PUEBLO — The Colorado School of Mines Orediggers took a workmanlike 63-47 victory over Colorado Mesa in the championship game of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Shootout at the Colorado State Fair Events Center on Saturday, cut down the nets, and posed for the requisite celebratory group pictures.
They also looked ahead.
Barring a completely shocking scenario, the Orediggers, 27-2 and ranked second nationally, tonight will get the news that they’ll be the No. 1 seed and host team for the eight-team NCAA Division II Central Regional at Lockridge Arena on the Mines campus in Golden.
Mines entered the league tournament with the region’s No. 1 ranking and did nothing in its three victories to endanger it. The regional begins Saturday and continues March 11 and 13.
“I think we’re a lock to probably host it,” Mines coach Pryor Orser said. “It’s historic for us, it’s great for the Colorado School of Mines, and it’s great for Golden. But it’s also great for our conference. We haven’t (hosted) the Central Regional in a long time.”
At least two other RMAC teams — most likely Metro State (22-6), the nation’s top-rated Division II team in December and January before slumping; and Adams State (19-8) — are expected to join the Orediggers in the regional.
“This was a business trip, and that’s even what we called it,” said Mines senior center Dale Minschwaner, who had six points and 10 rebounds in the title game and was named the Shootout’s most valuable player. “We came down here and took care of business. … Playing in the NCAA Tournament on our home court is going to be the best.”
In the Shootout championship game, redshirt freshman guard Trevor Ritchie had 18 points and junior guard Brett Green added 14 for the Orediggers as they held off seventh-seeded Mesa (16-13).
Fort Lewis women’s champs. Second-seeded Fort Lewis got 15 points apiece from Jamie Simmons and Mary Rose Paiz to beat No. 4 Western State 87-78 and earn the league’s automatic berth in the Central Regional.
Metro State (25-3) and CSU-Pueblo (21-6) likely will join Fort Lewis (25-4) as RMAC representatives in the regional.
Terry Frei: 303-954-1895 or tfrei@denverpost.com
