CHADRON – The Chadron State College men's basketball team nearly had its first defining moment in the Chicoine Center Saturday but Colorado School of Mines' Joe Dellenbach hit a 3-pointer as time expired to lift the 18^th-ranked Orediggers to a 73-72 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory.
 
The ending overshadowed a thrilling comeback for the Eagles (7-16, 6-13 RMAC) on a night when they honored five seniors. The two squads played to a 37-37 tie in the first half and were almost equal in the final 20 minutes.
 
In the second half, Chadron State trailed Mines 60-52 with 8:28 to play but went on an 18-7 scoring run over the next seven minutes to wrestle the lead back. Kendrick Holliman, who led Chadron State with 24 points, put the Eagles on top 70-67 with 51 seconds remaining after an emphatic dunk. The Orediggers answered on their next possession when Gokul Natesan nailed a long 3-pointer, his sixth of the evening, with 11 seconds to play.
 
On the next possession, Natesan fouled Josiah Lee with five seconds remaining. Lee made the front end of the one-and-one and Davante McCallam grabbed the rebound off the miss and was fouled with three ticks on the clock. McCallam missed the first of his free throws but made the second to put CSC up 72-70.
 
Mines (20-3, 16-3 RMAC) inbounded the ball to Trevor Ritchie, who sprinted up the south sideline before dishing a pass to Dellenbach on the far wing to set up the game winner. It was the 11^th 3-pointer Mines sank in the game and just the fourth shot of the contest for Dellenbach, who finished with eight points.
 
Holliman paced CSC with 24 points and eight rebounds but he had plenty of help. Christopher Smith scored 13 points, Josiah Lee added 11, Roderick Butler scored nine and Evan Brooks finished with seven.
 
Natesan was one of four Orediggers to finish in double figures with 25 points. He also added six assist and four rebounds.
 
For the game, Chadron State hit 25 of 51 shots, while Mines sank 26 of 52.