SPEARFISH, S.D.- The Yellow Jackets are back in action tomorrow night in the conference semifinals where they will face Colorado Mesa for the third time this season. BHSU, who defeated CSU Pueblo in the first round of the RMAC tournament will look to get a big statement win in Grand Junction in hopes of earning an NCAA Tournament berth.   

GAME DETAILS
Date & Time:  March 7th at 5:30 PM
Location: Grand Junction, Colo.-Brownson Arena
RMAC Subscription Info: All 14 games of the RMAC Men's & Women's Basketball Tournaments will be broadcasted live on the RMAC Network with pay-per-view access. Fans can purchase an Elevated Pass for $100 which will give them access to every RMAC Championship event during the 2024-25 season. Other passes available for purchase include a Winter Season Pass (Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Women's Wrestling, Swimming & Diving, and Indoor Track & Field) for $70, a Men's & Women's Basketball Tournament Pass for $25, or a Day Pass for $9.99.

BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES:
•    Black Hills State enters this game versus Colorado Mesa as the #4 seed in the RMAC tournament and are currently 18-10 (14-7 RMAC). They are coming off a dominating performance over five-seeded CSU Pueblo, where they won by 26, 82-56. BHSU had four scorers reach 15 points and were able to earn themselves their first conference tournament win in four appearances.  
•    The Yellow Jackets were able to use the third quarter for the second game in a row. They outscored New Mexico Highlands 30-12, while shooting 12-14 from the field, while this game they outscored the ThunderWolves 29-10 and shot 11-17 from the field with five threes.
•    BHSU shot 50 percent from the field for the second game in a row making it only the second time this season that the Yellow Jacket have had back-to-back games with 50 percent shooting or better. They also shot 41.7 percent from three, which is tied for the fifth best performance from behind the arc of the season. The 82 points was the most in RMAC play this season and was the second best all year behind the 83 we scored versus Minot State. BHSU hit a season high 21 assists in the game. It was only the second time since 2020, that the Yellow Jackets had 20 or more assists in a game.
•    The Yellow Jackets are 8-9 all time in the RMAC Tournament, and have made the championship three times, and won it once. BHSU had lost their last three RMAC Tournament games since their championship in 2021, but the win versus CSU Pueblo ended that streak. The 27-point win was the largest in the programs RMAC tournament history ahead of two times when they won by ten points. 
•    The 14 double-doubles BHSU has this year is the most in BHSU's D2 history. All five starters have at least one double double. The five different players with at least one is also the most in team history and the three players with multiple double-doubles is once again the most in team history. Gracie Haneborg just got her second double-double of her career when she set career highs in points (16) and rebounds (15) on Tuesday versus the ThunderWovles. Weathersby and Kalla Bertram each have four. Bradie Schlabs has three, Haneborg has two, while Morgan Hammerbeck has one. 
•    Black Hills State is currently ranked 9th in the NCAA D2 South Central Regional Rankings, which the top 8 make the NCAA tournament. However, those rankings do not include the game versus CSU Pueblo, nor do they include any other opening round RMAC games. 
•    Black Hills State had been picked to finish ninth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, receiving 94 points in the vote among head coaches. They are currently fourth in the conference standings after 14 wins in 21 games to begin RMAC schedule. Black Hills State is the only program in the conference tournament to have both their men's and women's team advance to the conference semifinals.
•    Through the first 28 games of the season BHSU is averaging 65.6 points, 39.0 rebounds, 13.0 assists, 6.1 steals, and 1.8 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 42.2 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from 3-point range, and 70.3 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 59.6 points, 31.2 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 6.6 steals, and 2.8 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 39.0 percent from the field, 33.3 percent from 3-point range, and 74.5 percent from the free throw line.
•    The Yellow Jackets currently rank ninth in NCAA Division II in fewest turnovers per game (12.7), sixth in fewest fouls per game (13.0), and 19th in rebound margin (7.8). In the win versus CSU Pueblo, BHSU only committed 9 fouls, tied for their second lowest of the season. They had seven turnovers, which is tied for their lowest this season, and won the rebounding battle 40-25, which is their third straight game hitting 40 rebounds and their third in last four holding opponents to less than 30 rebounds.  
