SPEARFISH, S.D.- The Black Hills State Yellow Jackets (10-5 (7-1 RMAC)) have won a D2 era record nine straight games after taking down the Fort Lewis Skyhawks on Saturday night in a low-scoring defensive battle 59-52. This allowed them to remain in the top three of the RMAC and now BHSU will head on the road for their toughest test of the season in #9 Colorado Mesa Mavericks (18-1 (8-0 RMAC)). The Mavericks currently sit in the top ten in D2 with a 15-game winning streak. The winner takes the top spot in the RMAC and sits in control of their own destiny the rest of the way.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Date/Time/Location: Thursday, January 22 / 5:30 p.m. / Grand Junction, Colo. / Brownson Arena
Tickets: Tickets can be purchased online at the link above.
RMAC Network: Beginning in the 2025-26 season the RMAC Network will now move to Pay-Per-View. Fans can purchase a single game pass ($10), monthly ($25) or annual subscription ($130). Individuals with bhsu.edu or yellowjackets.bhsu.edu email address can still take advantage of the Peak Pricing Promotion by using the code Y26-RMACEDU.
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 10-5 and 7-1 in the RMAC and started their 2026 4-0 with wins over Regis, MSU Denver, New Mexico Highlands, and Fort Lewis. The Yellow Jackets were in a defensive battle with FLC with BHSU winning 59-52 in what has been their lowest scoring win of the year. Both teams shot less than 38 percent from the field during the game with BHSU barely edging out FLC with 37.5 percent from the field and FLC shooting 37.3 percent. The two teams also combined for 4-31 (.129) from three-point range, which was the first time since BHSU's opening D2 game that the two teams have combined for less than four threes on more than 30 attempts
• The nine game win streak is longest streak in Yellow Jacket's D2 history. It just past an eight-game win streak in 2017-18, when BHSU started the season 8-0 before losing to Colorado School of Mines. The Yellow Jackets sit in a tie for 12^th in the country in current win streaks.
• Through the first 15 games of the season BHSU is averaging 70.6 points, 44.8 rebounds, 15.4 assists, 9.7 steals, and 2.0 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 41.2 percent from the field, 28.4 percent from 3-point range, and 67.8 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 52.0 points, 29.7 rebounds, 8.4 assists, 7.2 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 35.9 percent from the field, 24.3 percent from 3-point range, and 69.5 percent from the free throw line.
• BHSU is ranked in the top 15 in the country in six different stats so far this year. They are second in rebound margin (15.1), fourth in scoring defense (52.0), sixth in rebounds per game (44.80), ninth in three point percentage defense (24.3), tenth in scoring margin (18.6), and 11th in offensive rebounds per game (16.6).
• 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 were picked to finish sixth in the conference in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 127 points and one third place vote. They are currently 7-1 in the RMAC and in a tie for second in the conference.
• The Yellow Jackets have now won the rebounding battle in each of their first 15 games to begin the season. It is the longest streak in BHSU's RMAC history that they've won the rebounding battle and the first time that they've won it in 15 straight to begin the season.
• The Yellow Jackets are averaging 16.6 offensive rebounds per game and for the first time in BHSU's RMAC history have won the offensive rebounding battle in all 15 games this season, which is the first time to begin a season and the longest streak in program's D2 history.
• The Yellow Jackets have six wins this year by 20 points or more. They only did so five times in all of the 2024-25 season.
• Against PUCPR, The Green and Gold set the record for most rebounds in a single game in BHSU's RMAC history (61), most offensive rebounds in a single game in BHSU's RMAC history (29), least fouls in a single game in BHSU's RMAC history (4), and it was the first time since 2019 that the Yellow Jackets scored 90 points in a game (91), and the most assists in a game since 2017 (26). The Yellow Jackets used all of this to set the biggest win margin of the season and the biggest since 2017 (58).
• They won three games in a row by 50 or more points, which is the first time in program history. They beat PUCPR by 58 and then beat UPR Mayaguez by 51. Just last night they beat Regis by 53 to keep the 50-point streak alive.
• They defeated the Chadron State Eagles by 49 in what is now the second largest RMAC margin of victory in program history. The Yellow Jackets held a 51-10 lead at halftime. This held the record for largest RMAC margin of victory for just over a month before the Yellow Jackets broke it with a  53-point win over the Regis Rangers.
