ALAMOSA, Colo. – In a thrilling display of dominance in the wild Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC), the Grizzlies secured a decisive victory over the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, with a final score of 86-61 inside Plachy Hall on Friday night.

The Grizzlies capitalized on 16 team steals, orchestrating 24 turnovers that translated to 23 crucial points. Leading the charge for the Grizzlies was Harmanie Dominguez, delivering a performance of 22 points. Dominguez shot 7-of-11 from the field, including 3-of-4 from beyond the arc, and went 5-of-6 from the free-throw line. Kiiyani Anitielu contributed 15 points, despite a 4-of-14 performance from the field, showcasing her 6-of-8 display from the free-throw line. Angelline Nageak also made her mark with 11 points.

Despite being outrebounded 43-32, the Grizzlies stifled the Hardrocker advances.

Taking a commanding 23-19 lead at the end of the first quarter, the Grizzlies tightened their defense in the second quarter, limiting the Hardrockers to a mere five points. The halftime advantage of 41-24 only continued to expand as the game progressed.

With the regular season drawing to a close and teams gearing up for their final matches, the conference race has reached unprecedented levels of intensity. The Grizzlies now face another pivotal game against Black Hills State on Saturday night.

Regis stands at 16-4 with two games remaining, while Colorado Mesa, UC-Colorado Springs, and Adams State are all tied at 15-4 with three games left. Colorado School of Mines suffered their second consecutive loss, falling 71-68 to Colorado Christian, bringing them to 14-5. Following closely are Black Hills State at 12-7, and Colorado Christian and CSU Pueblo, both at 11-8. Fort Lewis trails behind in ninth place with a record of 9-10.