SPEARFISH, S.D.- The Black Hills State Yellow Jackets head on the road for the first time in 2025 as they continue their RMAC play versus New Mexico Highlands on Thursday, January 16th.  BHSU looks to keep their best RMAC start going after sweeping the homestand last week versus MSU Denver and Regis. After winning both those games and keeping their win streak alive, they now look ahead to the Southwest in a 5 PM matchup in the John A. Wilson Complex in Las Vegas, N.M.

GAME DETAILS
Date & Time: Thursday, January 16th at 5 PM
Location: Las Vegas, N.M. – John A. Wilson Complex

BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• Black Hills State enters their first road trip of the 2025 calendar year with a record of 10-3 (6-0 RMAC) on the year following a commanding 24-point win at home versus MSU Denver (63-49) on Thursday afternoon. Against the Roadrunners, the Yellow Jackets used a crazy 41-point first half that included holding MSU Denver to one field goal in the second quarter to take control of the match-up. During the half BHSU shot 51.7 percent from the field and 75 percent from three-point range to put MSUD away. 
• The 49 points for MSUD was the second fewest points the Black Hills State defense has given up this season and marked the eighth time they have held an opponent below 60 points in a game. Additionally, the Roadrunners one field goal in the second quarter was the lowest field goals allowed in a quarter this season. It passed the second quarter of the UCCS game, where the Yellow Jackets held the Mountain Lions to two field goals. 
• The second quarter has been the Yellow Jackets bread and butter, outscoring opponents by a total of 105-68. The Yellow Jackets continued that trend versus MSUD outscoring the Roadrunners 19-7 in that quarter. This was the second highest differential of the season in the second quarter only behind the 21-4 second quarter of the UCCS game. 
• Black Hills State is the second highest ranked of four RMAC schools in D2CSC South Central Regional Media Poll, appearing for the eighth consecutive week as they jump one spots to No. 5 on Monday morning. This matches their highest rank of the season. 
• 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 six consecutive wins to begin RMAC schedule and are one of only two remaining undefeated teams in league play.
• The 10-3 start to the season is the best for the Yellow Jackets since they started 10-3 in the 2022-23 season. The 6-0 start to RMAC play is the best start to a season since 2015-2016, where we went 6-0 as well. 
• Through the first 13 games of the season BHSU is averaging 67.8 points, 37.6 rebounds, 13.6 assists, 6.7 steals, and 2.1 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 43.9 percent from the field, 30.7 percent from 3-point range, and 71.4 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 59.4 points, 29.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 5.8 steals, and 2.6 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 38.9 percent from the field, 39.4 percent from 3-point range, and 74.3 percent from the free throw line.
• The Yellow Jackets currently rank eighth in NCAA Division II in fewest turnovers per game (12.4), sixth in fewest fouls per game (13.0), 25th in assist/turnover ratio (1.10), and 26th in rebound margin (7.8). In Saturday night's win over MSUD, BHSU committed only 10 fouls, and had 40 rebounds to the Roadrunner's 25.
•  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 eighth in points per game (14.8) and ninth in rebounds per game (7.5). Additionally, her 1.92 steals per game rank tenth in the league while she adds 2.1 assists per game. She has been efficient shooting the ball as she ranks third in the RMAC in field goal percentage, knocking down 71-of-150 shot attempts (47.3%), and has scored in double figures in 11 of the 13 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 12th as she has knocked down 40-of-51 (78.4%) at the charity stripe. She has reached her season-high mark in steals on three different occasions and has recorded multiple steals in seven games.
• Haylee Weathersby is second on the team and tenth in the conference in scoring with 14.5 points and adds 6.2 rebounds per game. She currently ranks second in the RMAC in field goal percentage and 17th in the country, knocking down 76-of-133 (57.1%) shot attempts this year, and is sixth in free throw percentage as she is also shooting 36-of-45 (80.0%) from the charity stripe. She has reached double figures and has scored 12 or more points in ten of 13 games this year in addition to grabbing five or more boards in ten contests. She poured in a season-high of 29 points in the win over Colorado Christian as she shot the ball 11-13 from the field. She is coming off a night where she only shot the ball five times and went 3-5 from the field.
• Morgan Hammerbeck is another player to keep an eye on. She is averaging 11.8 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game. She is shooting the ball 43.0 percent from the field, 36.9 percent on 3-pointers, and 80.6 percent of free throws. She currently ranks sixth in the RMAC in total 3-pointers made (24) and is seventh in 3-pointers per game (1.85). Hammerbeck has cooled off from behind the arc, but that hasn't stopped her scoring. She is coming off her best weekend of the year where she had her second and third highest scoring outputs of the season with 20 points versus Regis, none from behind the arc, and 18 versus MSU Denver, where she went 3-6 from three-point range. She went a combined 14-24 from the field in the two games. She also matched her season high in rebounds versus MSU Denver with 6. 
• The lone freshman in the starting lineup for each of the first 13 games this year has been Bradie Schlabs, who recently joined the double-digit points per game club averaging 10.4 points, 6.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. She has scored in double figures in eight games, including a season-high of 21 points Saturday versus MSU Denver, where she had her second double-double of the year going 21-10. She has now had four straight games with double-digits and three straight with 13 or more points. She has secured four or more boards on eleven occasions, including all the last nine games. Schlabs has dished out four or more assists in 11 games, six in a row, and has tallied a steal in nine of eleven games this year. She ranks third in the RMAC in assists (63), assists per game (4.8), and second in assist/turnover ratio (2.03), while also ranking 46th, 25th, and 26th nationally in NCAA Division II in the respective categories.
• Yellow Jacket alumna Rachel Erickson is in her first season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding BHSU to a 10-3 record thus far.

