GUNNISON, Colo. – The Black Hills State women's basketball team held off Western State Colorado University, 67-61, on Saturday evening. The Yellow Jackets have now won six consecutive games.

Lyndzi Rich had 14 points and seven rebounds to lead the Yellow Jackets (17-4, 11-4 RMAC). Rachel Erickson and Keely Bertram each added 11 points.

The Yellow Jackets outscored the Mountaineers (6-15, 3-12 RMAC) in three of the four quarters, but trailed by two at the half. Bertram scored the first four points for BHSU, opening the scoring with a layup, and then knocking down two free throws. The visitors went up by as many as six points in the first quarter, but an old-fashioned three-point play as time was running out by Tammarrah Gothard of Western State ended the period, 18-17, in favor of the Green and Gold.

Neither team was able to score for the first three minutes of the second period, but the Mountaineers ultimately outscored the Yellow Jackets, 14-11, in the quarter, and the home team led, 31-29, at halftime.

The third quarter was more of the same, with the two teams trading baskets through much of the period. With Western State up by three, 42-39, with 3:21 remaining, Hannah Cass was fouled and made both her free throws. Bertram followed that up with a three-point play, getting fouled after making a layup, to give the Yellow Jackets a 44-42 lead with just under three minutes to play in the third. The Green and Gold went into the fourth quarter with a one-point lead, 50-49.

With 3:46 remaining in the game, the score was tied, 56-56. Erickson hit a big three-pointer to give the visitor's a lead they would not relinquish. That basket was the start of an 11-5 Yellow Jacket run to close out the game and clinch the 76-71 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference victory for BHSU.

BHSU shot 38.6 percent from the field (22-for-57), while WSCU was 43.9 percent from the floor (18-for-41). The Yellow Jackets were 2-for-10 (20.0 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Mountaineers were 5-for-15 (33.3 percent) on three-pointers. The Green and Gold outrebounded Western State, 32-31.

Katie Dalton led all scorers with 22 points, while Samantha Coleman had 12 points for the Mountaineers.

The Green and Gold will next travel to MSU Denver on Friday, February 2. The game is scheduled to tipoff at 4 p.m.
  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.