SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's basketball team travels to Colorado for its first set of conference road games against Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Christian University on Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9. Tipoff is slated for 5 p.m. both nights.
THE GAME - Colorado Mines
- The two teams meet for the ninth time on the hardwood on Friday with a tipoff scheduled for 5:00 p.m. BHSU leads the all-time series against the Orediggers, 5-3.
- Nicole Archambeau leads the Orediggers on both offense and defense. Archambeau is averaging 14.6 points and 10.9 rebounds a game. Due to Archambeau's performances, she earned RMAC offensive and defensive player of the week in week 2 of the season. Archambeau was named the 2016 All-RMAC Summit Award Winner after last season.
- The Orediggers are predicted to finish sixth in the conference in the preseason poll and currently rank third with a 5-3 overall record and a 2-0 record in conference. Emily Bailey landed on the Preseason All-RMAC team and ranks second on the team, behind Archambeau, averaging 11.5 points a game. Bailey was named to the 2016 First Team All-RMAC last season.
THE GAME- Colorado Christian
- Alex Nelson, a preseason All-RMAC Team honoree and a 2016 Second Team All-RMAC member, carries the Cougars offense, averaging 15.3 ppg. Nelson was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week after week 3. Jordan Baer leads the Cougar defense, grabbing an average of 6.6 rebounds a game.
- The two teams meet for the 12th time on the hardwood on Saturday with a tipoff slated for 5:00 p.m. The Yellow Jackets lead the all-time series, 6-5.
- The Cougars are slated to finish in a tie for 10th with Westminster in the preseason poll, but currently sit in 14th and are looking for their first RMAC win of the season.
THE COACHES
- Black Hills State University head coach Mark Nore enters his 16th season with the Yellow Jackets and owns a 270-175 record. He is the all-time wins leader for the Yellow Jacket basketball team.
- Brittany Simpson enters her sixth season at the helm of the Orediggers' women's basketball program. In the 2015-16 season, Simpson led the team to its best record in program history, finishing 21-7 overall and 19-3 in RMAC, claiming the conference title.
- Corey Laster enters his second year as the Cougars head coach. He started at Taylor University, his alma mater, where he was the all-time leading scorer and rebounder, and is a member of the Taylor University Hall of Fame since 2010. Laster spent four seasons at UCCS before taking over at CCU in 2015.
NATIONAL RANKING
Black Hills State has broken into the D2SIDA Top 25 at the No. 25 spot for the first time in program history. The two RMAC wins over UCCS and MSU Denver gave BHSU the edge to break into the national poll. The Yellow Jackets hold an 8-0 record to start the season.
RMAC ERA
Black Hills State is looking for its best start in conference since joining the RMAC. In the 2015-16 season, the Yellow Jackets started 6-0 in conference, and finished 17-5 in RMAC and 21-8 overall to earn its first NCAA tournament bid in program history.
BEST START
The Yellow Jackets have surpassed their best start in the NCAA era currently holding an 8-0 record. This puts them second in the all-time records list just six games short of the 14-0 start by the 1997-98 squad under the helm of Kevin Dobbs. Black Hills State was a part of the South Dakota Intercollegiate Conference in the NAIA division during that 14-0 start. If the Green and Gold win the next five games to close out 2017, they will be one game behind to catch that record.
Following the weekend, the Yellow Jackets return home to host Regis University and Chadron State College on Friday, December 15 and Saturday, December 16. Tipoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. on Friday and 4:00 p.m. on Saturday.