NEW MEXICO HIGHLANDS STORYLINES

• New Mexico Highlands hosts their first home game of the 2025 calendar year. They are entering the game versus the Yellow Jackets 5-7 (2-4 RMAC) following a road sweep versus Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado, both of whom are ranked in the D2CSC South Central Region rankings. They are coming off a tight 52-49 loss to the Mountaineers and have now lost three straight games.
• NMHU Head Coach Lindsey Fearing is a former Yellow Jacket under BHSU Athletic Director Mark Nore and will be her third meeting versus BH since she was named Head Coach last year. Fearing is 0-2 versus the Yellow Jackets. 
• The Cowgirls are 2-3 at home this year. During those games they are averaging 69.4 points per game, 34.4 rebounds, 15.2 assists, and 10.2 steals. The third quarter has been one of woe for them. In the five home games, they have been outscored 102-79. 
• Juliana Aragon is the leading scorer for the Cowgirls, she is seventh in the RMAC in points per game (15.3), fourth in assists per game (4.3) and total assists (52), fifth in assist/turnover ratio (1.49), fifth in steals per game (2.17), sixth in field goal percentage (44.5), and fourth in free throw percentage (83.). Aragon is coming off a 16-point performance versus Western Colorado. That gave her 11 games out of 13 with double digits in points, she also had two steals, which marked her ninth multi-steal game of the season. She has had three games of over 20 points this season with her career high being 24 versus Fort Lewis.
• Kapiolani Anitielu is the other name to watch for the Cowgirls. She is the only other player in double digits for New Mexico Highlands, averaging 14.0 points per game. Anitielu is also the leading rebounder for the team (5.6) and is fifth in the RMAC in blocks per game (1.08) and total blocks (13). Anitielu ended her streak of three games with 15 or more points on Saturday when she went 2-12 from the field for six points in the loss to Western Colorado. She has reached 15 points in seven games this year and had reached ten in 11 of 13.
• Senior Guard Eva Ongoongotau is a sleeper player to watch for the Cowgirls as she has had double digits in each of the past two losses. She scored ten versus Colorado Mesa and 13 versus Western Colorado. She is just behind Anitielu in rebounds per game (5.5). Ongoongotau has now reached double-digits in six games this year and is averaging 8.3 points per game. 
• In this losing streak New Mexico Highlands has gone 11-46 from the three-point arc, good enough for a 23.9 percent clip, and they have only taken 10.6 shots per game from the foul line. They have allowed 16.9 free throws a game during this three-game stretch.

SERIES HISTORY

• Black Hills State has won all 16 matchups versus New Mexico Highlands since joining the RMAC. The Yellow Jackets largest margin of victory is 35 in 2017, and only two matchups have been within single digits, with the most recent coming in 2022.
• The Yellow Jackets dominated NMHU the last time they faced each other on January 26, 2024. BHSU beat the Cowgirls 74-52 with Haylee Weathersby dropping 19 points.