DENVER, Colo. – The Black Hills State women's basketball team defeated the Metro State Roadrunners, 63-52, Saturday night on the road in Colorado.
 
The Yellow Jackets (12-7, 10-3 RMAC) moved into the number four spot in the RMAC rankings after knocking off the Roadrunners Saturday night.
 
Three Yellow Jackets again scored in the double digits with Danica Kocer racking up 20 points, tying her career best, Megan Engesser scoring 18, and Morgan Hammerbeck tallying 10.
 
Ashlee Beacom led the team in boards with five and also led the team in steals totaling four.
 
The Yellow Jackets opened the game aggressive on offense going on a 4-0 run to open the game. BHSU stayed aggressive through the first quarter of play maintaining a lead over the Roadrunners until the final minute of the quarter when MSU Denver would talk a one-point lead over the Yellow Jackets on a late layup. The Yellow Jackets took that one-point deficit into the first break down 13-12.
 
The one-point deficit didn't last long however as the Yellow Jackets opened the second quarter on a 9-0 run to take their largest lead of the night at 21-13 over the Roadrunners. MSUD wouldn't be put to bed that quickly as they battled back to close the gap. BHSU would take a four-point lead at 24-20 into the break having made only four of 16 total three-point attempts.
 
MSU Denver came out of the break hot and went on a 5-0 streak to open play taking their second lead of the night at 25-24. The Yellow Jackets answered back with a Morgan Hammerbeck 3-pointer and a Kocer layup to slow the Roadrunners momentum. At that point the Yellow Jackets took their largest lead of the game going on a 15-9 run and taking a ten-point lead at 44-34. The Roadrunners shifted momentum back in their favor at that point closing out the quarter on an 8-0 run to set the score at 44-42 heading into the final ten minutes of play.
 
Danica Kocer stole the momentum back for the Yellow Jackets opening the final quarter on fire scoring eight straight points for the Yellow Jackets on a layup and two three pointers to put BHSU up 52-43. From there the two teams would battle an evenly matched battle with the Yellow Jackets coming out on top 62-53.
 
As a team BHSU shot 40.7% from the field making 22 of 54 attempts. The Yellow Jackets shot 38.7% from downtown making 12 of 31 attempts from beyond the arc.
 
At the charity stripe BHSU made 6 of 10 attempts for a 60% shooting percentage.
 
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets head back home as they are set to take on Adams State and Colorado State University Pueblo Friday, Feb. 4 and Saturday, Feb. 5.