The Mavericks were looking to go perfect on the weekend for the first time since Nov. 24-25 as they played host to the Hardrockers of South Dakota School of Mines (SDSM). The Hardrockers kept it close, but a run late in the second half helped propel CMU to a 77-71 victory.
 
It was a close game in the first half, with the Mavericks only able to gain a six-point (35-29) advantage going into the locker room. That was thanks to the Hardrockers four three-point makes to the Mavericks one.
 
The second half was a back and forth affair with both teams having runs of their own. SDSM was able to fight their way back to tie the game up at 43-43 with 12:56 to go in the half. CMU responded with a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to push their lead to 52-43. The Mavericks would never lose the lead from that point on for the remainder of the game.
 
Offensively the Mavericks were able to shoot 54 percent from the field, despite going 1-9 from deep. A lot of CMU's game was focused around points in the paint and getting shots at the rim. CMU won the points in the paint 42-24 on the night. Getting the ball down low also allowed the Mavericks to dominate the free throw game. As a team they finished 18-22 from the line, compared to 10-14 for the Hardrockers.
 
Defensively the Mavericks were all over the court as well, only allowing SDSM to shoot 40 percent from the field. However, as a team they were able to make nine shots from deep to help keep the game within striking distance.
 
All five starters finished in double figures for the Mavericks, led by Connor Nichols who finished with 19 points and seven boards. Emilio Acedo was second with 16 followed by Damon Dubots with 13.
 
With the win the Mavericks have won two games in a row for the first time since they won five games dating back to the end of November. They now sit at 10-11 on the year and 6-9 in the conference. Next weekend the Mavericks take to the road to face Western State and Westminster.