SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's basketball team is set to embark on their first road trip of the 2024 calendar year when they visit the states of Colorado and Utah this weekend. The Yellow Jackets will visit the Mavericks of Colorado Mesa (12-4, 6-3 RMAC) on Friday night, before heading further west to battle the Griffins of Westminster (2-13, 0-9 RMAC) on Saturday evening.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Black Hills State (8-4, 5-3 RMAC) at Colorado Mesa (12-4, 6-3 RMAC)
Date: Friday, January 19 // Time: 5:30 p.m.
Location: Grand Junction, Colo. (Brownson Arena)
Watch: rmacnetwork.com // Listen: KDSJ (103.5 FM & 980 AM)
 
Black Hills State (8-4, 5-3 RMAC) at Westminster (2-13, 0-9 RMAC)
Date: Saturday, January 20 // Time: 5:00 p.m.
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah (Behnken Field House)
Watch: rmacnetwork.com // Listen: KDSJ (103.5 FM & 980 AM)
 
JACKET FACTS

• BH is 7-1 on the season when they hold their opponent to under 60 points
• When recording more steals than an opponent, BH is 6-2 on the season
• BH sits with a 5-2 mark when they control the opening tip
• BHSU loves playing at night (5pm or later), holding a 6-1 mark in those contests (3-0 at home)
• Black Hills State is 6-3 when they put the first points on the board

RMAC RANKINGS

• The Yellow Jackets lead the RMAC in scoring defense (57.3 opponent ppg) and second in rebounding (39.9rpg).
• Kalla Bertram sits T10th in steals in the league (31), while Ellie Moore sits 12^th in blocks (13).
• Jaylen Ostenson's 17 3-pointers sits 22^nd in the conference and Morgan Hammerbeck's 377 total minutes ranks 23^rd.
• Hammerbeck and Bertram sit 25^th in rebounds (64) and assists (24), respectively.

STOUT DEFENSE ON DISPLAY

• BHSU leads the RMAC in scoring defense at 57.3 points allowed per game.
• The mark sits top-40 in Division II (31^st).
• The defensive prowess is aided by the second-best rebounding mark at 39.9 rebounds per game, holding opponents to just one shot per possession.

LAST TIME OUT

• Coming off a single-game week last week, the Yellow Jackets made it two-straight home wins to end a three-game homestand.
• BHSU defeated Western Colorado on Saturday, January 13 with a 60-45 final score.
• It marked the eighth opponent held under 60 points this season by the Jackets.
• A dominant first half – highlighted by 24 first quarter points – was enough to put the Mountaineers away.
• BH shot 45+% from the floor for just the second time this season (45.1%).
• Raven Cournoyer and Morgan Hammerbeck led the Jackets in scoring with 15 and 13 points, respectively.
• Kalla Bertram contributed five steals in the victory, while Gracie Haneborg brought down a team-high seven rebounds.

FRIDAY VS. COLORADO MESA
The Mavericks enter the weekend with a 12-4 (6-3 RMAC) record, falling to Colorado Christian last time out (65-63, Jan. 13). However, CMU also enters the contest with the reigning RMAC Defensive Player of the Week in Olivia Reed (So., F), who sits second in the conference in rebounding (11.1rpg) and put up 18 rebounds, five steals, and four blocked shots in their road split last weekend. Offensively, the Mavericks are led by Reed (17.4ppg) and Mason Rowland (Fr., G) (15.4ppg), who run the CMU offense with both being underclassmen.
 
SATURDAY VS. WESTMINSTER
Westminster enters the weekend against the South Dakota schools in search of their first RMAC win of the season (0-9 RMAC). Struggling of late, the Griffins have dropped their last 11 games and last won back on November 17-18 with a pair of wins over the University of Alaska at Fairbanks on their home floor. The Griffins are led by sophomore guard Teuila Nawahine who averages 13.6 points per game and 1.7 assists per game in her team-leading 32.9 minutes per contest.
 
SERIES HISTORY – COLORADO MESA

• Colorado Mesa leads the all-time series with BHSU, 13-8 (dating back to 2012).
• However, the Yellow Jackets hold a two-game winning streak in the series, both coming in Spearfish.
• The two teams have met 20 times as RMAC opponents (12-8).
• CMU leads the series 10-1 with games played in Grand Junction, Colo.

SERIES HISTORY - WESTMINSTER

• BH leads the all-time series against Westminster, 7-4 (dating back to 2016).
• BH won the last meeting between the two (58-54 on Jan. 16, 2023).
• The Yellow Jackets last won in Utah in 2021, while also leading the series with games played in Salt Lake City (3-2).

Up Next: Black Hills State returns to A2 Arena next weekend when they play host to New Mexico Highlands (4-12, 3-7 RMAC) and CSU Pueblo (9-8, 4-5 RMAC) on January 26-27.