Texas, would seal the game. The Rockers were forced to foul Robinson who would go on to sink both bonus free throws, putting the game out of reach for Mines.

The Eagles won the game 70-67, despite shooting .444 from the field compared to Mines’ .537. Chadron State was also out rebounded, recording 21 compared to Mines’ 33. However, it was turnovers that hurt the Rockers, recording 15 compared to Chadron’s two.

The Eagles took every advantage to score off of said turnovers, scoring 18 points off of them, leading to their victory.

Friday’s game against the Cougars was far less a task for the Eagles. Chadron State quickly jumped out to a lead in the first half. The two teams went back and forth, but by the end of the first half, the Eagles led by four.

The Eagles held on to that lead for the rest of the game, scoring 44 points in both halves, and defeating the Cougars 88-76.

The Eagles outdid CCU in every statistical category, shooting .564 from the field compared to the Cougars .509. The Eagles also out-rebounded the Cougars by nine and scored one more steal.

Robinson led the Eagles in scoring with 24 points. Latimer followed right behind him with another 21 points.

The Eagles return to the court today against the Western Colorado Mountaineers, of Gunnison, at 7:30 p.m., in the Chicoine Center.