SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State University women's basketball team will conclude the opening two weeks of RMAC action and the 2024 calendar year on Saturday, December 14, as they visit Colorado Christian. After picking up a key conference road win on Thursday night with everything seeming to click for the young squad, they look to continue the momentum and end the month on a high note in the 1 p.m. match-up in the CCU Event Center in Lakewood, Colorado.
 
GAME DETAILS
Date & Time: Saturday, December 14 at 1 p.m.
Location: Lakewood, Colo. – CCU Event Center
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters their final game of the 2024 calendar year with a record of 7-3 (3-0 RMAC) on the year following a commanding 28-point win at UCCS (72-44) on Thursday night. Against the Mountain Lions the Yellow Jackets used a massive 41-9 scoring run that spanned nearly 19 minutes from late in the first quarter to late in the third quarter to take control of the match-up. During the run BHSU shot the ball 62.5 percent from the field compared to just 18.2 percent for UCCS. Black Hills State saw five players score in double figures during the contest.
• The 44 points for UCCS was the fewest points the Black Hills State defense has given up this season and marked the sixth time they have held an opponent below 60 points in a game. Additionally, the Mountain Lions were held to just 30.6 percent from the field in the match-up, the lowest shooting percentage of the season by a BHSU opponent, and it was the third time the Yellow Jacket defense has held an opponent to 31.0 percent or worse in field goal percentage.
• After never trailing against the Mountain Lions on Thursday night, the Yellow Jackets have trailed for only eight minutes and 25 seconds in their three league games thus far as they've secured their first 3-0 start to conference play since 2022-23. The 3-0 start in league play now matches the 2022-23 season as the second-best start to RMAC play in program history.
• Black Hills State is the highest ranked of three RMAC schools in D2CSC South Central Regional Media Poll, appearing for the fifth consecutive week as they jump two spots to No. 6 on Monday morning.
• Black Hills State has been picked to finish ninth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 94 points in the vote among head coaches. They are currently tied for first in the conference standings after three consecutive wins to begin RMAC schedule and are one of only three remaining undefeated teams in league play.
• The 7-3 start to the season is the best for the Yellow Jackets since they started 8-2 in the 2022-23 season.
• Through the first ten games of the season BHSU is averaging 66.2 points, 36.7 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 7.2 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 42.5 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from 3-point range, and 71.3 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 59.8 points, 31.7 rebounds, 9.9 assists, 5.6 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 38.1 percent from the field, 40.1 percent from 3-point range, and 72.8 percent from the free throw line.
• The Yellow Jackets currently rank tenth in NCAA Division II in fewest turnovers per game (12.6), 26^th in fewest fouls per game (14.3), and 39^th in assist/turnover ratio (1.02). Thursday night's win over UCCS saw BHSU record a season-low of ten turnovers for the fourth time this year, they recorded a season-low nine team fouls, and they dished out a season-high 18 assists.
• Leading three players in double figures scoring for Black Hills State is Kalla Bertram who is one of the top scorers and rebounders in the conference, ranking seventh in points per game (14.4) and tenth in rebounds per game (7.7). Additionally, her 2.2 steals per game rank seventh in the league while she adds 1.7 assists per game. She has been efficient shooting the ball as she ranks fifth in the RMAC in field goal percentage, knocking down 53-of-109 shot attempts (48.6%), and has scored in double figures in eight of the ten games this year. She has notched a pair of double-doubles this season against Lubbock Christian (17 points, 11 rebounds) and Chadron State (19 points, 11 rebounds). She is also among the league leaders in free throw percentage, ranking eighth as she has knocked down 32-of-40 (80.0%) at the charity stripe. Including an 8-of-9 mark at the free throw line against CSC as she has connected on four or more free throws in four games this year. With four steals in the win over UCCS, including three in the first quarter alone, she has reached her season-high mark on three different occasions and has recorded multiple steals in six games.
• Haylee Weathersby is second on the team and 11th in the conference in scoring with 13.5 points and adds 5.4 rebounds per game. She currently ranks second in the RMAC in field goal percentage, knocking down 55-of-109 (52.4%) shot attempts this year, and is sixth in free throw percentage as she is also shooting 25-of-31 (80.6%) from the charity stripe. She has reached double figures and has scored 12 or more points in eight of ten games this year in addition to grabbing five or more boards in seven contests. She poured in a season-high of 19 points in the win over Minnesota Crookston as she shot the ball 9-of-14 from the field. Against Chadron State, she recorded her first career double-double as she scored 14 points and matched a career-high of ten rebounds.
• Morgan Hammerbeck is another player to keep an eye on as she rounds out players in double figures, averaging 10.6 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She is shooting the ball 40.7 percent from the field, 40.0 percent on 3-pointers, and 85.7 percent of free throws. She currently ranks fifth in the RMAC in total 3-pointers made (18) and is seventh in 3-pointers per game (1.80). She has been red-hot from beyond the arc as of late as she has hit three shots from deep in each of her first three league games and four of her last five games overall. In both match-ups against South Dakota Mines and Chadron State she tallied a season-high of three steals. In the win against Minnesota Crookston, she scored a career-high of 27 points, shooting 8-of-15 from the field, 3-of-8 from the 3-point line, and 8-of-8 from the charity stripe. Overall on the year she has reached double figures five times, has recorded four or more rebounds in nine contests, and has dished out three or more assists on four occasions.
• The lone freshman in the starting lineup for each of the first ten games this year has been Bradie Schlabs, who has averaged 8.6 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She has scored in double figures in five games, including a season-high of 14 points against Northern State. The very next game she then notched her first career double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds against Sioux Falls. She has secured four or more boards on eight occasions, has dished out four or more assists in eight games, and has tallied a steal in nine of ten games this year. She ranks third in the RMAC in assists (46), assists per game (4.6), and assist/turnover ratio (2.00), while also ranking 20^th, 34^th, and 42^nd nationally in NCAA Division II in the respective categories.
• Bertram and Schlabs have been filling up the stat sheets this season as the do it all guards are two of just six players in the RMAC to post games of 7+ points, 6+ rebounds, 4+ assists, and 3+ steals. Additionally, Schlabs is the only one of that group to do it multiple times, doing so in back-to-back games against South Dakota Mines (7 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals) and Chadron State (7 points, 10 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals), while Bertram accomplished the feat against UCCS (13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals).
• With 14 points in the win against her former school on Thursday night, Gracie Haneborg scored a season-high 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the field, 2-of-3 shooting from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 shooting at the free throw line. Additionally, she was just one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards on the night, while she also dished out two assists and two steals in the big game for her.
• Yellow Jacket alumna Rachel Erickson is in her first season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding BHSU to a 7-3 record thus far.

