Game 1: Black Hills State (0-0) vs. Metro State (0-0)

When	Friday, Nov. 27 at 6 p.m.
Where	Auraria Event Center | Denver, Colo.
Radio	Eagle Country 95.5/96.3
Live Stream	Stretch Internet
Audio Stream	BHSU Feed - MyEagleCountry.com
Live Stats	Sidearm Stats
Game Notes	Black Hills State (PDF)
Social Media	Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | #ClimbTheHills

Black Hills State men's basketball has added a game to its schedule and will now open its season at Metro State Friday, Nov. 27.

The Yellow Jackets will tipoff at 6 p.m. in what will be a non-conference matchup.

The Yellow Jackets and Roadrunners met twice last year with BHSU coming out on top in both contests. BHSU played at Metro State Feb. 1 last season, winning 83-69 to cap their season-long 13-game winning streak behind 25 points from freshman Joel Scott and 22 points from Trey Whitley. The two teams met again on Feb. 14 in Spearfish, and the Yellow Jackets won again, this time by the score of 71-56 in which BHSU had four in double-digit scoring.

Black Hills State finished last season with a 20-9 record, and 17-5 in conference to tie with Dixie State for a regular season championship before falling to South Dakota Mines 80-71 in the first round of the RMAC Tournament. During the season, they strung together a 13-game winning streak, including key wins against Colorado Mesa, Colorado Mines, and UC Colorado Springs, and a win at New Mexico Highlands.

The Roadrunners ended last year with a record of 12-16, 8-14 in the RMAC. They missed the RMAC tournament but finished last season with wins against CSU Pueblo (64-57) and Chadron State (89-79).

Head coach Ryan Thompson enters his third season heading the Yellow Jackets, boasting a 38-20 record over his first two seasons at the helm. He was named RMAC Coach of the Year last year after a 20-9 record and a regular season championship (tied with Dixie State).

PREVIEWING THE MATCHUP
Over their last four matchups, the Yellow Jacket men are 3-1 against Metro State, winning their last two. Overall, BHSU is 3-15 all-time against Metro State, dating back to their first matchup on Dec. 19, 2009 in which BHSU lost 65-63. From there, the Roadrunners won the next 13 consecutive matchups, but the tides have turned over the last two years, earning the program's first win over MSU on Feb. 2, 2019, 64-62, and since, are 3-1 against them.

CONFERENCE ACCOLADES
Head coach Ryan Thompson and now sophomore Joel Scott were honored by the RMAC for standout 2019-20 seasons. Thompson was named 2019-20 RMAC Coach of the Year while Scott earned RMAC Freshman of the Year. Tyler Oliver, 2019-20 senior, was named RMAC Defensive Player of the Week for the week of 12/16.

A BHSU WIN WOULD...
Give the Yellow Jackets their first win in a season-opener since defeating Yellow Stone Christian College 86-52 to open the 2017-18 season. BHSU went on to win their first three games of the year and finished that season 15-12, and 12-10 in the RMAC. Before that, their last season-opener win was in 2013 against Montana Tech (86-78, Nov. 13).

A BHSU LOSS WOULD...
Be the third-straight year BHSU has lost their season opener. However, the Yellow Jackets finished the 2019-20 season 20-9 after losing game one, and 18-11 in 2018-19 after losing the first game of the year. BHSU has lost their season opener in eight of the last ten seasons.

PRESEASON POLL
Black Hills State men's basketball tallied two first-place votes and was picked second in the 2020-21 RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll, released Tuesday afternoon.

The poll is voted on by all 15 head men's basketball coaches in the RMAC.

BHSU is coming off a shared 2019-20 RMAC regular season title with a conference record of 17-5. Head coach Ryan Thompson led his team to a 20-9 overall record last year and will enter the 2020-21 season with a 38-20 record compiled over his first two seasons.

ABOUT BLACK HILLS STATE
Before jumping to Division II, the Yellow Jackets had a lot of history at the NAIA level in the DAC, winning 14 conference championships. Since becoming a DII institution, BHSU has been improving, and has started to hit their stride over the last few years, last season taking a share as regular season conference champions with a 20-9 record. This year they look to take another step further under third-year head coach Ryan Thompson.

ABOUT METRO STATE
Metro State has a strong history on the basketball court, holding the best winning percentage in the history of NCAA Division II men's basketball with an all-time winning percentage over .700. The program has tallied over 700 wins, 42 NCAA DII Tournament wins, four Final Four Appearances, and two NCAA DII National Championships (2000, 2002).