SPEARFISH, S.D.- The Black Hills State Yellow Jackets (0-0) are starting their 2026-27 regular season this weekend as they are coming off a loss to Montana State in an exhibition game. The Yellow Jackets will head to down to the Lone Star State where they will play the other end of the home-and-home versus St. Edward's (0-0) in Austin on Friday and St. Mary's (3-1) in San Antonio on Saturday to kick off their season.
 
KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:
Date/Time/Location: St. Edward's: Friday, November 13 at 5 PM MT/6 PM CT in the Recreation and Athletics Center in Austin, Texas
St. Mary's: Saturday, November 14 at 3 PM MT/4 PM CT in the Bill Greehey Arena in San Antonio, Texas
Live Stream: FloSports (Pay-Per-View) - Links can be found above
Radio: Both games will be streamed on KDSJ-TV on YouTube. Link for that can be found above.
Tickets: Tickets can be found at the link above.
 
BLACK HILLS STATE STORYLINES:

• Black Hills State enters this season fresh off a fantastic year this past season where they went 18-11 (14-6 RMAC) and won an RMAC tournament game over Western Colorado before falling to Colorado Mesa to end the season. BHSU was able to get massive wins last year over Adams State, UCCS, and MSU Denver as they were able to have a major season.
• BHSU went 8-8 on the road last season with major wins over MSU Denver and Adams State on the road last season.
• Last season, the Yellow Jackets had one of the best rebounding seasons in program history as the Jackets averaged 43.7 rebounds per game and only allowed 31.1. They ranked fifth in the country in rebounds per game and fourth in rebound margin. They also ranked 18th in offensive rebounds per game. He also helped lead BHSU to the longest win streak in BHSU's D2 history when they won nine games in a row.
• The Yellow Jackets are featuring a pretty veteran-heavy team this year. BHSU is returning 69.3 percent of their minutes from last year and BHSU is also returning 70.3 percent of their starts with four of their six players who started over ten games are back for the Jackets.
• BHSU was projected to finish fourth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 155 points. They received one first place vote, two second place votes, and two third place votes. They were picked just behind UCCS and just ahead of Fort Lewis. The Yellow Jackets finished in a tie for fourth with Western Colorado last year.
• Reigning All-RMAC First Team Bradie Schlabs was the first Yellow Jacket to earn First Team All-RMAC since Danica Kocer and Niki Van Wyk in 2022-23. She was named Preseason All-RMAC. She is one of four starters returning this year. She averaged 10.2 points per game, which was second on team, 4.0 rebounds, and 5.5 assists last year. She was the first player in BHSU history to have 300 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in a season her freshman year. The sophomore has reached ten points in 16 of the 29 games this season including season-highs of 23 in the season opener versus St. Edward's and also in the win over Adams State. Schlabs ranked fourth in the RMAC in assists/turnover ratio (1.45), eighth in the country and first in the RMAC in total assists (159), and is sixth in the country and is leading the conference in assists per game (5.5). She has had two assists in every game this year and had four in 25 of 29. She also has two steals in 14 of the last 22 games including a career-high five versus CSU Pueblo. She had a career-high 11 assists in the win over CSU Pueblo, which tied the program record. Her 159 total assists ranked third in program history, her 5.5 assists per game ranked second in program history and her 288 career assists rank seventh in program history. She only 115 assists away from breaking the program assist record.
• Audrey Norville is the other top returner for BHSU and the only other starter besides Schlabs who started all 29 games last season. She averaged 5.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. She had a career-high 15 points versus Western Colorado and had three games with ten rebounds and a 12-point, 10 rebound double-double versus St. Mary's. She was one of the top defenders for the Yellow Jackets last year.
• Maureen Ulrich is another returner for BHSU this year. The 5'8" junior from Phoenix, Arizona started 14 of 29 games and averaged 19.5 minutes per game. She averaged 6.8 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game. Ulrich reached double-digits in nine games last year, including four of the last seven games of the season. She had a season-high 13 points versus Regis and a season-high 10 rebounds versus South Dakota Mines.
• Addison Branscum started eight games for BHSU last year in her eight games played and was leading the Yellow Jackets in scoring before going down. Branscum averaged 11.0 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. She reached double-digits in six of her eight games and had 19 points versus St. Mary's, 16 versus SD Mines and 14 versus Northern. She also had 10 rebounds versus SD Mines. She reached four rebounds in every game. She shot 45 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from three.
• Olivia Kieffer is the top transfer for BHSU. Kieffer is coming off a successful career at University of South Dakota, where she spent the first three years of her career. During her three years at USD, she played 92 games with two starts averaging 13.2 minutes per game. She shot 38 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from three, and 67.2 percent from the line, while averaging just under two rebounds per game, .7 assists per game, and 3.8 points per game. Her career high in points came in her sophomore season against Arizona State, where she had 16 points and went 4-7 from three. Against Northern Arizona, she had 15 points and went 5-6 from the field and 4-4 from three. During her college career, she appeared in five WNIT games with her best appearance coming in the third round versus Wyoming her freshman season, where she had six points on 2-for-4 from the field and 2-2 from three. She also had seven points versus UC Riverside in the first round that run.
• Head coach Kelly Kruger is entering his first season as full time head coach as he spent last year as the interim. Kruger currently sits with an 18-11 record at BHSU and has a 549-457 record overall as he spent 34 years before at Northwestern College, Southwestern Minnesota State, Adams State, Ashford, and Iowa Central Community College.