• The Yellow Jackets shot 25-31 from the free throw line in the win versus UCCS. It was only the second time since 2021 that BHSU made 25 free throws in a game. It was also only the fourth time in the program's D2 era that they made 25 or more free throws in a game and shot over 80 percent from the line.
• On the other hand, the 38.9 percent from the charity stripe (7-18) that UCCS shot was the lowest free-throw percentage by an opponent who shot over 15 free throws in BHSU's D2 history.
• In the matchup versus Regis, the Yellow Jackets set the season record for steals in a game with 21. They outrebounded the Rangers 50-22 and outrebounded them offensively 20-2. They shot 47.2 percent from the field on 35-74 and held Regis to 31.0 percent from the field and .67 percent from the three-point line. The Yellow Jackets held opponents to 2-30 from three in their matchups versus Regis and UPR Mayaguez combined.
• Sawyer Stoebner is leading the team in scoring with 9.9 points per game and had three ten plus point outing in a row against CSC, UCCS, and CCU. She is also leading the team with 6.4 rebounds. Stoebner is second in the RMAC in offensive rebounds per game (3.3). She went out and put 15 points on the Cougars and shot 7-7 from the free throw line. This was just after she had her first 20-point game of her career versus Minnesota Crookston. She also had 14 rebounds during the East/West Challenge with a career-high eight versus Sioux Falls. Stoebner had 11 points, five rebounds, and six steals in the dominant win over the Eagles. Then turned it around and had 10 points and 5 rebounds versus the Mountain Lions. Finally, she finished 2025 RMAC play by scoring 11 points and grabbing eight rebounds against the Cougars. Stoebner has now reached ten points in three straight games and had her first double-double of her career against MSU Denver when she put up 11 points and 13 rebounds, which was a career high. She followed that performance with another near double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds against NMHU.
• 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 9.5 points per game, 3.9 rebounds and 4.9assists. After becoming the first player in BHSU history to have 300 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in a season last year, the sophomore has reached ten points in eight of the 15 games this season. Schlabs is now ranked fourth in the RMAC in assists/turnover ratio (1.51), 26th in the country and first in the RMAC in total assists (74), and is 16th in the country and is leading the conference in assists per game (4.9). She has had two assists in every game this year and has had four in 12 of 15. She also has two steals in eight of the last 11 games. She had a career-high nine assists in the win versus PUCPR and added seven more versus UPRM. In the matchup versus Regis, she had 11 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and three steals in one of her better all-around games of the season. In the win over Highlands, she had a team-high 14 points and then put up ten points in the win versus Fort Lewis.
• Taylin Serlen has made a massive impact as of late for the Yellow Jackets. The Regis transfer, after only playing a combined 40 minutes in the first six games of the season has averaged 22.1 minutes over the last eight games. She is averaging 8.5 points per game and is shooting a team-high 54.4 percent from the field on 49-90 shooting. She has entered the starting lineup and made her presence known. Against UCCS, she was tasked with guarding one of the RMAC's top scorers the entire game and held her to eight points. She also shot 6-8 from the free throw line in that game en route to eight points, four rebounds, and a block. Against CCU, she had her best RMAC game of her career on Saturday. She had an RMAC career-high 17 points on 7-12 (.583) from the field and 3-4 (.750) from the line, she also had five rebounds and a block. In the two games in Puerto Rico, she averaged 15 points per game reaching 16 versus PUCPR with 7 rebounds and then 14 versus UPR Mayaguez with four rebounds. Serlen went 12-17 (.705) from the field in the two games. She had 14 points and eight rebounds versus MSUD including eight points in the first quarter. Serlen led BHSU in scoring against FLC with 12 points to go along with four rebounds and two blocks.
• Brinlee McRae has been on a tear recently. She is averaging 7.8 points per game and 3.0 rebounds per game, but she averaged 17.0 points per game in Puerto Rico scoring 19 and 15 in the two games there, while coming back and scoring eight points with four assists against Regis. She has nine of her 20 assists in the last three games. She had the best game of her career against MSU Denver, where she dropped a career-high 27 points and six rebounds. She shot 11-17 (.647) from the field and 5-8 (.625) from three. It was the most points, field goals made, and threes made by any Yellow Jacket this season.
