SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's basketball team (9-5, 8-2 RMAC) won their eighth straight Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game on Friday night over the Western New Mexico University Mustangs, 80-63. 

Redshirt freshman, Courtney Patterson, led all scorers in the game with 21 points and went a perfect 13-of-13 from the free-throw line, while contributing 25 minutes off the bench. 

After a back-and-forth first half that put the Jackets up 33-27 at the break, the BHSU defense that forced 24 turnovers that led to numerous open looks for the Jackets, was just too much for the Mustangs as the lead extended to 17 points by game's end. 

Leading scorer for the Jackets, Chelsey Biegler, left the game in the second half with an injury, which allowed Patterson and Cassidy Kotelman to step up offensively in the absence of Biegler's 15-point per game average.  Kotelman hit three 3-point shots to lead her team as she finished with 16 points, eight rebounds and three steals.  Bielger finished the game with eight points three first half steals. 

Another spark off the bench came from true-freshman, Gabby Haefs, who did not miss one shot all night as she went 3-for-3 with two three-pointers to give her season-high 10 points (2-2 3-pt). 

The Yellow Jacket bench contributed 36 points in the game, with 15 of the first 33 points coming in the first half alone.

The game was also a physical contest that led to 45 personal fouls called, allowing the Jackets to hit the bonus with nearly 10 minutes to play in the second half.  As a team, the Yellow Jackets had 41 total trips to the free throw line, hitting 32 to put them at 78-percent for the game. 

WNMU's Ashley Mitchell led her team with 13 points, while Nalani Hernandez had 12 to go with nine rebounds.  RaTanya Newsome had eight points and a game-high four steals. 

BHSU hit 21-of-49 shots overall (42.9%) and had 38 total rebounds (36 defense, 2 offense).  WNMU finished shooting 33-percent from the field on 22-of-66 shots (8-28 3-pt).

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