SPEARFISH, S.D. – Behind a double-double performance from Sam McCloud and a season-high shooting percentage, the Black Hills State University men's basketball team defeated Yellowstone Christian 86-77 Wednesday in the Young Center.
McCloud shot 6-of-9 from the field for 16 points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds as the Yellow Jackets placed five scorers in double-digit scoring. Black Hills State grabbed a 33-30 lead when McCloud sank a 3-point basket with 5:12 remaining in the first half, a lead it would not relinquish.
The Yellow Jackets, who earn their first victory of the season and sit 1-3 overall, built a lead as high as nine points in the first half thanks to an 11-2 run. After McCloud's trey, he added a layup while Zach McLemore sandwiched a 3-point basket around a Taylan Barret layup for YCC. Antonio Capley added a jumper while McLemore sank a free throw to conclude the run.
Black Hills State entered the intermission with a 46-40 lead behind 58.1 percent shooting in the stanza.
In the second half, the Yellow Jackets built a lead as high as 12 points behind a pair of Joe Cameron free throws with 14:25 remaining in the game. However, the Centurians wouldn't allow the Green and Gold to pull away and kept within striking distance throughout.
Yellowstone Christian (5-11 overall), was able to cut the deficit to five points on multiple occasions and made it just three points with 3:38 remaining when Abraham Nyok hit a pair of free throws for the 71-68 score. But the Yellow Jackets squashed the comeback attempt when Patrick Mendes beat the press for a layup just seconds later.
The Yellow Jackets rebuilt their lead to 11 points with a 9-1 run ending with a Jonas Anderson 3-point basket with 1:55 remaining in the game and an 80-69 lead.
Yellowstone Christian was forced to foul and the Yellow Jackets closed for the 86-77 victory.
Black Hills State shot 49.1 percent from the field on 27-of-55 shooting with McLemore leading the way with 17 points. After McCloud's 16 points, Mendes added 15 with Anderson and Fraser Malcolm scoring 11 apiece.
Aaron Munday-Rashid led the way for YCC with 18 points as Mechiah Zilkoski came off the bench for 14 points.
Black Hills State set a season-best with 11 steals with four individuals tallying two each.
Wednesday's game served as a way for the Spearfish Community to give back and help restock the Spearfish Community Food Pantry with 160 nonperishable food items and $226 donated as part of a Student-Athlete Advisory Committee initiative.
Black Hills State returns to the hardwood Friday, hosting Presentation College at 7 p.m. The evening gets started with the Yellow Jackets women's team hosting Minnesota State, and the return of Spearfish native and MSU head coach Emily Thiesse, at 5 p.m.
