SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's basketball team prepares to head to Colorado to face UCCS and Colorado School of Mines, on January 18 and 19.  Game time is set for 5:30 p.m. on Friday against the Mountain Lions, and 5 p.m. on Saturday against the Orediggers.
 
THE GAME – University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Mountain Lions
» The Yellow Jackets and Mountain Lions meet for the first time on the hardwood when they play this weekend.  Last season, the Green and Gold split the season series with UCCS, with the Yellow Jackets taking game one, 62-37, and the Mountain Lions taking game two, 65-54.
 
» UCCS has a 5-4 conference record (6-9 overall), placing them ninth in league standings.  The Mountain Lions are coming off a 77-46 victory over Adams State. 
 
»The Mountain Lions average 58.8 points per game, which is 13th in conference.  Jae Ferrin leads UCCS, averaging 8.5 ppg and 5.5 rebounds per game, followed by Abby Feickert with 8.0 ppg.  Anna Davern leads the Mountain Lions, averaging 0.9 blocks per game, which is 11th in the league. 
 
THE GAME – Colorado School of Mines Orediggers
» BHSU and Mines will face each other for the first time on the court when they play this weekend.  Last season, the Orediggers defeated the Yellow Jackets, 83-74, snapping the Green and Gold's eight game win streak.
 
» Colorado School of Mines moved to a 8-6 record (5-4 RMAC), after defeating Fort Lewis, 60-47, for their third consecutive win. 
 
»The Orediggers average 64.2 ppg, which is ninth in conference.  Mines has three players scoring in double-figures, led by Denali Pinto with 12.4 ppg.  Nicole Archambeau ranks fifth in the RMAC, averaging 7.8 boards per game, while Heidi Hammond has a 44.7 3-point field goal percentage, which is fourth in the league.  As a team, Mines is fifth in the conference shooting 35.3 percent beyond the arc.
 
THE COACHES
» Black Hills State University head coach Mark Nore enters his 17th season with the Yellow Jackets and owns a 295-187 record. He is the all-time wins leader for the Yellow Jacket basketball team.
 
»Lynn Plett returns for his third season year as the head coach at UCCS.  He guided the Mountain Lions to the 2017 RMAC Tournament Championship in 2017, and the third straight NCAA Tournament appearance.
 
» Brittany Simpson begins her seventh season as Colorado School of Mines head coach.  Simpson was named RMAC Coach of the Year in 2015, while mentoring two First-Team All-RMAC players, and one Honorable Mention.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Black Hills State moved to a 9-4 overall record after falling to Colorado Christian and Regis, last weekend.  The Cougars defeated the Yellow Jackets, 73-61, while the Rangers won, 74-59, on Saturday night.
 
In the Green and Gold's loss against Colorado Chirstian, Morgan Ham led the night with a season and career high 29 points, while Keely Bertram totaled nine rebounds.
 
Racquel Wientjes led the Yellow Jackets with 17 points against the Rangers, followed by Ham with 12.  Katie Messler recorded three blocks for a new season high, tying her career high.
 
NOW BOARDING
BHSU totaled a season high 17 offensive rebounds against Colorado Christian.  The Yellow Jackets were two boards away from tying their season high 44 rebounds, in the matchup against the Cougars.  BHSU is third in the conference with a +3.5 rebounding margin.
 
NOT TODAY
The Yellow Jackets tallied a season high seven blocks against Regis, moving them up the leader board to ninth in conference with 2.2 blocks per game.
 
SHARE THE ROCK
Julia Seamans has averaged 3.4 assists per game this season. That totals for ninth in the conference. The senior's assist to turnover ratio of 1.5 is fourth in the RMAC, and 114th in the nation.
 
KNOCK IT DOWN
Seamans is making 2.4 three-pointers a game to lead the Yellow Jackets, which ties her for fourth in the conference, and 69th nationally.
 
PULL IT DOWN
Katie Messler leads the Yellow Jackets, averaging 6.5 rebounds per game, which ties her for 14th in the RMAC.
 
TEXAS HOLD'EM
The Yellow Jackets are allowing just 61.3 points per game this year. That ranks seventh in the RMAC, and 80th nationally.
 
ACCURACY WINS
BHSU is fourth in the conference and 74th nationally in field goal percentage, making 42.5 percent of its shots from the field.
 
WEEKEND SWEEP
The Yellow Jackets men's and women's basketball teams went 4-0 against Adams State and Fort Lewis on the road December 16-17. This was the first time since BHSU joined the RMAC (2012-13) that the two teams swept a weekend on the road. The Green and Gold are a combined 11-3 in league play during the 2018-19 season.
 
FAVORITES
BHSU was picked to finish first in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, according to the Preseason Coaches' Poll. This is the first time the Yellow Jackets have been the preseason favorites since joining the conference.
 
PRESEASON ACCOLADES
Two members of the Green and Gold were named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team. Sophomore Lyndzi Rich and senior Julia Seamans earned the honor.
 
SUPER SENIORS
BHSU has three redshirt seniors on the squad looking to lead the way to success. Keely Bertram, Julia Seamans, and Remi Wientjes are all in their fifth year with the program. Seamans earned Honorable Mention last year, and is a Preseason Team pick after averaging 8.0 points per game a year ago. Bertram averaged 7.8 ppg and 5.1 rpg, while Wientjes averaged 6.9 points per game.
 
SOPHOMORIC RISE
Lyndzi Rich and Katie Messler return to the Yellow Jackets as sophomores, looking to continue their dominace after their first year in the program. Rich averaged 10.4 points per game, which was second on the squad, and 4.8 rebounds per game. She earned All-RMAC Honorable Mention after the season, and was selected to the RMAC Preseason Team this year. Messler averaged 4.9 ppg, and a team high 6.3 rebounds per game during her freshman campaign.
 
GOING DANCING
BHSU made the 2018 NCAA Division II Tournament as a No. 5 seed in the South Central Region. The Green and Gold made the tournament for the second time in three years.
 
ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM
Lyndzi Rich and Keely Bertram were named to the RMAC All-Tournament Team following the conclusion of the RMAC Shootout. Rich averaged 15.0 points per game during the semi- and final rounds, and also recorded her first career double-double (17 points, 10 rebounds) in the championship game. Bertram averaged 13.0 ppg and 8.0 rpg in the two games.
 
RMAC TOURNAMENT FINAL
The Yellow Jackets earned the No. 3 seed in the RMAC Tournament after finishing the regular season with a 16-6 conference record. After defeating the No. 6 seed Fort Lewis, BHSU took down No. 2 MSU Denver in the semifinals. In the first Shootout Final appearance for the Yellow Jackets since 2014, the Green and Gold fell to CSU-Pueblo.
 
ALL CONFERENCE
Three Yellow Jackets earned All-RMAC honors for their play this season. Senior Rachel Erickson was named to the All-RMAC First Team. Lyndzi Rich and Julia Seamans each earned Honorable Mention.
 
HOST WITH THE MOST
The Green and Gold hosted an RMAC Quarterfinal for the second time in three years. In the first instance, BHSU hosted Colorado Christian in the quarterfinal round of the 2015-16 RMAC Tournament, ultimately falling, 71-59. The last time the Yellow Jackets hosted a home playoff game was 2011.
 
RECORD RECORD
The Green and Gold finished the 2017-18 regular season 22-6 overall. The team finished 24-8, tying the 2010-11 team for the most wins of a Yellow Jacket team. The 2010-11 team finished 24-8, falling in the NAIA Quarterfinals.