RAPID CITY, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's basketball team secured the No. 3 seed in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament with a 55-34 victory over South Dakota Mines Wednesday night in the Rapid City Rushmore Plaza Civic Center.

The win assures the Yellow Jackets a home game Tuesday night in the RMAC Tournament and completes the season sweep over the rival Hardrockers.

Christine Thorn scored a game-high 15 points while Remi Wientjes added 10 points to the Yellow Jackets cause. The Green and Gold defense stifled the Hardrockers throughout, holding the home squad to just 24.5 percent shooting and just 12 percent (3-of-25) from long range.

The Yellow Jackets jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the opening minutes behind a Wientjes steal and coast-to-coast drive for the game's opening points.

The Hardrockers took their first lead of the game when Devyn Asche sank a 3-point basket for the 9-8 score in the closing seconds of the first quarter. On the opening basket of the second quarter, Christine Thorn made sure that lead wouldn't last long as she sank a trey over her own and the 11-9 lead.

After the squads passed the lead back-and-forth over the next couple possessions until a 12-2 Yellow Jacket run gave the Green and Gold a 25-16 halftime advantage. That run started with a Jennie Scharn made free throw and included a Kassidy Scott layup, and back-to-back Wientjes 3-point makes. The run concluded with a Rachel Erickson trey of her own.

The Yellow Jackets began to take control of the game in the closing minutes of the third quarter when the Yellow Jackets began a 12-0 run. The again began with a free throw, this time coming off the hands of Taylor Trohkimoinen. The stretch continued through the midway point of the fourth quarter when Christine Thorn sank a 3-poinit basket for the 46-24 lead.

The run only ended on a Megan Rohrer free throw for the Hardrockers. But the Yellow Jackets kept the pressure on, stretching the lead to as many as 23 points when Cheyanne Balster hit a layup with 2:38 remaining in the game. That led to the final score of 55-34.

The Yellow Jackets outrebounded the Hardrockers 38-30 behind eight rebounds from Balster. South Dakota Mines was led by Stacie Hull and Kahlie Peterson who scored six points each.

With the win, the Yellow Jackets are set to host the quarterfinal round of the RMAC Shootout on Tuesday. Game time is 6 p.m. in the Young Center. More information regarding the game will become available after the entire field has been set.