CHADRON - Chadron State's Tim McLaurin and Andrew Gabellieri combined for 47 points and eight others scored in the Eagles' 92-75 win over South Dakota School of Mines on Wednesday night at Armstrong Gymnasium in Chadron.
McLaurin and Gabellieri, both freshman guards, were lethal from beyond the arc as they combined for eight of Chadron State's 12 3-pointers. McLaurin, who finished with a game-high 26 points, knocked down three treys, while Gabellieri hit five 3-pointers and added 21 points off the bench as the Eagles earned their first win of the season.
"It feels good to get a win, especially at home," Chadron State head coach Brent Bargen said. "I'm happy for the kids, and I think it's going to be something we can really build on."
Chadron State owned a comfortable 40-27 lead at halftime, and the Eagles pulled away from the Hardrockers in the first five minutes of the second half by going on a 19-8 scoring run.
"We've kind of been a second-half team all year," Bargen said. "It was our undoing against Wayne State on Saturday, but tonight the guys were very unselfish and they made the right decisions once we had the lead."
While Gabellieri and McLaurin did the brunt of the scoring, the Eagles received stellar contributions from almost every position. Marco De Souza, who transferred to CSC from Marshalltown Community College, hit three 3-pointers and scored 13 points from the post, and point guard Dameon Gant dished out eight assists by halftime.
"Andrew can shoot the ball really well and he's getting better at putting the ball on the floor, and Tim can really score in a variety of ways for us," Bargen said. "I thought Dameon Gant played really well tonight, and as a team we passed the ball much better."
Also for CSC, Tyler Coffman scored nine points and Kyle Cotton added seven.
The Hardrockers, who are 2-6 on the season, had two players reach double figures. A.J. Tennepohl hit six 3-pointers for 18 points and Brandon Smith scored 13.
The Chadron State men and women will both play at Black Hills State on Saturday. The women's game tips off at 5:30 p.m. and the men follow at 7:30 p.m.