 
ST. EDWARD'S STORYLINES

• St. Edward's is coming into the year fresh off going 15-13 (9-11 LSC). They had a great end to the season winning each of their last three games and five of their first eight. After losing to BHSU in the season opener last year, they went and won six of their next seven including 3-1 versus RMAC opponents. They took two wins over St. Mary's down the stretch and beat Western New Mexico, Sul Ross State, and Texas A&M-International as well.
• They were 7-6 at home last season including beating CCU, WCU, SRSU, and WNMU to start 4-0 inside the Recreation and Athletics Center.
• The Hilltoppers averaged 62.4 points per game, 34.9 rebounds per game, 12.8 assists per game, 8.1 steals per game, and 3.9 blocks per game. They shot 39.6 percent from the field, 27.9 percent from three, and 74.7 percent from the stripe. Their opponents averaged 63.1 points per game, 35.1 rebounds per game, 11.5 assists per game, 10.3 steals per game, and 2.2 blocks per game. They shot 39.4 percent from the field, 30.1 percent from three, and 67.7 percent from the line
• The Hilltoppers were top 75 in the country last year in four stats. They were 47^th in blocks (3.9), 49^th in free throws made per game (14.36), 59^th in free throw percentage (74.7), and 73^rd in free throw attempts per game (19.21).
• St. Edward's had five predominant starters who made 133 of 140 starts for the Hilltoppers. Out of those five starters, only two returned from last season, so it will be a new team for SEU and will have a different look.
• The Hilltoppers were picked 10^th in the LSC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 384 points just behind UT Permian Basin and just ahead of Texas A&M-International. Last season, SEU finished in a tie for 10^th at 9-11.
• Suni Davis is the top returner for the Hilltoppers. Davis, a senior guard from Fort Worth, led SEU in scoring last year, averaging 13.1 points per game. She was named Third Team All-LSC. She shot 34.9 percent from the field and 29.3 percent from three. She also made 124 of 149 free throw line shots last year. Davis was ranked second in the conference in free throws (124), free throw percentage (83.2), and was ranked fourth in free throw attempts (149), she was also ranked 10^th in the LSC in points scored (366). She reached double-digits in 20 of 28 games last year and had a season high 27 versus South Dakota Mines, where she went 8-for-12 from the field, 3-for-6 from three, and 8-for-8 from the line. She was a one-time LSC Offensive Player of the Week on December 1 for her performances against Colorado Christian and Western Colorado, where she had 21 and 24 points on 11-of-24 from the field and 20-for-20 from the charity stripe.
• Ramsey Robledo is the only other girl returning that started a majority of games last year. Robledo, a senior guard from San Antonio, Texas, started all 28 games for SEU last season and averaged 6.2 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game and also had 50 total assists and 31 steals. Robledo only reached double-digits in three games last year, but had 11 points, nine rebounds, and four assists versus Sul Ross State, and also had 15 points and six rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting including 3-of-4 from deep against Cameron.
• Head Coach J.J. Riehl is entering her 15^th year as the head coach of St. Edward's, where she has a 191-199 record. She's had one 20-win season back in 2016-17 and has had ten wins in all but two years. She is coming off her first winning season since 2019-20, where she went 18-11.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• These two teams faced each other for the first time ever last year, where it was BHSU who got the 1-0 advantage as they took down the Hilltoppers 73-42 in the season opener of last season. Schlabs led the way with 23 points in that matchup, while Branscum had 13 points and four rebounds.

