KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Date/Time/Location: Saturday, January 31 / 6 p.m. / Spearfish, S.D. / A2 Arena

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.

Linear TV: The Black Hills State University Athletics Department and Forum Communications reached an agreement in October of 2025 to make KNBN-2 and KSFL the television home for Yellow Jacket football, women's soccer, volleyball, men's basketball, women's basketball, and softball. Forum Communications is based out of Fargo, North Dakota, and houses affiliate stations across North Dakota, South Dakota, and Western Minnesota, as well as Winnipeg, Manitoba. Their programming includes over 200 live, local, and exclusive sporting events, including other entities such as North Dakota State University Athletics and the North Dakota High School State Tournaments. KNBN (NewsCenter1), the most recent addition to the Forum Communications footprint, reaches households in 14 counties of Western South Dakota, while KSFL (Sioux Falls Live) will reach the remaining major markets such as Sioux Falls, Pierre, and Aberdeen, in the state’s remaining 52 counties.

KDSJ Radio: Black Hills State men'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 enters Saturday’s game with a record of 16-3 (9-2 RMAC) after a 77-59 victory at Chadron State on Tuesday to secure the season sweep of the Eagles.
• Shooting 32-of-59 from the field for 54.2 percent against Colorado Mesa, the Yellow Jackets have shot 50.0 percent or better from the field in 12 of their 19 games in 2025-26, improving to 11-1 this season and 21-2 since the start of 2024-25. The loss to FLC marked a season-low in shooting percentage as BHSU went 23-of-53 (43.4%) from the field.
• After a slow start against Dickinson State in the 2025 finale, the Yellow Jackets went on to out-score DSU 55-35 in the second half. The game marked the fourth time this season that BHSU has out-scored an opponent by 20 or more points in the second half, averaging a +5.0 (44.4-39.4) scoring differential in the second half of contests.
• Also, against the Blue Hawks, Black Hills State went to work inside, scoring a season-best 48 points in the paint, a place they average 36.1 points per game from this season.
• Black Hills State matched a school record of 19 made 3-pointers last weekend against Colorado Mesa, sinking 50.0 percent of their 38 attempts. The 19 3-pointers matched the record of 19 made by the Yellow Jackets on March 1, 2022, against New Mexico Highlands in the RMAC Tournament Quarterfinals. The 50.0 percent shooting clip from distance against the Mavericks also matched a season-best, previously set in a 15-of-30 shooting performance from beyond the arc against UCCS in December. The Green & Gold have reached double figures from beyond the arc nine times this year, improving to 9-0 in those match-ups and 21-5 in those games since the start of the 2024-25 season.
• The win over CCU in December marked the second time in a two week span that the Yellow Jackets had three 20-point scorers in a single contest. Against the Cougars Cam Lowe scored a game-high 25 points, while Myles Johnson added a career-best 22, and Tristan Hurdle scored a season-best 20. Against South Dakota Mines in the RMAC opener the week prior, Jaeton Hackley scored a career-high 29 points, while Lowe added 23 points, and Wilie Patterson III added a season-high 20 points. The contest against SDM was the first time since a November 16, 2024, game against Augustana that multiple players scored 20 or more points in the same game and the first time since March 13, 2022, against West Texas A&M that three players scored 20 or more points in the same game.
• Black Hills State added their eighth 20-assist game of the season against Colorado Mesa, dishing out assists on 24 of 31 made field goals. The Yellow Jackets are 8-0 when they dish out 20 or more assists in a game this year and 21-2 since the start of 2012-13. The 27 assists against UMary earlier this year tied a NCAA Division II era program record that was set during a March 1, 2022, victory over New Mexico Highlands.
• BHSU has seen five players score in double figures in six of their 19 games in 2025-26. A year ago, it occurred just five times in 30 games, and they have improved to 10-1 in such games since the beginning of 2024-25.
• In the non-conference slate, BHSU improved to 13-1 in their last 14 games against the Lone Star Conference (LSC) with victories over Sul Ross State (86-54) and Texas A&M International (89-57). Meanwhile, they improved to 6-6 against the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) over the course of the last two years, and 10-11 since 2018-19, as they earned wins over Augustana (75-71), Minot State (72-65), UMary (85-74), and Northern State (77-70). The lone loss of the season came from the hands of NSIC foe (RV) MSU Moorhead (100-85) on the road.
