SPEARFISH, S.D.- Black Hills State Women's Basketball (1-2) head back into South Dakota to compete in Sioux Falls at the East/West Challenge on Friday and Saturday. There, they will look to get back in the win column as they face two in-state foes in the Northern State Wolves (1-1) on Friday and the host team Sioux Falls Cougars (1-2) on Saturday.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Date/Time/Location:  Northern State: Friday, November 21^st at 2 PM CST/1 PM MST in the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Sioux Falls: Saturday, November 22^nd at 3 PM CST/2 PM MST in the Stewart Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.
Tickets: Tickets for each game can be purchased online at the link above.
KDSJ Radio: Black Hills State women's basketball continues to air live on KDSJ Radio with the voice of the Yellow Jackets, Steve Ammerman, giving the play-by-play for all the action.
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES

• The Yellow Jackets are a brand-new team. They only have seven returning players and only two saw meaningful minutes last year with only one starter returning in Bradie Schlabs. Last year the Yellow Jackets went 18-11 (13-7 RMAC) and finished fourth in the conference and won a game in the RMAC Tournament. They bring in three transfers and six freshmen, while getting two girls back from injury.
• The Yellow Jackets are now 1-2 after falling in a second straight down to the wire game versus Minnesota Crookston. BHSU once again won the rebounding battle 37-34, but the key was Crookston made nine more free throws than BHSU and shot 79.3 percent from the line. The Yellow Jackets also had 19 turnovers compared to ten for the Golden Eagles. BHSU was outscored 23-11 in the fourth quarter. It was the second game in a row BHSU have blown a fourth quarter lead with StMU outscoring the Jackets 24-15 in the fourth.
• Through the first two games of the season BHSU is averaging 66.3 points, 43.0 rebounds, 12.7 assists, 8.3 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 37.8 percent from the field, 29.9 percent from 3-point range, and 61.1 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 59.3 points, 32.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 5.7 steals, and 4.0 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 40.8 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from 3-point range, and 72.2 percent from the free throw line.
• BHSU is ranked top 80 in the country in six different stats so far this year. They are 24^th in offensive rebounds per game (17.7) and first in the RMAC. 32^nd in rebound margin (10.3), 44^th in rebounds per game (43.0), 56^th in turnovers per game (14.7), 70^th in assist/turnover ratio (.86), and 80^th in scoring defense (59.3).
• The Yellow Jackets were picked to finish sixth in the conference in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll with 127 points and one third place vote.
• Addie Branscum is a newcomer, who is already making a huge impact for the Yellow Jackets. Branscum, a transfer from Regis, is averaging 14.7 points per game and 5.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.5 percent from the field and 46.7 percent from behind the arc, which is second in the conference. Her career-high is now 19 points, which she just accomplished, and 13 rebounds, which she did late in the season versus Colorado Christian. Branscum has now had ten points in all three games this year. In the second game versus Saint Mary's, Branscum had a career night going 7-13 from the field and 3-4 from three en route to a career-high 19 points in the game versus StMU. She also had six rebounds. She just dropped 12 points and seven rebounds in the game versus Minnesota Crookston.
• Reigning All-RMAC Second Team Bradie Schlabs is the only starter returning this year. She was named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team. She has started the year averaging 10.3 points per game, 6.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Schlabs' 129 assists last year was good enough for third all-time in a single season in BHSU history and so were her 4.4 assists per game. She was the first player in BHSU history to have 300 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in the same season and was the first player since 2023 to win an RMAC Player of the Week award. She reached double-digit points in 17 of her last 20 games and had three double doubles. She had a career-high 24 points versus CSUP, 12 rebounds versus Sioux Falls and eight assists versus Adams. Schlabs has struggled in her last two games since dropping 23 in the opener. She had only five points in each of the last two games, but she did have 13 rebounds, and eight assists combined in those two games.
• Audrey Norville has turned into a solid player for BHSU. She played a lot of minutes last year and has now been thrown into the starting lineup. After not scoring in the first game versus SEU, Norville had a stellar second start, where she had her first career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds. Each of those were career highs. She shot 3-7 from three, which the three three-pointers were a career high also. Against Crookston, she put up nine points making another three, but also had five rebounds, two assists, and two steals.
• Sawyer Stoebner had a career-game versus Crookston. After combining  for 12 points in the first two and a half games, she had 16 points in the second half against UMC and ended up with her first 20-point game of her career and only her second double-digit game. She also added five rebounds and two steals
• Head coach Kelly Kruger is entering into his first season as Interim Head Coach of the BHSU Yellow Jackets. He is 1-2 in his time with the Green and Gold. He is in his 35th season as a head coach, however, and has a record of 532-448 with programs across all levels of college basketball including Northwestern College, Southwest Minnesota State, Adams State, Ashford University, and Iowa Central Community College.

