ABERDEEN, S.D. – Black Hills State men's basketball played hard Saturday night, but ultimately fell to Northern State, 92-90, wrapping up the 2021 East-West Challenge.

The Yellow Jackets (2-2, 0-0 RMAC) shot at a 52.7 percent clip from the field and made 17 threes in the game, which ties for second all-time in school history.

Sindou Cisse and PJ Hayes each had career-best scoring performances. Cisse finished with 26 points, going 10-of-14 from the field along with his six rebounds, four assists and two steals.

Hayes totaled 20 points, sinking six 3-pointers (6-of-11) in his 24 minutes on the court. His six treys in the game ties him for eighth all-time at BHSU. Hayes also grabbed three rebounds and two steals.

Joel Scott recorded his third double-double of the young season with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Adam Moussa dished out a team-high six assists while scoring 13 points.

A Caelin Hearne 3-pointer opened the scoring for the Yellow Jackets before back-and-forth play ensued. Four lead changes later, a Hayes 3-pointer and Scott free throw brought it back to a 1-point game, as NSU led 14-13 at 13:30.

Minutes later, eight-straight points from Hayes put the Yellow Jackets back ahead, 21-18 at the midway point of the first half. The Wolves wouldn't roll over, though, retaking the lead once again shortly thereafter.

With under four minutes left in the half, Hayes stayed hot beyond the arc as he drained his fifth trey of the game to put BHSU up 40-37. From there, the Yellow Jackets would hold the lead into halftime, 48-46.

Out of the break, both teams traded points as BHSU held onto its lead, but NSU wouldn't let the Yellow Jackets break away. BHSU took its largest lead of the game at 13:20 when a Cisse 3-pointer put the team ahead 66-59.

NSU would answer that with a 13-1 run to regain the lead at 72-67, midway through the second half. The Yellow Jackets followed that with a run of their own, making five of their next six 3-point tries to go ahead 84-80 with 5:12 remaining in the game.

BHSU held the lead into the final minute of play before the Wolves jumped back ahead late, 90-89 with a layup. NSU made another layup down the stretch to put them ahead by three in the closing seconds, and they would hold on as time expired.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets wrap-up their non-conference slate next week as they travel west to take on Montana State University Billings on Wednesday, Nov. 24 at 7 p.m.