 
ST. MARY'S STORYLINES

• The Rattlers are 3-1 this year so far as they played in the Hoops in Hawaii Tip-Off Classic in Honolulu, where they defeated Chaminade by 15 and Hawaii Pacific by 7, but fell to #2 Colorado Mesa by 11. They then went home and played Concordia (Texas), where they won that game as well. Against Mesa, they lost the first quarter 21-7 and then won the rest of the way only losing 53-62.
• St. Mary's is coming off an impressive 16-11 season where they went 11-9 in LSC play and lost in the first round of the Lone Star Tournament to #6 West Texas A&M. They had a great start to the season and were receiving votes for a short time in the WBCA Coaches' Poll. STMU remained in the hunt for a postseason birth for most of the season as they were in the top ten of the region. However, they struggled to put two wins together towards the end and fell out of the running. They went 3-0 versus the RMAC last year including wins over BHSU, SDM, and WCU.
• They were 9-5 at home last year including wins over #RV Washburn, Oklahoma Baptist, and #7 Lubbock Christian. They are 1-0 this year with a win over Concordia.
• The Rattlers are averaging 58.8 points per game, 35.0 rebounds per game, 13.8 assists per game, 5.3 steals per game, and 2.0 blocks per game. They have shot 39.4 percent from the field, 31.5 percent from three, and 63.6 percent from the stripe. Their opponents averaged 50.0 points per game, 38.5 rebounds per game, 10.0 assists per game, 8.0 steals per game, and 1.3 blocks per game. They shot 31.6 percent from the field, 19.8 percent from three, and 72.5 percent from the line
• The Hilltoppers are top 40 in the country in five stats. They are 28^th in three-point attempts per game (27.8), 32^nd in three pointers per game (8.8), 33^rd in three-point percentage defense (19.8), 36^th in scoring defense (50.0), and 37^th in field goal percentage defense (31.6).
• St. Mary's also has a pretty new look as they only returned two of their five main starters from last season. They only return 61 of 135 starts last year.
• The Rattlers were picked seventh in the LSC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 540 points just behind Angelo State and just ahead of UT Dallas. Last year, St. Mary's finished seventh in the conference with an 11-9 conference record.
• Allie Garcia is the top returner for the Rattlers. Garcia is averaging 11.0 points per game this year after leading St. Mary's in scoring last season with 10.5 points per game. Garcia was named Third Team All-Conference last season. She had a great start to the season scoring 16 points in her opening game versus Chaminade and 19 points versus #2 Mesa, but has only scored nine points in her last two games and was shutout versus Hawaii Pacific. Garcia has been one of the better three point shooters in the country earlier this season as she is sixth in the nation in three pointers (8), and ninth in three point attempts (21).
• Kamryn Griffin is off to a hot start this year. The junior forward from Central Arkansas is averaging 14.3 points per game and 7.9 rebounds per game. Griffin is currently ranked second in the country in double-doubles (2), fifth in the country in field goals (25), fifth in rebounds (31), 10^th in points (57), and 16^th in field goal attempts (43). After only scoring eight points in her opening two games, she scored 29 versus Hawaii Pacific and 20 versus Concordia (Texas). She also had 13 rebounds versus HPU and 11 versus Concordia for two double-doubles.
• Raynne Malik is the top defender so far this season and is having a breakout start after earning All-LSC Honorable Mention and All-LSC Defensive Team last year. Malik was a two-time LSC Defensive Player of the Week last season and has started this year even more shutdown. Malik is leading the country in rebounds (36), and is eighth in blocks (5). She is averaging 7.3 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game. Her opening weekend, where she had 26 rebounds and four blocks earned her LSC Defensive Player of the Week. She then added ten more rebounds versus Concordia.
• Head Coach Valerie Huizar is entering her fifth year as head coach of the Rattlers and seventh overall as head coach. In her previous six year as head coach, she has an 85-88 record and a 44-67 record with St. Mary's. She had two 20-win seasons as LSU -Shreveport in her only two years there, before going D1 as an assistant for five years. She then took over the head coaching job at St. Mary's, where after two sub 10-win seasons, she produced her first winning season with STMU last year at 16-11.

 
SERIES HISTORY

• These two teams faced each other for the first time ever last year, where it was STMU who got the 1-0 advantage as they won the first weekend game last season 61-58, where they came back from a six point deficit in the fourth quarter to win as they went on a 4-0 run to end the game in last minute. Branscum had 19 points and six rebounds, while Norville had her first double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.