• The win over Northern State on New Year’s Day marked the end of an 11-game losing streak in the series, defeating the Wolves for the first time since 1978 and for the first time in Aberdeen since 1968.
• Black Hills State snapped a 5-game losing streak in the East/West Challenge when they defeated Augustana on November 22.
• The Yellow Jackets began their season with a pair of 32-point wins as they notched an 86-54 win over Sul Ross State and an 89-57 victory over Texas A&M International. With the victories the Yellow Jackets recorded back-to-back wins of 30 or more points for the first time since their 2022-23 Final Four run when they defeated MSU Denver by 32 points (89-57) on February 4, 2023, and UCCS by 31 points (100-69) on February 10, 2023.
• The Yellow Jackets boast the 21st-best scoring margin in the nation, averaging a +13.4 scoring differential. They have recorded eight wins of 20 or more points, and two wins of 30 or more points. Seven of their 19 games have been decided by single digits, holding a record of 5-2 in those games.
• Black Hills State went 13-of-13 from the charity stripe in the season opener against Sul Ross State, the most made free throws in a game without a miss in the DII era for the Yellow Jackets. Against Fort Lewis a few weeks ago, the Yellow Jackets matched a season-high of 22 made shots from the free throw line, marking two occasions they have hit 20 or more this year.
• The Yellow Jackets entered the 2025-26 season off an 18-12 (13-7 RMAC) record in 2024-25 where they finished in a tie for third in the league standings, their seventh consecutive top-4 finish in the conference.
• BHSU joins only Colorado School of Mines and Colorado Mesa as the only three schools to win 13 or more conference games in each of the last four seasons.
• Dating back to last season the Green & Gold are 24-6 in their last 30 games overall, with a pair of those losses coming to a top-10 nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines squad.
• The Yellow Jackets return to A2 Arena looking to get back in the win column after their last appearance at home, a 78-76 loss to Fort Lewis, snapped an 11-game win streak in the building. The Yellow Jackets are 88-26 (77.2%) in the building since 2017-18.
• The Yellow Jackets entered the 2025-26 season as the preseason favorites in the RMAC and are now ranked No. 19 in the ninth regular season poll of the NABC Top-25 that was released on Tuesday. With all games occurring during the Ryan Thompson era, the Yellow Jackets are 50-13 all-time as a ranked team in the NABC Division II Coaches’ Poll.
• Through 11 games the Yellow Jackets are in sole possession of second place in the conference standings as they sit 9-2 and two games back of Fort Lewis who is 11-0 in the league. BHSU has scored 85 or more points in seven of their 11 conference games this season, averaging the third-best scoring average in the conference, 86.4 points per game in RMAC play.
• It marked the first time in the NCAA Division II era and the first time since 2002-03, the Yellow Jackets scored 90 or more points in four consecutive games against South Dakota Mines (104-76), Chadron State (90-67), UCCS (97-92), and Colorado Christian (96-76) back in December. The 2002-03 team scored 90 or more points in five straight contests, including a November 30, 2002, loss to Sioux Falls (105-108, OT), a December 6, 2002, win over Minot State (97-71), a December 7, 2002, win over Dickinson State (99-77), a December 13, 2002, win over Valley City State (111-107, 2OT), and a December 14, 2002, win over Mayville State (95-74).
• Black Hills State returns three all-conference players from a year ago, as Cam Lowe was named First Team All-RMAC and RMAC Freshman of the Year, while Jaeton Hackley and Tristan Hurdle were named Honorable Mention All-RMAC. All three of those student-athletes were named to the 2025-26 Preseason All-RMAC team.
• The Yellow Jackets return seven players who started a game last season, and they return ten players in total from last season.
• The Green & Gold brings back a wealth of talent as they return their leading scorer (Lowe) and four of their top-5 scorers, they return their leading rebounder (Lowe) and four of their top-5 rebounders, they return their leading assister (Hackley) and four of their top-5 assist leaders, they return their leader in steals (Hackley) and four of their top-5 steals leaders, and lastly they return four of their top-6 block leaders from last season.
