DURANGO, Colo. - Black Hills State held their makeup game against Fort Lewis on Monday night, defeating the Skyhawks 76-61 thanks to 64 total points in the first three-quarters of the game.
 
The Yellow Jackets (18-6, 13-5 RMAC) held their highest shooting percentages in recent memory as they finished 25-of-53 (47.2 percent) from the floor, 8-of-22 (36.4 percent) from beyond the arc, and 18-of-24 at the free throw line. While stats between the two squads were neck-and-neck, Fort Lewis held 22 turnovers and only seven steals while BHSU only had 14 giveaways and a dozen steals. BHSU also held 30-points from the bench and 30 in the paint while FLC only had 21 and 16, respectively.
 
Danica Kocer led the Yellow Jacket attack against the Skyhawks as she dropped 19 points in her 24 minutes on the floor: she was a 7-of-11 shooter including a 75 percent look from deep, also knocking down 2-of-3 free throws. She also hit a pair of assists and a steal on the night.
 
Haylee Weathersby was the next highest on the Yellow Jacket scores as the sophomore tallied 15 points in 25 minutes off the bench. Weathersby was 5-of-9 from the floor and made 5-of-6 from the charity stripe while nabbing four rebounds and four assists.
 
Both teams came out swinging at a 5-5 tie, in part to a Danica Kocer triple and a Van Wyk layup for BHSU. A five-point spurt courtesy of Kocer and an Engesser three-pointer created the first separation in the game with BHSU up by five. Four points from Capley in the three-minute window helped keep BHSU's gap intact by opening up a 9-1 series that increased the Yellow Jacket lead to 20-11. Fort Lewis was able to knock down a three before the end of the quarter, but BHSU did damage in their hot first quarter and held a 20-14 lead after one.
 
The Skyhawks pulled within two of BHSU at the beginning of the quarter, but the Yellow Jackets were able to keep up, later distancing themselves off a seven-point spurt to remain out front, 29-20 by the 5:37 mark in the second frame. BHSU continued to go shot for shot with FLC, ticking their lead to 40-27 by the halftime buzzer.
 
BHSU continued their attack to start the second half, racking up a 9-3 run to take their lead to 19 points through the first two minutes. Following this spurt they continued to dominate down the stretch, outscoring the Skyhawks 15-11 to send the game into the fourth with a 64-41 lead.
 
FLC came out in the fourth quarter on an 8-2 scoring series, closing the gap to 69-52 with 4:46 left to go in the game. The Skyhawks continued to try and fight back throughout the remainder of the fourth frame, but the lead amassed by BHSU earlier on proved to be insurmountable, with the Yellow Jackets walking out of Durango, Colorado with the 76-61 victory on the road.
 
Up Next
BHSU returns to the Donald E. Young Center this weekend for the final home games of the 2022-23 regular season. They tip off against Fort Lewis on Heroes Day, Friday, Feb. 17 before their Senior Day matchup against Adams State University on Saturday, Feb. 18.