LAKEWOOD, Colo. – In a low scoring night that saw back and forth defensive stands, the Black Hills State women's basketball team fell to Colorado Christian University 51-55 in Lakewood, Colo.
 
The first quarter of play got off to a slow start with neither team putting up points until 8:44 in the first quarter at which point Megan Engesser would put up the first points of the night sinking two free throws. The Cougars would answer with a lay-up to tie the game at two before BHSU would go on a scoring run putting up eight points while giving up zero. Colorado Christian would pull withing two with three minutes left to play in the quarter before BHSU would go on another scoring run to set the score at 17-11 BHSU to end the quarter.
 
The Cougars came back with a vengeance in the second quarter of play outscoring the Yellow Jackets 11-2 in the first two and a half minutes of the quarter. The game would be tied at 21 and again at 28 before BHSU would score five unanswered points heading into the half to give them the 33-28 halftime lead.
 
Scoring would be sparse through the third quarter with neither team scoring 10 points in the quarter. The Cougars would be able to steal the ball for the Yellow Jackets four times in the quarter allowing them to outscore BHSU 9-7 leaving the Yellow Jackets with a three-point lead heading into the final 10 minutes of regulation.
 
The Yellow Jackets would hold onto their lead through much of the fourth quarter leading by as much as six points throughout play. However, with just under three minutes left to play a layup by Colorado Christian's Molly VandenBrink would tie the game at 48 all at which point Colorado Christian would steal the ball recording another layup to take the lead 50-48. With 15 seconds left to play a Racquel Wientjes layup would pull BHSU within two looking for more. Colorado Christian would close out the final seconds of regulation making two free throws to take the victory 55-51.
 
As a team the Yellow Jackets shot 33.3% (21-of-63) from the field and 24.0% (6-of-25) from beyond the arc. The team made 3 of 5 free throws (60.0%) on the night.
 
Racquel Wientjes had another big night recording her first double-double of the season with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Wientjes also recorded a steal. Engesser put up another large chunk of points herself with 10 points on the night and two rebounds.
 
Defensively Ashlee Beacom, Alyssia Martinez, and Cody Robinson all recorded important steal throughout the night.

Up Next
The Yellow Jackets head to Denver, Colo. to take on Metro State tomorrow afternoon at 4:00 p.m.