• The Yellow Jackets currently rank second in NCAA Division II in effective field goal percentage (58.6%), ninth in field goal percentage (50.3%), tenth in both assists per game (18.2) and assist/turnover ratio (1.52), 15th in defensive rebounds per game (28.53), 16th in 3-pointers per game (10.2), 19th in free throw percentage (77.3%), 20th in 3-point percentage (38.3%), and 21st in scoring margin (+13.4)
• Through 19 games the reigning RMAC Freshman of the Year and the Bevo Francis Award Top-100 Watch List member, Lowe, averages 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. He enters Saturday’s game with 16 double digit scoring performances this season. He notched his 20th 20-point game of his career, shooting the ball 7-of-15 from the field, 2-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 5-of-5 from the charity stripe against Western Colorado last Saturday. A few nights earlier he scored a career-high 31 points on 12-of-15 shooting from the field and 7-of-10 shooting from 3-point range. He has connected on three or more 3-pointers nine times this year and in nine of the last 15 games. Nationally in NCAA Division II this season he currently ranks 20th in 3-point percentage (43.1%) and is 30th in 3-pointers per game (2.95). He connected on his 100th career 3-pointer against Regis and has since brought his career 3-point shooting up to 110-of-274 (40.1%). In the Yellow Jackets match-up with New Mexico Highlands he grabbed a season-best 11 rebounds, marking his first double-double of the year as he added 12 points. The match-up with NMHU was one of 13 games thus far with six or more boards. This year he is among the top players in NCAA Division II in free throw percentage, ranking 27th as he is shooting 51-of-57 from the charity stripe for an 89.5 percent clip, and he is also 42nd in defensive rebounds per game (6.11).
• With his sixth consecutive game in double figures and eighth of the season at the time, Hackley posted his second 20-point outing with 22 points to lead the way for the Yellow Jackets at Northern State on New Year’s Day. The other 20-point outing this year for the redshirt-junior guard came in the RMAC opener at South Dakota Mines, as he poured in a career-best 29 points on 11-of-12 shooting from the field, 4-of-4 from beyond the arc, and 3-of-4 from the charity stripe, while also dishing out five assists and grabbing three boards. In total he has reached double figures scoring in 12 games. He is currently averaging 12.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.0 steal per game this year. He recorded his second career double-double and first of the season with a 16-point and 10-assist outing against UCCS in December, while also adding five rebounds. He has dished out four or more assists in ten of the 19 games this year thus far, including tying his career-high of ten in the win over the Mountain Lions. He has also collected a pair of steals in four games, most recently doing so against Regis earlier this month. This year he currently ranks third in the RMAC and 56th nationally in assist/turnover ratio (2.27) and is fifth in assists per game (3.9.). He entered the 2025-26 season in the top-10 of both the BHSU career assists and steals per game lists.
• Myles Johnson, the December 1 RMAC Defensive Player of the Week following the Minot State and UMary contests, has reached double figures in six of the last seven games and 14 times in total this season, averaging 12.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. Against Colorado Christian in the last RMAC contest prior to the winter break, he scored a career-high 22 points on 9-of-13 shooting from the field, 2-of-2 shooting from beyond the arc, and 2-of-2 shooting at the charity stripe. Thus far in 2025-26 he is shooting 96-of-166 (57.8%) from the field, which currently leads the RMAC and ranks 30th in the nation in field goal percentage. Additionally, he is seventh in the league in steals per game and has collected multiple steals in nine games, including two straight entering Saturday’s game. He matched a career-high of five steals against MSU Moorhead in November. Against Fort Lewis, he matched a career-high of eight rebounds, one of eight games he has snagged five or more boards this year. He missed all of 2024-25 due to injury but averaged 4.7 points and 1.9 rebounds in 2023-24.
