CHADRON – Because winter commencement will take over the Armstrong Building on Friday evening, the Chadron State College basketball games will be played at unusual times this weekend.
 
The Eagles will be hosting Colorado Mines beginning at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Colorado Christian starting at 2 p.m. on Sunday in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference doubleheaders. The women's games will open the action both days with the men's contests to follow.
 
The CSC women are 0-6 while the CSC men are 4-2.  Both teams have had their ups and downs, but show promise of being competitive against a majority of the RMAC foes this season.
 
The Eagles are being led by a pair of 6-foot seniors, Kayli Rageth and Kattie Ranta. They are averaging 16.7 and 14.7 points, respectively. Ranta, who has double-doubles in five of the six games, is also averaging 10.8 rebounds.
 
The CSC men are being led by senior Zac Bargen at 14.0 points and 5.5 rebounds a game. Five other Eagles are averaging at least 8.8 points.
 
The Colorado Mines men's team could be the conference's best this winter, CSC coach Brent Bargen believes. He said the Orediggers are disciplined and have lots of depth and great size with four players between 6-8 and 6-11.
 
The Mines men are 6-0 after thumping Western New Mexico 108-69 and New Mexico Highlands 111-63 at home last weekend. They also overwhelmed Nebraska-Kearney 104-69 earlier this month.
 
Center Trevor Wages, a 6-9 senior, made nine of 10 field goal attempts while scoring 19 points in just 15 minutes against Highlands.  He also grabbed 10 rebounds.
 
Another win was by a 76-65 score over South Dakota Mines in Rapid City shortly after the Eagles had defeated the Hardrockers 78-68 in Chadron. That's the only away game the Orediggers have played so far.
 
Seven Mines men are averaging at least 9.6 points, led by guard Brian Miller at 15.2 a game. The team is averaging 97.5 points and shooting 54.5 percent from the field.
 
The Colorado Christian men are 4-2. They scored 102 points while beating both Oklahoma Panhandle and Johnson and Wales early in the season, but lost 102-100 to New Mexico Highlands last weekend.  They beat Western New Mexico 93-68 the next night.
 
Three Cougars are sharing the scoring load. Michael Brown is averaging 18.5 points, Avery Redmond 17.8 and Kyle Weaver 17.7.  All three are guards, but 6-7 Tony Black is averaging 7.7 rebounds to go with 6.8 points.
 
The Colorado Mines women are 2-4 and the Colorado Christian women are 3-3. 
 
Last weekend, Mines beat Western New Mexico 84-78, but lost to Highlands 65-59.  Meanwhile, the Lady Cougars beat Highlands 95-65 and lost to Western 95-67.
 
CSC coach Tim Connealy said Mines likes to slow things down and run an array of plays while the Christian Cougars are fast-paced and usually press full court.
 
Mines' top scorers are 5-8 Courtney Gallo at 13.2 points and 5-11 Allie Grazulis at 11.7.   
 
Two players also are scoring in double digits for Colorado Christian. Jessica Murdoch, a 5-7 senior, is averaging 16.2 points and Kayla Fakelman, a 5-11 junior, is averaging 13.0 points.