Rattlers Upset No. 5 School of Mines in Season Opener, 82-59

THE RECAP 
The St. Mary's Rattlers opened the 2021-2022 season with a top-ten upset over No. 5 Colorado School of Mines, 82-59. The Rattlers dominated from the opening tip, letting the country know that they mean business. After going to the half with a six-point lead, the Rattlers turned up the heat in the final 20 minutes, outscoring Mines 44-27 down the stretch. With the victory, St. Mary's has now defeated Mines in back-to-back contests.

The Rattlers didn't wait long to put up an impressive offensive performance, knocking off the Orediggers by 23 points. St. Mary's shot 48% from the floor and 43% from range to blast by No. 5 Mines. The Rattlers also dominated in turnover margin, forcing 15 TOs from Mines while only giving the ball away four times themselves. While the Rattlers lost the rebound battle, they put up 18 second chance points to just 10 from Mines.

Statistically, the Rattlers got tremendous performances up and down the roster. Kobe Magee led the Rattlers with 17 points in his season debut. Magee was 7-16 from the floor and 3-7 from behind the arc. Collin JC transfer C.J. Washington was second on the team with 16 points in his first start as a member of the Gold and Blue. Washington also grabbed seven boards, including six on the defensive glass.

THREE THINGS TO KNOW 
- St. Mary's got 22 points from their bench, allowing the starters to get valuable rest with a quick turnaround looming. Parker Gettys led all bench contributors with eight points.
- Not only did the Rattlers win the turnover battle, but they also scored 22 second chance points.
- StMU scored on 57.1% of their possessions to Mines' 43%

HEAD COACH JAMES ZELEZNAK
"I was proud of all of our guys. We had to make some adjustments in our lineup and have guys step up. Our versatility showed tonight, and on top of that, our bench did a phenomenal job. Those guys came off the bench and gave us some really key minutes, especially at the end of the first half. It allowed us to have fresh legs in the second half, and I think that really showed. It's a tight turnaround tomorrow, so we will look for our depth to really help us with the back-to-back. When we leave the locker room, we put the last game behind us and focus on the new opponent."

UP NEXT 
The Rattlers take on the Regis Rangers to close out their Regional Crossover. Tipoff is scheduled for 5 p.m. tomorrow afternoon.