MINOT, N.D. – The Black Hills State women's basketball team (0-1, 0-0 RMAC) traveled to Minot, N.D. to square off against the Minot State women's basketball team (2-2, 0-0 NSIC) in their first preseason contest of the 2021-22 season Friday morning.
 
The Yellow Jackets fell to the Beavers 55-52 in their preseason opener at the Minot State Dome.
 
Leading the way offensively for the Yellow Jackets was Danica Kocer with a career high 18 points and an assist while also leading the defense with four rebounds and four steals.
 
The Yellow Jackets got out to a hot start in the first quarter going ahead early on a 3-pointer by Ashlee Beacom. BHSU would ride that momentum to an early 9-2 lead over the Beavers. The Beavers would go on to outscore the Yellow Jackets 12-5 to tie things up at 14 all to end the first quarter.
 
Danica Kocer would open the scoring in the second quarter sinking back-to-back 3-pointers to take the lead 20-14 over the Beavers. The Yellow Jackets would hold that lead through the remainder of the second quarter outscoring the Beavers 13-10 to take a 27-24 lead into the break.
 
The Yellow Jackets would strike first out of the break with a Megan Engesser three. The Beavers would storm back pulling within one after a lay-up and a three would bring the score to 30-29. Minot State would keep rolling taking a six-point lead over the Yellow Jackets at 37-31. The Yellow Jackets would pull within two, but another scoring run by the Beavers would put them up 41-35 to end the third quarter.
 
The Beavers would keep the momentum early in the fourth quarter taking a ten-point lead 45-35 to start the quarter. The Yellow Jackets would go on to outscore the Beavers 8-3 to get back within five of the Beavers with just under five minutes to play. The Yellow Jackets and Beavers would battle down the stretch with the Yellow Jackets pulling within three with under a minute to play. The Yellow Jackets would not be able to pull ahead in the final minute of play falling 55-52 to the Beavers to open the season.
 
As a team, the Yellow Jackets shot 37% (20 of 54) from the field and 34.6% (18 of 38) from beyond the arc, while the Beavers shot 47.4% (18-38) from the field and 66.7% (4 of 6) from beyond the arc.
 
At the charity stripe BHSU shot 60% going 3 for 5 while the Beavers shot 71.4% going 15 for 21. Both teams recorded double digit turnovers with BHSU recording 14 while Minot State recorded 22.
 
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets take on the Beavers again tomorrow at 7 p.m. mountain time as the Yellow Jackets will look to record their first win on the season.