SPEARFISH, S.D. - The 2013-14 Black Hills State University women's basketball team will host the Northern State University Wolves tonight at 5:30 p.m. at the Young Center in their first regular season game of the year.
The Jackets had a tough opening slate of exhibition games on the road that featured three consecutive NCAA Division I opponents. In that stretch, the Jackets averaged 45.3 points per game and gave up an average of 78.3 points per game against talented offensives attacks in Colorado State, Idaho State, and Utah State who put up 103 points on Nov. 9, 2013.
Northern State comes into Saturday night as an NCAA Division II opponent, to give the Jackets an opportunity to match the Wolves talent as they focus on once again making a run at the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference playoffs in the new season.
Some of the bright spots in the exhibition games include the added depth of the team as all five starters return for the Jackets from a season ago, led by preseason unanimous First Team All-Conference junior guard, Chelsey Biegler, who finished 2012 averaging 17.3 points per game.
"Our squad has a strong, mature nucleus of players that we will rely upon this season along with some talented freshman and transfer players that are in their first season with the program. We're extremely excited to get started," head coach, Mark Nore said prior to the beginning of the season.
In the team's first exhibition, junior guard, Cassidy Kotelman, led the Jackets with 12 points and six rebounds as Biegler saw 16 minutes of action and notched seven points, two steals and two rebounds.
Veteran guards, Bailey Kusser and Lindsay Fearing, both are expected to again sit out as they recover from injuries. Therefore, other veterans like senior Calli Bechtel and Dakota Barrie will be called upon to provide even more production as they season begins.
In the team's second exhibition at Idaho State, junior transfer, Shanna Halalilo, made her second start for her new team and contributed four points in her 29 minutes. Junior, Dakota Barrie, once again was effect of the defensive end as she finished with two defensive rebounds, and two steals along with a team high two assists. Freshman, Taylor Trohkimoinen, again turned in a quality 24 minutes in just her second game as a Jacket. Trohkimoinen had three points on three free throws, and had four defensive rebounds, one block, and a steal.
In their third preseason contest at a powerful, senior laden team in Utah State, Kotelman was close to a double-double as she added eight more points and six rebounds and one steal. In 27 minutes of play, junior guard Chelsey Biegler had a tough go from the field after just four points after going 1-of-11 on field goals, including 0-for-8 from three-point range. Barrie, continued to be one of the most valuable players for the Jackets early on as she dropped six points but added four rebounds, four assists, and three steals to provide production on both ends of the court.
Northern State is a team that is led by juniors Megan Mutchler and Rachel Krogman. In NSU's opening win over South Dakota School of Mines, 51-35, Krogman had a double-double with 15 points and 16 rebounds as Mutchler had 12 points and shot 80-percent from the floor.
NSU also out rebounded the Hardrockers 48-34 in the game as they were active on the offensive boards as they finished with 15 on the night. Therefore, some of the Yellow Jackets who will challenge the Wolves down low will be junior forward, Logan Cowan and redshirt freshman, Brittney Curl, who both stand at 6-foot-1 and have strong offensive attacks.
As Curl begins her first full season after her redshirt season, Cowan will look to build upon her strong sophomore campaign that anchored the team down low as she was near the top of the RMAC as shot 56.4-percent from the field and averaged 7.4 points per game and three rebounds per game.
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