No. 5/10 Black Hills State men's basketball heads to Sioux Falls, S.D. this weekend to participate in the East/West Challenge, hosted at the Sanford Pentagon.
The Yellow Jackets will take on No. 19/21 MSU Moorhead on Friday, Nov. 18 at 1 p.m. CT (12 p.m. MT) and No. 18 Augustana on Saturday, Nov. 19 at 11 a.m. CT (10 a.m. MT).
BHSU is currently ranked fifth in the nation in the D2SIDA Media Poll and 10th in the NABC National Poll, while also sitting 1st in the South Central Regional Poll with a 2-0 start to the sear following an historic 2021-22 season. The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish first in the RMAC Preseason Poll.
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FRIDAY vs. No. 19/21 MSU MOORHEAD
The Dragons opened the season with a 2-0 start last weekends, with wins over Oklahoma Baptist (76-67) and Southeastern Oklahoma State (83-76). Last season, MSUM finished 19-12 overall, winning the NSIC Tournament and advancing to the NCAA Tournament where they lost in the opening round to the eventual national champion, Northwest Missouri State.
DRAGONS' LAST TIME OUT
In their closing game of the NSIC-GAC Challenge, MSUM defeated Southeastern Oklahoma State 83-76 behind an efficient shooting game.
The Dragons controlled much of the first half thanks to an efficient 45.7 percent shooting from the field. This included six three-point field goals at a 40 percent clip. MSUM held the lead in the first half for all but 41 seconds of the first 20 minutes.
Southeastern Oklahoma State turned the ball over five times in the first half. This led to 11 Dragon points on the offensive end. The Dragons also dominated the glass once again, holding a six-rebound advantage over the Savage Storm in the first half. By half's end, MSUM held a 13-point lead, 40-27.
Southeastern Oklahoma State would put together a complete final 20 minutes to creep up on the Dragons in the second half. The Savage Storm shot 50 percent in the second half compared to a still impressive 44 percent from the Dragons. By game's end, MSUM had shot 44 percent for the entire contest.
In the end, it was enough to stay in front the rest of the way as the Dragons won 83-76. Down the stretch, the Dragons were able to put the game on ice thanks to clutch free throw shooting. For the game, MSUM shot 85 percent (17-20) from the charity stripe.
LAST MATCHUP: BHSU vs. MSUM (Nov. 21, 2014)
The Black Hills State University men's basketball team dropped an 80-61 decision to Minnesota State University Moorhead on the second day of the GCI Alaska Invitational in Fairbanks, Alaska.
The Yellow Jackets fall to 1-2 on the season while MSUM improved to 4-0.
Myles Henry scored 13 points off the bench while Ben Beauchamp added 11 points as the Yellow Jackets shot 37.5 percent from the field. The Dragons fired at a rate of 50.9 percent from the field led by Jordan Riewer with 17 points. Urbane Bingham scored 16 points off the Dragon bench.
Nick Ongarato scored the opening basket of the game, a 3-pointer assisted by Brady Bisgaard, which would be the only lead of the game for Black Hills State. The Dragons would push a 10-3 lead before Brody Brisk would find the back of the iron on a jumper.
However, the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference North preseason favorites forged ahead with a lead as large as 15 points at 36-21 in the first half. The Yellow Jackets entered the intermission down 11 points at 39-28.
After Wyatt Krogman scored a layup on the opening possession of the second half, a six-minute scoreless drought allowed MSUM to open a 52-30 lead that it would not relinquish leading to the 80-61 victory.
Henry's 13 points and five rebounds led the Green and Gold in both categories while Ryan Miller dished a team-best four assists.
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SATURDAY vs. No. 18 AUGUSTANA
Augie is 1-1 to open the season, narrowly defeating Arkansas at Monticello 68-67 before falling to Washburn 75-46. Last year, the Vikings ended the year 26-4 overall and advanced to the Sweet 16 where they also fell to Northwest Missouri State, 70-56.
VIKINGS' LAST TIME OUT
The Augustana men's basketball team fell 75-46 Saturday night to Washburn to wrap up the Central Region Challenge in Kansas City, Missouri. The Vikings fall to 1-1 on the season while Washburn improves to 1-1.
Augustana jumped out to a 9-4 lead, much from the hands of Brady Helgren with six points. After three more points from Helgren, AU led 12-7 with 14:50 to go in the opening half. On the next Viking possession, Bennett Otto was sent to the free throw line where he went 1-of-2 to make it a 13-7 Augustana advantage.
The Vikings then saw the Ichabods go on a 12-0 run as the basket proved to be not kind for the next 9:38 of game clock. By the time Jadan Graves sank a 3-point basket with 4:52 remaining in the opening half, Washburn had captured the lead.
However, the scoring woes for Augustana were not gone as Washburn ended the first half on a 27-6 run to enter halftime leading 34-19.
The Vikings did improve its shooting performance in the second half to 39.1 percent but the hole was too deep as Washburn shot 48.3 percent from the field for the game in the 75-46 final score.
Helgren was the lone Viking in double figures with 12 points while he also led the way with seven rebounds.
LAST MATCHUP: BHSU vs. AU (Nov. 19, 2021)
Black Hills State men's basketball dropped its Friday game to Augustana, 73-63 at night one of the 2021 East-West Challenge.
The Yellow Jackets (2-1, 0-0 RMAC) are handed their first loss of the season, shooting 39.3 percent from the field.
Adam Moussa led the offense with 17 points to go along with four assists and a rebound.