 
NORTHERN STATE STORYLINES

• Northern State is entering this game versus BHSU 1-1 after losing to #7 Pittsburgh State by two and then beating Nebraska Kearney by five. The game versus Kearney was tied entering the fourth quarter before the Wolves won the last quarter by five to get their first win of the season.
• Through the first two games of the season NSU is averaging 67.5 points, 46.5 rebounds, 11.5 assists, 6.5 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 41.7 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point range, and 42.9 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 66.0 points, 36.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists, 6.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 38.2 percent from the field, 23.7 percent from 3-point range, and 74.4 percent from the free throw line.
• The Wolves are top 70 in the country in six categories. They are 20^th in rebounds per game (46.5), 25^th in defensive rebounds per game (31.0), 33^rd in rebound margin (10.0), 40^th in turnovers per game (10.0), 54^th in offensive rebounds per game (15.5), and 64^th in defensive three-point percentage (23.7).
• Northern State was picked to finish tenth in the NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll just ahead of Crookston, who BHSU lost to on Wednesday, receiving 107 points, and was picked to finish fifth in the NSIC North Division with 27 points
• Izzy Moore has been the top player for Northern State. The transfer from Augustana is averaging 17.5 points per game and 6.0 rebounds per game over the two games so far for NSU. Moore is shooting 48.5 percent from the field. 14.3 percent from three, and 28.6 percent from the line. She has dropped at least 15 points in each of the two games this season and six rebounds in both as well.
• Morgan Fiedler has been the #2 option for the Wolves. The senior floor general from Aberdeen, S.D. is averaging 13.5 points per game, 3.5 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. She is shooting 38.5 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from three, and 50.0 percent from the free throw line. She has at least ten points in each game this year and had six assists in the opener.
• Lily Klein, after only playing 19 minutes in the opener, stepped up big in game two. She had 29 minutes, and had a double-double with ten points and ten rebounds, while shooting 4-7 from the field and 2-3 from behind the arc.
• Head Coach Paula Krueger is in her eighth year as the head coach at Northern State and 17^th year overall as a head coach. Krueger left Colorado School of Mines in 2012 and became the head coach at Northern in 2018. She has a career 233-217 record and at NSU, she has a 100-92 record. She just recorded her 100^th win at NSU with that win against Kearney.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• The Yellow Jackets are 0-17 versus the Northern State Wolves in their history of the matchup. They have not beaten Northern once. The last time these two faced was in 2024 in Rapid City and NSU won 72-60.
• Kelly Kruger has faced Northern State 31 times in his career and is 12-19 all time versus the Wolves and is 2-0 versus them in neutral site games.
• Kruger is 5-3 versus Paula Krueger in his career when he was at Adams and she was at CSM.

 
SIOUX FALLS STORYLINES

• Sioux Falls enters the East/West Challenge 1-2 after losing the first two games of the season to Northwest Missouri State and #9 Fort Hays State by 20 points combined. They then beat Nebraska Kearney by 11, 62-51, to get their first win of the season. They only lost to FHS by nine but were down 29 entering the fourth quarter.
• Through the first two games of the season USF is averaging 67.0 points, 39.7 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 8.7 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 38.4 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from 3-point range, and 72.7 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 70.0 points, 36.0 rebounds, 15.3 assists, 9.7 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 42.5 percent from the field, 32.4 percent from 3-point range, and 67.3 percent from the free throw line.
• The Cougars are top 90 in the country in five categories. They are 39^th in fouls per game (15.0), 52^nd in free throws made per game (16.00), 53^rd in defensive rebounds per game (29.0), 60^th in free throw attempts per game (22.0), and 85^th in rebound margin (3.7).
• Sioux Falls was picked to finish in a tie for second in the NSIC Preseason Coaches Poll' with 202 points. They were picked to finish third in the NSIC South Division with 37 points.
• Anna Vaaler has been the go to player for the Cougars this year. She is currently averaging 24.7 points per game, which is third in the NSIC. She is also averaging 9.7 rebounds per game, which is also third in the NSIC, and 9.0 defensive rebounds, which is second in the conference. She is also ranked first in double-doubles with two, seventh in field goal attempts (54), 10^th in field goal percentage (44.4), eighth in field goals (24), fourth in free throw attempts (21), eighth in free throw percentage (85.7), second in free throws (18), sixth in total points (74), ninth in three-point percentage (44.4), sixth in three-pointers (8), and seventh in three pointers per game (2.67). Vaaler dropped 18 and 11 in her first game versus NMSU, and 33 and 10 versus Fort Hays. She just dropped 23 and 8 in the win versus Kearney. She has been a perfect 13-13 from the line in the last two games.
• Alexis Rose has been the number two option for USF. She is averaging 11.3, and 4.3 rebounds per game. She is shooting 43.5 percent from the field and 72.2 percent from the line. She has double-digits in two out of three games including 18 versus Kearney.
• Ayla Brown is having an excellent start to the season as the floor general for Sioux Falls. Brown is averaging 9.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 5.0 assists. Brown is second in the conference with 38.4 minutes per game, only behind Crookston's Emma Miller, and is second in assists per game and sixth in total assists (15). She had 14 points in the season opener and has not reached ten since but has had at least four rebounds in all three games.
• Head Coach Travis Traphagen is in his 18^th season as head coach of Sioux Falls. Traphagen has a career 302-190 record as head coach. He is coming off two losing seasons in the past three years, which were only the second and third losing season of his career. He has made the NCAA Tournament twice in his career and has one NSIC Tournament championship.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• BHSU is 7-4 versus the Cougars in the history of their program. They have won each of the last two matchups. Last year, BHSU beat USF 70-51 in Rapid City. Schlabs had her first double-double of her career in that game with 11 points and 12 rebounds
• Kelly Kruger has faced USF nine times in his career. He is 9-0 versus the Cougars and is 5-0 on the road versus them.