RAPID CITY - The MRI on the left knee of South Dakota Mines' Melanie Vedvei dealt a possible knock-out blow to the Lady Hardrocker guard's senior season.

According to Brad Blume, sports information director at Mines, Vedvei suffered tears to her medial collateral ligament and menicus and ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament Friday when she took a twisting fall during the waning seconds of Mines' 82-79 loss to Minot State.

Vedvei will be out for an indefinite amount of time, while she and her family contemplate her choices for how to best handle the injury.

"Obviously it is devastating to the team, (losing) an All-American player, but also a teammate," Lady Hardrocker head coach Barb Felderman said Tuesday.

Vedvei, a two-time NAIA Division II All-American and twice the most valuable player of the Dakota Athletic Conference, is the focal point for Mines' efforts at both ends of the basketball court.

Earlier this season she moved into second place on the women's all-time scoring list, passing Kori Hoff and trailing only Jami Barraclough. Her 23-point effort against the Beavers on Friday ran her career total to 1,972.

Vedvei's defensive prowess is as sharp as her scoring ability. The Lady Hardrocker was honored before the start of Friday's game for becoming the all-time steals leader in NAIA D-II history, after breaking Joy Wilkinson's record of 411 set while playing for Malone, Ohio, from 1999 to 2003.

After registering three steals Friday against Minot State, Vedvei has 419 during four seasons at Mines.

The Lady Hardrockers were ranked No. 10 in NAIA D-II entering last weekend's games against Minot

State and Dickinson State, which both ended in losses for Mines (16-5, 4-3 DAC).

The Lady Hardrockers play at Dickinson State and Minot State on Friday and Saturday.