COLORADO CHRISTIAN STORYLINES

• Colorado Christian enters the final league game before winter break with a record of 1-8 (0-3 RMAC) following a 66-56 loss at home to South Dakota Mines on Thursday night. The Cougars who began the year with a 73-66 upset of NCAA Division I University of Denver in an exhibition match-up, has seen only one regular season victory since then as they defeated Missouri Western State (79-70).
• The Cougars are picked to finish eighth in the RMAC Women's Basketball Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 103 points from the head coaches' vote. They are currently 15^th in the conference standings as the lone 0-3 team in league and are among three teams still looking for their first RMAC win of the year, joining Colorado School of Mines and Westminster who are both 0-2.
• Through nine games this season CCU has averaged 57.2 points, 32.9 rebounds, 12.2 assists, 7.4 steals, and 0.7 blocks, while shooting the ball 37.0 percent from the field, 28.4 percent from 3-point range, and 82.3 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 66.4 points, 37.1 rebounds, 16.3 assists, 7.1 steals, and 3.7 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 43.1 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from 3-point range, and 71.3 percent from the free throw line.
• Maggie Hutka, who leads Colorado Christian in points (15.5), rebounds (9.8), and assists (3.3) this year while also adding 1.3 steals per game has been out since mid-November, shifting the teams focus to Maggie Phipps. Phipps is second on the team and the only other player to average double figures as she records 10.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game. Phipps has scored in double figures four times, including a season-high of 21 points in the win over MWSU when she knocked down three 3-pointers. A scoring threat from beyond the arc, Phipps has connected on three 3-pointers on three occasions this season.
• Another player to watch for the Cougars is Nicole Bowlin, who averages 9.8 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. She has been shooting the ball 41.1 percent from the field as she has scored in double figures four times this year, including three of the last four games, and a season-high of 18 points in a match-up against Western Colorado when she went 6-of-11 from the field and 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. She has secured four or more rebounds seven times this year and has dished out three or more assists in eight straight games.
• With 14 points in the most recent game against the Hardrockers, Victoria Perez has reached double figures four times this year as she averages 9.7 points and adds 2.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She has grabbed a season-high of four rebounds on three occasions and has dished out multiple steals in six contests.
• Carissa Ratliff took over as interim head coach at Colorado Christian in October after previously serving as an assistant coach for the program from 2019-21. She has guided the Cougars to a 1-8 mark thus far.

SERIES HISTORY

• Saturday will mark the 23^rd all-time meeting on the hardwood between Black Hills State and Colorado Christina as the Yellow Jackets hold the 13-9 edge in the series.
• BHSU salvaged the season split last year with a 73-68 win in A2 Arena on March 1, 2024, as they have now won five of the last six meetings between the teams.