• Now sitting at 1,007, Hurdle eclipsed 1,000 career points in the Yellow Jackets last game at Chadron State on Tuesday. He remains one of the top sharpshooters from distance in all of NCAA Division II, ranking top-5 among active players with 224 career 3-pointers. After leading DII by knocking down 47.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc in 2024-25, through 18 games in his second season in Spearfish he is currently shooting at a 46.2 percent clip from 3-point range as he is 42-of-91 on the year. In his last outing of the 2025 calendar year against Colorado Christian, he scored a season-high 20 points, connecting on 6-of-8 shots from distance. He has scored in double figures on 12 occasions this year. On nine occasions this year he has hit three or more 3-pointers (16 career games as a Yellow Jacket with three or more 3-pointers). On the road at MSU Denver he knocked down his 100th career 3-pointer as a Yellow Jacket, having now connected on 112-of-238 (47.1%) from deep in a year and a half with the Yellow Jackets. Also, during the 2025-26 season, he reached 200 career 3-pointers across his stops at CSU Pueblo, Fort Lewis, and Black Hills State, as he sank his first triple of the day against UCCS on December 11. From beyond the arc in his five collegiate seasons, he is 224-of-538 (41.6%). During the 2025-26 season, the Preseason All-RMAC selection is currently averaging 10.1 points and 1.3 rebounds per game. He currently ranks seventh in the RMAC in both 3-pointers per game (2.33) and total 3-pointers made (42).
• Jack Haggett ended the 2025 calendar year with one of his best outings of his career, scoring a career-high 19 points on 8-of-12 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from the charity stripe against Dickinson State, while also adding five rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. Against the Blue Hawks he took over in the second half, going 7-of-9 from the field for 15 of his 19 points in less than 13 minutes of action in the final frame, securing his fifth double digit scoring performance of the year at the time. In the last week has now scored in double figures in two of the last three games, where he scored 14 against Colorado Mesa and 11 against Chadron State for now seven double figure games this season. He has made his presence known in the post with a strong start to his sophomore campaign, averaging 9.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, and 1.0 block per game this season. At Western Colorado last weekend, he grabbed a career-best nine rebounds and has secured five or more boards in 13 games this year. Against Chadron State in December, he recorded a career-best four steals as he poured in a then season-best 16 points. In back-to-back outings he dished out a career-best seven assists against UMary and then recorded another six against South Dakota Mines. He has recorded three or more assists in nine games and has posted a career-high three blocked shots twice in 2025-26. In the RMAC he currently ranks sixth in blocks per game (1.00).
• Newcomer Willie Patterson III averaged 9.5 points while adding 6.0 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game. He recorded his second double-double of the season against South Dakota Mines, as he scored a season-best 20 points and matched a season-high of 11 rebounds while shooting the ball 8-of-12 from the floor, 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 2-of-4 from the free throw line. Against UMary he dished out a season-best four assists, one of three games this year that he has recorded multiple assists in a game.
• Another transfer making a large impact in the rotation this year is Jackson Seale, arriving from Eastern Washington and averaging 7.4 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 blocked shot per game. He is shooting the ball 42.2 percent from the field, 32.5 percent from 3-point range, and 77.8 percent from the charity stripe in 2025-26. In his last outing on Tuesday against Chadron State, he poured in a career-best 16 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field and a career-best 4-of-6 shooting from beyond the arc. Also, against the Eagles, he grabbed a career-best seven rebounds. He has scored in double figures five times this season. On eight occasions this season he has stepped outside and made multiple shots from distance in a game. Against Minot State he dished out a career-best seven assists while sending back a career-best four blocked shots. He has dished out four or more assists in five games this season and has recorded multiple blocked shots five times. With a block in six consecutive games, he currently ranks sixth in the RMAC with 1.00 blocked shot per game. Additionally, in 12 games this year he has secured four or more rebounds.
• BJ Woodruff recorded nine or more points for the fifth time this season when he notched a season-high 14 points in the win over Colorado Mesa, knocking down 5-of-10 shots from the field and 4-of-8 shots from beyond the arc. He has connected on multiple shots from beyond the arc five times, including a season-high of four 3-pointsers against both Sul Ross State and Colorado Mesa. Against Dickinson State last month, he grabbed a season-high of four rebounds and posted a career-best two blocked shots to wrap up the 2025 calendar year. He has dished out a season-high four assists three times this year, including the teams last game at Chadron State on Tuesday. He has dished out three or more assists in three consecutive games entering Saturday. The sophomore guard enters the match-up averaging 5.5 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
• Blake Volmer received just his third career start and second of the season against Regis. The junior guard posted his first two career double digit scoring games in the 2025-26 season, first pouring in ten points on 3-of-3 shooting from the field, 2-of-2 shooting from distance, and 2-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe against Texas A&M International during the first weekend of the season. Then last month against UCCS he scored a career-high 13 points on 4-of-4 shooting from 3-point range and 1-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe. He has provided efficient shooting from the bench, knocking down 50.0 percent (23-46) of his shots from the field and 50.0 percent (15-30) of his shots from beyond the arc. On three occasions this season he has made multiple 3-pointers. In the Yellow Jackets New Year’s Day win over Northern State, he pulled down a career-best eight rebounds, marking one of five games this season he has grabbed five or more boards. He averages 3.7 points and 2.5 rebounds per game.
