ALAMOSA, Colo.—The Adams State University Men's Basketball team will look to grow on their season-opening wins when they host the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers on Saturday inside Plachy Hall.
 
Game Information
Teams: Adams State (2-0, 2-0 RMAC) vs South Dakota Mines (0-2, 0-2 RMAC)
Date: Saturday, December 12, 2020
Tip-Off: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Alamosa, Colo.
Site: Plachy Hall (2,500)
Series Record: Adams State leads, 6-1
 
Coaches
ASU: ASU: Russ Caton, 64-81 (6th Season, ASU); 116-164 (12th Overall)
SDM: Eric Glenn, 29-33 (2nd Season)
 
Media Coverage (Click Links)
Live Video: RMAC Network (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/adams/)
ASU Radio: KSPK-FM, 104.1 FM (http://stream.kspk.com:8000/live.mp3)
Live Stats: ASU Website (https://asugrizzlies.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary)
 
Fast Start
Adams State will look to improve on a 2-0 start to the season on Saturday when they host South Dakota Mines. Tipoff for Saturday's contest is scheduled for 5:30 p.m.
 
Adams State returns just three letterwinners from last year's squad that finished with an 8-20 record and an 13th place finish in the RMAC. Cole Arceneaux returns for his third season with the Grizzlies where he averages 2.2 points per game. Kaelin Crane return for his second year as a Grizzly. He averaged 13.9 points per game. Rylan O'Brien averaged 12.1 points per game in his first season last year and will be an impact for the Grizzlies this season.
 
Adams State held off a comeback attempt late in the game by CSU-Pueblo on Wednesday but they were able to hold on for a 7-point win. Kaelin Crane had 23 points and six rebounds. Also helping the Grizzlies to victory was Williams with 20 points and six rebounds.
 
The RMAC Player of the Week was announced on Wednesday and Adams State saw Frederick Jackson win the Offensive Player of the Year award. Jackson complied a double-double with 31 points and 11 rebounds. He helped propel the Grizzlies to an early 17-0 lead to defeat the 3rd ranked team in the coaches poll and shot 14-of-17 from the field and a perfect 3-of-3 from the free throw line. Of his rebounds ten were defensive boards. He also added two assists, two steals and four blocks.
 
Adams State played two exhibition games during Thanksgiving Week. The Grizzlies took on NCAA Division I Weber State on Wednesday and fell 88-60. On Thanksgiving, the Grizzlies played at NCAA Division I Utah Valley In the game that they lost 100-75.
 
The Grizzlies were selected to finish 13th in the 2020 RMAC preseason Coaches' poll. ASU received 45 points while the second straight year, Colorado School of Mines has been tabbed as the RMAC Men's Coaches Poll preseason favorite. The Orediggers received 13 first-place votes and a total of 195 points.
 
Russ Caton returns for his sixth year at the helm and brings in assistant coach Trend Blackledge who capped off a nine year professional basketball career in Japan and a stellar career at Division I Marquette University.
 
About South Dakota Mines
The Hardrockers dropped their opening games of the 2020-21 season, falling to No. 13 Colorado Mines, 70-49, on Friday night, and then fell to Regis University, 90-52, Saturday afternoon.
 
South Dakota Mines is essentially a brand new team this year, losing seven players from last season' s squad that made a first-ever appearance in the RMAC Semifinals. Holes were left either from graduation or from moving on to NCAA Div. I programs. It will take some game experience for this year's squad to gel together and find their identity.
 
But the 'Rockers are well on their way. The play of Kolten Mortensen was outstanding in the first outing as the junior leads the team averaging 12 points and 9.5 rebounds per game. Brevin Walter, who redshirted for the Hardrockers last year, also debuted well and averaged 8.5 markers over the first two games.
 
Series History vs. South Dakota Mines
Adams State holds an overall 6-1 record over South Dakota Mines in the series. The Grizzlies wont he first six matches spanning from Feb. 17, 2013 to Dec. 16, 2018.
 
The Hardrocker's lone loss in the series came last season on Dec. 14 when the Grizzlies fell by three points, 72-69.
 
Broadcast Information
Saturday's game with South Dakota Mines will be broadcast live on the RMAC Network (https://portal.stretchinternet.com/adams/) and will be produced by ASU. Since spectators will not be allowed to attend the game in person, fans can tune in and follow along with live stats (https://asugrizzlies.com/sidearmstats/mbball/summary).
 
In addition, KSPK-FM will once again serve as the official radio station of Adams State Athletics. Brian Loch will call Saturday's action for Adams State.
 
Fans can access the game online (http://stream.kspk.com:8000/live.mp3) or on the radio dial KSPK can be heard on 100.3 in Colorado Springs, Alamosa and the San Luis Valley, 104.1 in South Fork and Trinidad, and 102.3 in Pueblo and Walsenburg.
 
Up Next
The Grizzlies will host Colorado Mesa University on Friday, December 18, with tipoff scheduled for 7:30 p.m. That game will be the final game until the Grizzlies travel to Denver for two games in 2021.  
Due to the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 in the San Luis Valley, all Adams State University home games in 2020 will be played without spectators. ASU Athletics will continuously re-evaluate the policy as local and state guidelines change.