RAPID CITY, S.D. – Alijah Comithier nailed a jump shot for the first basket of the game to give the University of Colorado Colorado Springs men's basketball team a 2-0 lead, but it would be the last lead the Mountain Lions would hold as they suffered a 71-49 loss at South Dakota School of Mines Saturday night.
 
The 49 points scored tonight are the fewest this season, and the fewest points scored since Nov. 23, 2012 (L, at Chico State, 44-68).
 
UCCS (10-6, 6-5 RMAC) trailed 42-20 after the first 20 minutes of action, but matched the Hardockers output in the second half, 29-29.
 
The Mountain Lions sank 41.3 percent of their field goals and 46.2 percent from three-point range, but the Hardrockers were sound on their home court, hitting 56.4 percent from the floor and 44.4 percent from downtown.
 
Padiet Wang paced UCCS with 12 points, five assists and three rebounds.
 
Payton Kaiser sparked the bench and was efficient on the court, netting 10 points on 3-of-4 shooting (2-of-3 three-point field goals) in just 13 minutes of court time.
 
The Hardrockers' Allec Williams led all scorers with 22 points.
 
UCCS will play host to Chadron State College and MSU Denver Jan. 24-25.