SPEARFISH, S.D. – Kalla Bertram and the Black Hills State University seniors led the way with a combined 57 points in BHSU's 80-61 thrashing of New Mexico Highlands. Black Hills State (17-10 (13-7 RMAC)) took over in the third quarter when they outscored NMHU (13-13 (10-10 RMAC)) 30-12, which allowed Coach Erickson to rest her starters the fourth quarter.
Kalla Bertram finished with 20 in three quarters, while
Haylee Weathersby had a 15 point, 11-rebound double-double. Hammerbeck had four threes in the fourth quarter to also have 15 points.
QUICK DETAILS
Score: Black Hills State 81, New Mexico Highlands 60
Team Records: Black Hills State 17-10 (13-7 RMAC), New Mexico Highlands 13-13 (10-10 RMAC)
Attendance: 1,078
HOW IT HAPPENED
• BHSU started the first quarter on a 13-2 run, in which
Kalla Bertram had seven points after dropping a career-high 28 last night. She was joined by two points from
Bradie Schlabs,
Gracie Haneborg, and
Audrey Norville. NMHU answered with a 6-0 run with Aspen Salazar, Caitlin Turnbow, and Juliana Aragon each making layups to bring the score to 13-8. It took 2:43 for another point to be scored when Aragon made two free throws to cut the BHSU to three at 13-10. Schlabs made a good find to Bertram to move the lead back to five, before Eva Ongoongotau made a layup to bring it back to 15-12. Bertram made a jumper for her 11th point of the quarter to give BHSU a 17-12 lead heading into the second quarter.
•
Morgan Hammerbeck and
Haylee Weathersby each made hook shots to start the second quarter and gives BHSU a 21-12 lead early in the second. Aniya Johnson made a layup to cut the lead to seven before Bertram made two free throws to bring it back to nine. Ongoongotau made a jumper to bring it to 23-16, before Schlabs made a wide-open corner three to bring it to 26-16. Bertram then hit a contested three to give BHSU their biggest lead of 13. Ongoongotau hit a wide open three to cut the lead to 29-19 with 6:11 left in the half. Johnson and Haneborg traded free throws and brought the score to 30-21 with 4:55 left in the half. BHSU would go on a 6-0 run with Weathersby having four of those six points to build BHSU's lead to 36-21. Aragon would score the next four points to cut the lead back to 11 at 36-25. Haneborg would make two free throws, and Aragon would make another bucket to send the game into half at 38-27 lead.
• The halftime leaders for BHSU were Bertram, who had 18 points for the Yellow Jackets. Weathersby had six points and five rebounds, Schlabs had five points and four assists, and Haneborg had five points and five rebounds. The leaders for the Cowgirls were Aragon with ten points and two assists, and Ongoongotau with seven points. The Cowgirls have three starters with three fouls in Ongoongotau, Salazar, and Johnson.
• In what was one of BHSU's best quarters of the season, BHSU outscored NMHU by 18 points in the third quarter. Hammerbeck started the quarter with a three pointer, before Salazar made a layup to keep the lead at 12. BHSU would then go on a 6-0 run with buckets from Haneborg, Weathersby, and Bertram and the Yellow Jackets would have an 18-point lead. BHSU would then go on a 13-0 run after an Ongoongotau basket with Hammerbeck making two three pointers, and the other seven points went to Weathersby as BHSU took a 60-31 lead with 3:00 remaining in the quarter. BHSU and NMHU would trade baskets with Hammerbeck making another three and Norville making her second driving layup.
Emily Cooper would get into the game and immediately get a steal and a layup at the other end before Hammerbeck would end the quarter with a free throw to send it to the fourth at 68-39. BHSU would shoot 12/14 from the field in that half and 4/6 from three.
• Coach Erickson took the starters out to start the fourth quarter with BHSU holding a 29-point lead.
Cami Curtis made two free throws, and
Sawyer Stoebner made a layup to move the lead to 31. NMHU went on a 7-0 run to cut the lead to 24.
Tess Rule made a layup to end the run and Curtis hit two more free throws to give BHSU a 78-52 lead.
Payton Burda made a layup after a 4-0 Cowgirls run to keep the lead at 24. Erickson gave the seniors and Schlabs one last offensive possession to celebrate their senior night, before they were taken out to a massive A2 Arena standing ovation. Rule made a free throw, and NMHU ended the game on a 4-0 run to end the game with BHSU taking the win 81-60.
BLACK HILLS STATE STATISTICAL LEADERS:
•
Kalla Bertram: 20 points, 4 rebounds, 8-9 shooting
•
Haylee Weathersby: 15 points, 11 rebounds (4th career double-double)
•
Morgan Hammerbeck: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists
UP NEXT
BHSU awaits the announcement of the time and opponent for their first round RMAC Tournament game on Tuesday Night.