•    Leading four 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 tenth in points per game (14.4) and 12th in rebounds per game (6.8). Additionally, Bertram adds 1.4 steals per game and 2.1 assists per game. She has been efficient shooting the ball as she ranks eighth in the RMAC in field goal percentage, knocking down 151-of-346 shot attempts (43.6%), and has scored in double figures in 22 of the 28 games this year. She has notched four double doubles this season against Lubbock Christian (17 points, 11 rebounds), Chadron State (19 points, 11 rebounds), CSU Pueblo (17 points, 10 rebounds), and Westminster (13 points, 12 rebounds). She has reached her season-high mark in steals on three different occasions and has recorded multiple steals in 15 games. Bertram is coming off a game versus Adams State where she hit her career-high in points with 28. She went 10-22 from the field, 2-7 from three-point range, and 6-6 from the free throw line. She also added six rebounds as well. She then followed that up by dropping 20 points in three quarters on Saturday versus NMHU. She shot 8-9 from the field, 1-1 from three, and 3-3 from the free throw line. Then, in the first game of RMAC Tournament play, Bertram had 19 points in only 33 minutes of game time, she went 7-16 from the field and 3-3 from behind the arc. She was officially named Second Team All-RMAC Thursday morning. 
•    Haylee Weathersby is averaging 13.4 points and adds 6.8 rebounds per game. She currently ranks second in the RMAC in field goal percentage and 21st in the country, knocking down 145-of-263 (55.1%) shot attempts this year. She has scored 12 or more points in 20 of 28 games this year in addition to grabbing five or more boards in 24 contests including eight or more in six of the last nine games. She is now at four double doubles this season against Chadron State (14 points, 10 rebounds), Colorado Christian (29 points, 10 rebounds), UCCS (15 points, 10 rebounds), and New Mexico Highlands (15 points, 11 rebounds), she is coming off one her quietest games in a month. She had seven points and six rebounds versus CSUP, but only took six shots. Weathersby was named Second Team All-RMAC Thursday morning.
•    The lone freshman in the starting lineup for each of the first 25 games this year has been Bradie Schlabs is averaging 12.4 points, 5.6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. She is the only player in Black Hills State history to have 300 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in a season. She has scored in double figures in 19 games, including a season-high of 24 points versus CSU Pueblo. She has now had 16 of her last 19 games with double-digits and 13 of her last 18 with 13 or more points. She has secured four or more boards on 25 occasions, including 23 of the last 24 games. Schlabs has dished out four or more assists in 19 games, 14 of the last 21, and has tallied a steal in 25 of 28 games this year. She ranks third in the RMAC in assists (125), assists per game (4.5), and assist/turnover ratio (1.60), while also ranking 36th, 35th, and 61st nationally in NCAA Division II in the respective categories. Schlabs has officially moved into 3rd all-time in single season assists with 117, passing Tracy Winjum, Lindsey Buthe, Steph Kelly, Rhea Miller, and Amanda Schelle, Alexis Krull, Schelle again, and Tina Heinbaugh. Schlabs is a one-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week winner (2-10-25). She is coming off a game where she had 15 points, five rebounds, and eight assists. She shot 7-12 from the field and 1-1 from three-point range. Schlabs was named Second Team All-RMAC Thursday morning. 
•    Morgan Hammerbeck is another player to keep an eye on. She is averaging 11.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 2.2 assists. She is shooting the ball 40.4 percent from the field, 32.9 percent on 3-pointers, and 76.9 percent of free throws. She currently ranks sixth in the RMAC in total 3-pointers made (52) and seventh in 3-pointers per game (1.86). Hammerbeck has one double-double this season coming against South Dakota Mines (18 points, 12 rebounds), and is coming off her second great shooting night in a row. She had 16 points, four rebounds, and five assists, while shooting 6-11 from the field and 3-8 from deep. She was named Second Team All-RMAC Thursday morning. 
•    Yellow Jacket alumna Rachel Erickson is in her first season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding BHSU to a 18-10 record thus far. She has earned her first RMAC tournament bid and first RMAC Tournament win as head coach. She is 1-0 in postseason play in her career.

COLORADO MESA STORYLINES
•    Colorado Mesa is entering this game versus BHSU as the #1 team in the RMAC and ranked #21 in the WBCA Coaches Poll. Mesa has won 17 straight games and 18 straight RMAC games this season dating back to December 14th. Mesa is coming off a dominating first round performance over eighth seeded New Mexico Highlands 72-46. Highlands was missing their Freshman of the Year Kapiolani Anitielu, which helped hold Highlands to 33.0 percent from the field and 25 percent from three-point range.
•    Colorado Mesa Head Coach Taylor Wagner is in the midst of his 13th season with Colorado Mesa. He currently sits at a 293-88 record. He has led Colorado Mesa to six NCAA tournament appearances ('13, '14, '15, '19, '20, '22), and four RMAC tournament championships in 2013, 2014, 2019 and 2020. He was just named the RMAC Coach of the Year this season. 