• Also, in the rotation in the post, Joel Speckman matched his season-high of 11 points earlier this month at Regis, shooting the ball 4-of-5 from the field and 3-of-3 from the charity stripe. Then two days later against MSU Denver, he grabbed a season-best six rebounds and matched a season-high of four assists. Earlier this year the junior scored 11 points at MSU Moorhead on 4-of-5 shooting from the floor and 1-of-2 shooting from the charity stripe. He averages 2.9 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. He is shooting the ball 19-of-30 (63.3%) from the field in 2025-26.
• Ryan Thompson is in his eighth season as the head coach at Black Hills State, guiding the Yellow Jackets to a record of 155-69 during his career. The win at Northern State on New Year’s Day secured his 150th career victory, making him just the second coach in program history to reach 150 in their Yellow Jacket career, joining all-time win’s leader Mike Olson (179).

• South Dakota Mines enters Saturday’s game trying to regain their footing in the RMAC as they have lost four of their last six following an 88-79 defeat to Chadron State on Thursday night. Now sitting at 9-10 (6-5 RMAC) on the season, the Hardrockers began the league schedule with a 4-1 mark, their best in RMAC play in program history.
• South Dakota Mines is 183-of-503 (36.4%) from 3-point range this season, averaging 9.6 3-pointers per game. They are currently third in the RMAC in 3-pointers per game and are fifth in 3-point percentage. On three occasions they have connected on 14 or more shots from distance, including a 16-of-39 (41.0%) performance against Augustana.
• Jason Lee a transfer from San Bernardino Valley, leads SDM in scoring (18.8), assists (5.6), and steals (1.9). He recorded a career-high 42 points against the Yellow Jackets in the first meeting between the teams, coming up three points shy of the school’s single game record as he was 13-of-27 from the field, 3-of-7 from 3-point range, and 13-of-16 from the charity stripe. He has two double-doubles this year with points and assists, dishing out 11 assists against Adams State and ten against Minot State. He currently ranks 13th in NCAA Division II in total assists (106) and is 14th in assists per game (5.6).
• The duo of Ryan Sweeney and Gavin Soukup are players to watch beyond the arc, as they each shoot better than 40.0 percent from deep. While averaging 13.8 points per game, Sweeney has made 21-of-46 attempts from deep for a 45.7 percent clip, while Soukup averages 11.8 points per game and is shooting 38-of-86 from beyond the arc for 44.2 percent. Sweeney’s best performance from distance was a 6-of-7 outing against Augustana as he scored 32 points in the contest, while Soukup was 7-of-8 from beyond the arc for 22 points against UMary.
• Gray Thompson is averaging 10.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 0.8 blocks per game this year as he has posted a ten of double digit performances scoring and six 10-rebound outings. He has posted a pair of double-doubles, with a 23-point and 10-rebound outing at MSU Moorhead and then a 17-point and 10-rebound outing against Adams State.
• Michael Iseman is in his first season as head coach at South Dakota Mines, guiding the Hardrockers to a record of 9-10 thus far in his tenure after arriving in Rapid City following a stint as an assistant coach at Missouri S&T.

SERIES HISTORY

• Since the 1999-2000 season, Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines have met on the hardwood 55 times, with the Yellow Jackets holding a narrow 30-25 edge in the series since then.
• The Yellow Jackets defeated the Hardrockers in Rapid City to begin RMAC play this season, 104-76, on December 2, 2025. The win saw three in the Green & Gold score 20 or more, as Hackley poured in a career-high 29 points, Lowe added 23 points, and Willie Patterson III scored 20.