Chadron, Neb. – The Black Hills State women's basketball team defeated RMAC rival Chadron State 72-65 in Chadron on Saturday night.
The Yellow Jackets went back and forward with the Eagles for much of the first half. Bailey Kusser led the charge early for the Jackets, scoring 14 of her 15 points in the half. Kusser shot 50 percent from the field and 40 percent from behind the arc in the opening period. Despite the effort, Black Hills State trailed by three, 35-32, going into halftime.
"We missed some shots we normally make, but we can't control that," said head coach Mark Nore. "I thought we did a nice job of controlling our energy."
In the second half, Black Hills State found their groove. The Jackets came out playing hard, regaining the lead on a Chelsey Biegler three-point-play with just under 18 minutes left to play. Biegler scored 17 of her game-high 28 points in the second half. The Yellow Jackets fought off multiple comeback attempts by Chadron State and went on the win the game, 72-65.
"I thought our energy was great," said Nore. "We played with good energy for 40 minutes tonight."
Black Hills State was led by Biegler's 28 points. Cassidy Kotelman scored 16 points and pulled down a team-high eight rebounds. Kusser added 15 points in the win.
The Yellow Jackets will be back in action this weekend when they travel to New Mexico to face Western New Mexico and New Mexico Highlands on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