•    Colorado Mesa leads the RMAC in conference tournament appearances with 38. They are 32-23 overall in those appearances and are 9-9 in the conference semifinals. They have won five RMAC Championships ('02, '13, '14, '19, '20). Mesa is 3-4 in RMAC Tournament play since their last championship and has not made it to the conference championship since, losing twice in the Semifinals.
•    Colorado Mesa is one of the top teams in the country in eight separate categories almost all offensive. Mesa is the top team in the country in assist/turnover ratio (1.50), second in turnovers per game (11.4), fifth in free throw percentage (79.8), 11th in assists per game (17.0), 11th in fouls per game (13.3), 15th in scoring margin (15.1), 24th in winning percentage (85.7), and 27th in field goal percentage (44.0). 
•    During their 17-game win streak, Mesa is outscoring teams 1226-911, which is almost 19 points of separation per game. They have been averaging 72.1 points per game, while shooting 45.0 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from three. They have been absolutely destroying teams in the first half of games. Outscoring opponents by an average of 12.5 points in the first 20 minutes. They are averaging 36.5 points in the first half. 
•    The Mavericks are averaging 71.5 points per game, 37.8 rebounds, 17.0 assists, 6.0 steals, and 2.3 blocks, while shooting 44.0 percent from the field, 33.0 percent from three, and 79.8 percent from the free throw line. On the other hand, they are allowing 56.4 points, 31.2 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 5.7 steals, and 1.9 blocks, while opponents are shooting 38.2 percent from the field, 31.9 percent from three, and 65.8 percent from the charity stripe.  
•    Olivia Reed Thyne is the top player for the Mavericks. She is newly crowned RMAC Player of the Year and First Team All-RMAC. She leads the team and is fifth in the nation with 22. 3 points per game, she is also fourth in field goals (252), fourth in double-doubles (18), seventh in field goal percentage (58.2). On the defensive side, she is fourth in the country in defensive rebounds per game (8.2) and ninth in rebounds per game (11.3). She has made it to double-digit points in all but one game this year and has made it to 20 in 15 of them, including the seven of the last eight. She has also made it to ten rebounds in all but nine games this year, including eight of the last ten. Her high for points is 45 (Pittsburgh State) and her high for rebounds is 18 (Northwest Missouri State). She is coming off her 18th double-double of the season versus New Mexico Highlands, where she had 22 points, 17 rebounds, and four assists. She shot 10-14 from the field in that game and 2-2 from the line. 
•    Riley Hayes is the second leading scorer for the Colorado Mesa, averaging 12.7 points per game. She is the three point shooter for the Mavericks, ranking 16th in the country in three pointers per game (2.75), and 12th in three pointers (77), while being ninth in three-point attempts (228) and second in the conference in three-point percentage (33.8). Hayes had made a three in every game up to the second BHSU game, but did not hit one in that game, and has gone 5-26 since tipoff of the game versus us. She has scored less than 12 points in all of the last seven games and has scored in single digits in five of those. She is coming off a game where she had eight points, three rebounds, four assists, and three steals. She was named Second Team All-RMAC Thursday morning.
•    Kylie Kravig is the third player in double-figures for the Mavericks. She averages 10.9 points per game. She is the playmaker of the trio, Kravig is sixth in the nation in assists per game (6.1), sixth in total assists (172), and 21st in assist/turnover ratio (2.00). She has had four or more assists in 21 games this year, including eight of the last nine games. BHSU was able to contain the First Team All-RMAC selection in their last game holding her to six points and three assists, but she has had three straight double-digit games since then including a 12-point, eight-assist performance versus NMHU, where she shot 4-6 from the field and 4-5 from three-point range. 

SERIES HISTORY
•    Black Hills State is currently being destroyed in the series with a record of 8-16 in the matchup. The Yellow Jackets have lost the last three matchups and five of the last seven versus the Mavericks 
•    The Yellow Jackets got swept this season by Colorado Mesa but had the best performance of any team in their win streak against them in the most recent matchup. BHSU only lost 77-74 and put up 47.1 percent from the field and over 50 percent from three. BHSU's three-point percentage was the highest of any team Mesa has faced this year. Schlabs had a 20-point performance, while Weathersby had 17. Reed Thyne had 21 points in this matchup, but did not complete a double- double as BHSU held her to eight rebounds. 
•    Black Hills State is 0-3 versus the Mavericks in the RMAC Tournament, with the last loss coming in 2020, when CMU beat BHSU 66-44 in the opening round of a tournament the Mavericks would go onto win.