• Emily Cooper is in the midst of a breakout sophomore campaign, the Eau Claire, Wisconsin native is averaging 7.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists this year while shooting 37.4 percent from the field on 34-91 shooting. She is ranked 25th in the country and second in the RMAC in assists/turnover ratio (1.93). She is also ranked sixth in the RMAC in assists per game (3.5). Cooper had a great game earlier in the season where she had 14 points versus Sioux Falls. She shot 5-12 from the field and 3-10 from the three-point line. While also adding three rebounds and three assists. Cooper beat that with a career-night versus UCCS, where she had a career-high 19 points, with 12 of them coming in the fourth quarter. She shot 4-8 from the field, 4-8 from three, and 7-8 from the charity stripe including making three of four in the final 18 seconds. She had nine points, four rebounds, and three assists versus the Roadrunners and went 3-5 (.600) from three-point range.
• Alli Glasscock is making a massive impact as a freshman. She has only been averaging 15.7 minutes per game but has averaged 7.3 points and 4.5 rebounds. She is shooting 45.9 percent from the file don 34-74 shooting. She nearly had a double-double versus Northern State, where she had 12 points and nine rebounds which were both career-highs. Against CSC, she had eight points, six rebounds and four steals. Coming back to the lineup against Regis, she had 14 points, 5 rebounds, and three steals in 15 minutes of action. 12 of those 14 points came in the fourth quarter and she shot 6-10 (.600) from the field. She had eight points and six rebounds versus the Roadrunners. She had her third ten-point game of the season against the Cowgirls. She also had six rebounds, which was the sixth time in her last eight games that she has had at least five rebounds.
• Maureen Ulrich has started nine of 15 games this season and is starting to come on as of late this season. She is averaging 6.5 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 39-76 (.513) from the field. She has scored double digits four times this year including 12 in the win versus Chadron State and a season-high 13 points in the win versus Regis on January 8. She shot 6-8 (.750) from the field in the game. She had eight points and an RMAC-game high of eight rebounds versus Fort Lewis.
• 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. She is second on the team in rebounds with 5.8, while averaging 5.9 points per game. 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 nearly had her second career double-double with seven points and eight rebounds versus UCCS. She went 5-5 from the free throw line in that game. Norville has had five or more rebounds in nine of 14 games this year. She had six points to go along with the eight rebounds versus CCU and shot 2-2 from behind the arc. She had 17 combined points in P.R. and then had ten rebounds versus UPR Mayaguez. In the game against MSUD, she had a career-high six assists beating her previous career-high of two. She had six points and six rebounds versus NMHU. She then matched that with six points and seven rebounds versus the Skyhawks
• Head coach Kelly Kruger is in the midst of his first season as Interim Head Coach of the BHSU Yellow Jackets. He is 10-5 in his time with the Green and Gold. He is in his 35th season as a head coach, however, and has a record of 542-451 with programs across all levels of college basketball including Northwestern College, Southwest Minnesota State, Adams State, Ashford University, and Iowa Central Community College.

 
COLORADO MESA STORYLINES

• Colorado Mesa has turned in to one of the best teams in the country this year after finishing last year at #22 in the top 25. They have turned that into a campaign of 18-1 (8-0 RMAC) and a win streak that is now up to 15. This includes 12 wins by more than 25 or more and their only loss being to a West Texas A&M team that is now #6 in the country.
• Since their fifth game of the season, CMU has won 24 of 25 by more than ten points, with their only single digit win being a one-point win versus New Mexico Highlands. They even have a 40-point win over Adams State, who is tied for second in the RMAC at 7-1. Last weekend, they went 2-0 over versus Western Colorado and Westminster, where they won by a combined 42 points.
• Through the first 19 games of the season CMU is averaging 75.0 points, 42.6 rebounds, 17.1 assists, 9.4 steals, and 3.1 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 43.1 percent from the field, 30.2 percent from 3-point range, and 76.6 percent from the free throw line. Their opponents are averaging 52.3 points, 31.4 rebounds, 8.6 assists, 7.4 steals, and 2.4 blocks per game, while shooting the ball 33.1 percent from the field, 28.8 percent from 3-point range, and 70.7 percent from the free throw line.
