CHADRON, Neb. - #4 Colorado School of Mines resumed their charge through the early part of conference play, winning 77-63 on the road at Chadron State to open 2021.

Brendan Sullivan's torrid play continued with a game-high 25 points and Kobi Betts scored 21 as the Orediggers (7-0, 6-0 RMAC) controlled the pace of the game on the inside and at the perimeter.

Sullivan was 8-for-12 overall, 4-for-5 for three, and 5-for-5 at the line in a superb performance, while Betts added six boards and five assists to his 21-point night. Michael Glen pitched in an eight-point, nine-rebound, four-assist night to lead Mines in the post. 

Teddy Parham led the Eagles (1-2, 1-2 RMAC) with 18 points as Marcus Jefferson scored 13. 

It was a close first 10 minutes as Chadron State's hot start gave them a 17-15 lead midway through the first half, but Mines took control of the game on Bett's three-point play and his transition pass into an Austin Means dunk to spark a 16-5 run that gave Mines a 31-22 lead. After two Eagle baskets in response, the Orediggers would score the final six points of the half to lead 37-26 at the break, their largest advantage to that point.

Chadron State started the second half hot and drew the game as close as seven points on back-to-back Jefferson buckets early on, but Paul O'Leary's and-one opportunity combined with three-pointers by Ben Boone and Sullivan set the Mines lead back to double digits before a 9-0 run mid-half put the game out of reach, with Glen's score to end that spurt giving Mines a 19-point lead, 64-45, with 7:11 left. The lead would never dip into single digits again as the Orediggers were able to give the bench minutes at the end. 

NOTABLES
- Mines is 7-0 under Pryor Orser for the sixth time.
- Sullivan was nearly perfect in the first half, going 5-for-6 overall, 3-for-3 from distance, and 3-for-3 at the stripe for 16 points before the break; his only miss was a buzzer-beater putback attempt that rimmed out.
- Sullivan is the first Oredigger to score 20 or more points in three consecutive games since Mason Baker did it in the middle of the 2018-19 season. Sullivan is averaging 26.7 points per game over the last three and 18.9 points per game this season.
- Betts was deadly in the mid-range game sinking four of his six jumpers inside the arc on the way to his 21 points. 
- The Eagles struggled through foul trouble as Parham, Jacob Jefferson, and Kayden Sund all fouled out; Mines took advantage with their best free-throw shooting night of the season sinking 17 of 21 tries.
- The Orediggers shot .500 overall, .500 from three, and .810 at the line; Chadron had a split of .451/.444/.643.
- Mines outrebounded Chadron 34-26. 
- Kai Barr scored his first collegiate points with two free throws in the closing seconds.
- Mines won for the 25th consecutive time against Chadron State, its longest active win streak over any opponent.

NEXT UP
Mines heads to the RMAC's preseason #2 pick, Black Hills State, Monday night at 7:30 p.m. BHSU beat Regis 84-74 on Sunday to improve to 2-1.