Spearfish, SD ­-  The Black Hills State University women's basketball team opens up their season at home this weekend. In a pair of non-conference games they will take on Texas A&M University Kingsville at 6PM on Friday then wrap up the weekend hosting Texas A&M International University at 4PM on Saturday.

The Yellow Jackets lead the series against both Kingsville and Texas A&M International University 2-0. They walked away from the Javelinas 48-0 last year and took down the dustdevils 62-57.
 
Under the leadership of head coach Mark Nore, who enters his 18^th season at Black Hills State with a record of 302-194, the team was picked to finish fifth in the RMAC coaches' preseason polls. This season he will be aided by assistant coach Hope Bonlander and graduate assistant Rachel Erickson, both in their first years at BHSU. The Yellow Jackets have made the post season RMAC tournament the last two years. Last year's tournament run was ended first round and the Yellow Jackets finished the season eighth in the RMAC.
 
"We are excited to start the season. The team has been working hard in practice and improving every day," said Nore. "It's time to get back on the court and lock into this game we love!"
The Green and Gold will be supported by two strong returners, Morgan Ham and Racquel Wientjes. Last season Ham was named to the All-RMAC Second Team, while Wientjes earned Honorable Mention

Last season, Ham, from Shadehill, South Dakota, led BHSU in scoring, putting up 13.3 points per game, which was 10th in the RMAC. She was also second on the squad in rebounding, pulling down 5.0 boards per game. Ham, a redshirt junior, saw action in 2018-19 for the first time as a member of the Green and Gold. Previously, she was named to the NSIC All-Freshman Team at MSU-Moorhead in 2016-17.
Wientjes, a native of Onida, South Dakota, averaged 10.8 points per game, which was second on the team, and was 26th in the league. The redshirt-freshman makes 80.8 percent of her free throw shots, which led the squad, and was fifth in the conference.
Both Ham and Wientjes were named preseason players to watch. Also returning to line up is Ashley Davis, Danielle Noble, Hannah Cass, Alyssia Martinez, who posted a  17 point game high against Dixie State, Abby Switzer, who had a 64 % free throw success rate, Cortez Standing Bear, who had a 53% field goal percentage, Ashlee Beacom who made an impressive 83 percent of free throws, and Katie Messler, who posted over 100 points last season.
 
The Green and Gold will have a series of non conference games before opening up RMAC play on Tuesday, November 26^th at 5:30 pm in the Young Center against rival SD School of Mines.