• The Mavericks are top 10 in the country in six categories. They are fifth in field goal percentage defense (33.1), fifth in scoring margin (22.7), fifth in winning percentage (94.7), seventh in scoring defense (52.3), eighth in assist to turnover ratio (1.22), and ninth in rebound margin (11.2).
• Colorado Mesa was picked to finish first in the conference with 191 points with nine first place votes and five second place votes. They now sit in solo first in the RMAC being the only team to be undefeated in conference play right now at 8-0
• Their star player is arguably the best player in division two in Olivia Reed Thyne. Reed Thyne is a back-to-back RMAC Player of the Year, a three-time All-RMAC First Team selection, RMAC Freshman of the Year, a two-time All-Academic Player of the Year and was an All-American last year. She is on her way to having her best season this year where she is averaging 19.8 points per game and 10.8 rebounds per game. She is already a four-time RMAC Defensive Player of the Week winner this year and a one-time RMAC Offensive Player of the Week. She ranks second in the country in total rebounds (206), fifth in total field goals (147), sixth in total points (376), ninth in field goal percentage (59.5), ninth in double-doubles (9), 13^th in rebounds per game (10.8), 15^th in points per game (19.8), and 20^th in offensive rebounds per game (3.9). She has reached double-digit rebounds in ten of the 19 games this year including 20 versus Saint Martin's. She has reached 15 points or more 14 times this year, 20 points nine times, and 30 points twice including 37 versus Seattle Pacific. This weekend versus Western and Westminster, she combined for 47 points averaging 23.5 and had 27 rebounds averaging 13.5 per game. This included a 24 point, 19 rebound double-double versus Westminster. She also shot 19-33 (.576) from the field.
• Mason Rowland is the other head of the one-two punch for the Mavericks. She is averaging 17.0 points per game, 6.1 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists per game. She was named RMAC Freshman of the Year in 2023-24 and then suffered a season-ending injury early last season after earning a weekly award in the first week of the season. She was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week once this season as well. Rowland is leading the RMAC in field goal attempts (261), is second in points (323), and then is the top three point shooter in the conference. She is first in three pointers (41), second in three attempts (114), third in three-point percentage (36.0), and is fifth in three pointers per game (2.16). She also is second in assists (67). She has reached ten points in all but one game this season and has reached 20 five times including a 26-point outing versus UCCS. She has four double-doubles and has hit at least one three in every game since the season opener. This past weekend, she averaged 20.5 points per game, and had a great all-around game versus the Griffins with 18 points, seven rebounds, and six assists after putting up 23 versus the Mountaineers.
• Senior Mykaela Moore has been the last top option for Mesa. She is averaging 9.4 points per game, 4.6 rebounds per game, and 3.5 assists per game. She is leading the conference in assist/turnover ratio (2.13) and is third in total assists (66). She started off slow only scoring double-figures twice in the first 11 games, but has reached that number five times in the last eight including a season-high 21 versus Adams State and Colorado School of Mines. She's had an assist in every game this year and has one double-double against CSM, where she went 21 points and 10 rebounds. She had a quiet weekend last weekend only putting up 11 combined points, 13 combined rebounds, and five combined assists.
• Taylor Wagner is in his 14^th season with Colorado Mesa and is in a historic career. The head coach has a 312-91 record with a .774 winning percentage. He has six RMAC Coach of the Year awards including each of the last two seasons and has led his Mavericks to eight NCAA Tournaments including three of the last four years. He has won or shared seven RMAC regular season titles and has four RMAC championships.

SERIES HISTORY

• The Yellow Jackets have a rough 8-17 record for CMU and have lost each of the last four matchups versus the Mavericks. Their last win was in Spearfish during the 22-23 season.
• BHSU faced Colorado Mesa three times last year and lost all three including a heartbreaking three-point loss to them in Grand Junction. The Mavericks also knocked BHSU out of the RMAC tournament last year beating the Green and Gold by 15 at home, which ended BHSU's season.  
• In each of the three games, Schlabs was BHSU's leading scorer. She averaged 16 points per game versus Mesa last year and reached double-digits in all three matchups including 20 in the close loss in Grand Junction.
• Head Coach Kelly Kruger was 7-9 versus Mesa during his time at Adams State and lost the last four matchups to them.