SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University men's basketball team heads to Colorado for its first road conference weekend. The Yellow Jackets will take on Colorado School of Mines on Friday, December 8, before playing Colorado Christian on Saturday, December 9.

THE GAME - Colorado School of Mines 
» The Orediggers are currently ranked No. 6 in the NABC National Poll after beginning the season 2-0.
 
» Mines averages 83.5 ppg, led by Luke Schroepfer (15.5 ppg) and Ben Sonnefeld (14.8 ppg). Ben Clare leads the squad with 5.9 rebounds per game.
 
» Colorado School of Mines was selected to finish second in the RMAC Preseason Poll. Schroepfer was named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team.
 
» BHSU upset then ranked No. 18 Orediggers in the teams' only meeting last season.
 
THE GAME - Colorado Christian
» The Cougars, selected to finish 13th in the RMAC Preseason Poll, have begun the season 1-7, and fell to Regis and Chadron State to begin the conference schedule.
 
» The team averages 72.8 ppg, led by Stefan Hackethal (19.1 ppg). Marcus Fager leads the squad with 5.0 boards per game.
 
» CCU defeated BHSU, 66-61, in the teams' only meeting last year.
 
THE COACHES
» Jeff Trumbauer enters his fourth season at the helm of the Yellow Jackets. He has a 35-54 record at BHSU.
 
» Pryor Orser is in his 16th year coaching the Orediggers. His teams have made seven NCAA tournaments.
 
» Jeff Hironaka is in his first season at CCU. He most recently was the head assistant at Portland State.
Last Time Out
The Yellow Jackets opened RMAC play, splitting the weekend in Spearfish. BHSU defeated the University of Colorado Colorado Springs, 77-66, on Friday, before falling, 62-56, to MSU Denver.

Against UCCS, Makaleb McInnis scored 20 points, while Dez Stoudamire had 14, and Connor O'Hearn had 10. Fraser Malcolm pulled down 12 rebounds.

Against MSU Denver, Stoudamire put up 17 points, while Malcolm added 10.

99 Problems, But a win ain't one
The Yellow Jackets scored 99 points against Yellowstone Christian (Nov. 11). This was the most points scored by BHSU since they scored 101 in an overtime loss to Colorado Christian in 2013 (Dec. 14).

Share the rock
BHSU has begun the season averaging 12.2 assists though four games. The 18 assists against Yellowstone Christian (Nov. 11) are the most in a single game since the Yellow Jackets had 19 in an 84-59 victory over Regis in 2015 (Dec. 12).

Settling in
Some of the new players on the Yellow Jackets this season are already making a large impact. Junior transfer Mckaleb McInnis is second on the team in scoring, with 12.6 ppg, while junior transfer Dez Stoudamire has earned a starting role on the squad. Freshman Jackson Ehrlin averages 3.0 rebounds per game.

Home Sweet home
Black Hills State's record last season was starkly different at home and on the road. The team did not win a road game until Feb. 18. The Yellow Jackets were 7-8 at home, but just 2-11 away from the Young Center. So far this year, BHSU is 4-1 at home, and 0-1 on the road.

Malcolm in the Lead
Fraser Malcolm returns to the Yellow Jackets for his junior campaign after leading the squad with 14.0 points per game last season. He played 30.5 minutes per game, and earned All-RMAC Honorable Mention following the season.

Putting Up Numbers
Returning starters with Malcolm are Zach McLemore and Patrick Mendes. McLemore was second on the squad in scoring, with 11.5 ppg. Mendes averaged 9.5 ppg and 2.7 rpg.

New Blood
Despite returning eight players with playing time from last year, there will be a large group of newcomers to the Yellow Jackets. Three transfers will fight for playing time, while two freshman join the squad. Dez Stoudamire, Makaleb McInnis, and Jacob Perkins all come to BHSU from community colleges, while Jackson Ehrlin and Trey Winkler join up after their prep careers.

BHSU Picked 11th by RMAC Coaches
Black Hills State was tabbed 11th in the RMAC Coaches' Poll with 59 points. Fort Lewis was voted to finish first, with 183 points, while Colorado Mines (178), and Regis (177), were selected to finish second and third, respectively.
  Black Hills State is located in the Northern Black Hills of South Dakota, sponsoring 13 NCAA sports with membership in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, the NCAA emerging sport of women's triathlon and NIRA rodeo. For all information regarding Yellow Jacket Athletics, please visit BHSUAthletics.com or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram @BHSUAthletics.