Joel Scott and
Sindou Cisse each totaled seven rebounds on the night. Scott scored 11 and dished out four assists while Cisse scored six.
Tommy Donovan was 3-of-4 from the field, totaling 10 points and four rebounds off the bench.
Ryker Cisarik made the first and second 3-pointers of his career in the game, and tallied a career-best 10 points.
Following a slow start that put the Yellow Jackets down by as much as 20-9 midway through the first half, the Yellow Jackets went on a 19-4 run that lasted over seven minutes as the team fought their way back into the game.
BHSU tied the game at 24-all on a Cisse layup before taking its first lead of the game, 26-24 on a layup by Scott with three minutes left to play in the first. Both teams traded buckets in the closing minutes, and Augie would hold a 31-30 advantage going into the break.
Out of the locker room, the game remained close, but Augie kept a tight lead until Moussa hit a trey at 13:44 to put BHSU back ahead 44-41. The Vikings wouldn't back down as they took the lead once again, but a Moussa layup and free throw a few minutes later put the Yellow Jackets back on top 54-52.
The Yellow Jackets stayed ahead using a pair of Donovan free throws and a Cisse layup until an Augie 3-pointer put the Vikings back ahead, 61-59 with under three minutes to go. The Yellow Jackets got back to within one at 62-61, but Augie use a 7-0 run from there to hold a 68-61 lead with 44 seconds left.
BHSU scored a pair down the stretch, but the Vikings made all their free throws in the final seconds to seal the game.
YELLOW JACKETS' LAST TIME OUT
Black Hills State men's basketball defeated Oklahoma Christian, 80-73 Saturday night to wrap up the 2022 Lone Star/Rocky Mountain Challenge.
The Yellow Jackets (2-0) totaled 15 3-pointers as a team, and shot over 47 percent from the field.
PJ Hayes led the offense with 22 points, going 7-of-9 from deep. Matthew Ragsdale followed with 21 points.
Adam Moussa led with nine boards to go along with a team-high six assists and 13 points.
Joel Scott scored 14 points and grabbed seven rebounds, while Jaeton Hackley tallied four assists.
BHSU got out to a hot start with a pair of threes from Hayes and a Ragsdale trey to pull out to a 12-5 advantage.
OCU would storm back, though, taking a lead midway through the first, 15-14, and would hang around over the next several minutes to hold a 31-27 lead with 3:31 to go in the half. But back-to-back threes from Ragsdale and Hayes put the Yellow Jackets back on top, taking a 39-33 into the half and lead the rest of the way.
The men kept pressure on out of the break with another Hayes triple to start the second before a Moussa layup a few minutes later put the BHSU advantage at 50-39 with 16:34 remaining.
The threes continued down the stretch as big shots from Ragsdale and Moussa kept the Yellow Jackets ahead with a comfortable lead. In the final minutes, free throws from Scott, Hayes and Moussa would seal the 80-73 win.
COACHES
Head coach
Ryan Thompson is in his fifth season leading the Yellow Jackets, having taken the program to its first NCAA tournament in the 2021-22 season, and the RMAC tournament each of the last four years.
Dragons head coach Tim Bergstraser is in his first season after serving as Assistant Coach with the program from 2018-19 to 2021-22.
Tom Billeter is Augustana's all-time winningest men's basketball coach, a national champion, and two-time National Coach of the Year as he enters his 20th season leading the Vikings.
MATCHUP HISTORY
BHSU and MSUM have met only once, coming on Nov. 21 of the 2014-15 season, in which the Yellow Jackets fell 80-61.
The Yellow Jackets have faced off with the Vikings five times since entering Division II, and are 2-3 in those games. Most recently, they two teams played last season on Nov. 19 in which the Yellow Jackets fell, 73-63.
YELLOW JACKETS RANKED
The Yellow Jackets remain fifth in the latest D2SIDA National Poll and 10th in the NFCA National Poll, while remaining first in the South Central Regional Poll.
A FRIDAY BHSU WIN WOULD...
Give the Yellow Jackets a 3-0 start to the season for the first time since the 2017-18 season and give the program its fifth regular-season win over a ranked opponent since entering DII.
A FRIDAY BHSU LOSS WOULD...
Give the Yellow Jackets a 2-1 start to the season, matching their start from last year.
KEY RETURNERS
BHSU returns all of its starters from the 2021-22 season, and nearly all of its key contributors, including
Ryker Cisarik,
Sindou Cisse,
Sava Dukic,
Adam Moussa,
Tommy Donovan,
John Shanklin,
PJ Hayes, and RMAC Player of the Year,
Joel Scott.
DYNAMIC DUO
The Yellow Jackets added transfer Matthew Ragsdale ahead of the 2022-23 season, who had previously spent all three seasons of his career at Western Colorado where he totaled 1,309 points over 73 games and 2,185 minutes played. In the 2021-22 season, Ragsdale finished second in the RMAC in scoring with 601 total points and 21.5 per game, behind only
Joel Scott.
Ragsdale rejoins former high school teammate, Scott, after they played together at Lewis-Palmer High School in Colorado where in their senior season they went an undefeated 28-0 to win the Colorado 4A State Championship.
This year, they are both in their senior year of eligibility and have the chance to combine for the most total points in a season by a pair of NCAA teammates who also played on the same high school team. Currently, the highest combined total is 1,047 points, accumulated by Dick (535 points) and Tom Van Arsdale (512) in the 1963-64 season at Indiana. The twins played high school basketball together at Emmerich Manual High School in Indianapolis, Ind.
Current 2022-23 Ragsdale/Scott Point Total:
71
-BHSUAthletics.com-
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