SPEARFISH, S.D. – The ground broke on the 172,000 square-foot Donald E. Young Center on September 22, 1988, and was dedicated September 30, 1990. Since then, the home of Black Hills State University men's and women's basketball and volleyball, have seen numerous milestone events, facilities updates, and even a name change to the gymnasium. In November of 2023, the arena was renamed to A2 Arena, honoring a pair of former Yellow Jacket women's basketball players in Alana Breske and Ashlee Beacom.
Among recent renovations to the facility, the venue saw an updated court design prior to the 2024-25 seasons, which saw the Yellow Jacket and honeycomb design changed to a two color tone court featuring spruce trees, the state tree of South Dakota, and the new BH logo at center court. The updated court, designed by the Black Hills State University Marketing & Communications staff, received a Gold Award in the 2024 Collegiate Advertising Awards (CAA) Program. Later in the 2024-25 year, the facility saw new Daktronics scoreboards and a videoboard installed, prior to the 2025 SDHSAA Class A Girl's Basketball Tournament. The state basketball tournament is among several high-profile events the facility has hosted, also including the 2022 RMAC Championships, the 2012 NCAA Transitional Tournament, the 2009 and 2011 DAC Championships, and the 1998 and 1999 SDIC Championships.
Entering their 500
th contest in the friendly confines of their home arena, the Yellow Jacket men's basketball team is 351-148 (70.3%) all-time in the venue. In 35 seasons they have recorded 28 winning seasons (including a stretch of nine straight currently), 20 times have won ten or more games, and in five of the last seven year's ranked top-25 nationally in attendance. The most recent home game against South Dakota Mines saw BHSU's largest attendance in the NCAA Division II era as 3,226 fans attended the west river rivalry, which also ranks eighth in DII this season.
YELLOW JACKET MEN'S BASKETBALL MILESTONE GAMES IN A2 ARENA
- Inaugural Game & First Win: Black Hills State 83, National American 57 (Nov. 20, 1990)
- 100th Game: Black Hills State 80, Rocky Mountain 63 (Dec. 6, 1997)
- 100th Win: Black Hills State 73, Huron 48 (Jan. 16, 1999)
- 200th Game: Black Hills State 68, Minot State 81 (Feb. 21, 2004)
- 200th Win: Black Hills State 100, Dakota State 82 (Feb. 22, 2009)
- 300th Game: Black Hills State 91, Minot State 74 (Feb. 27, 2011)
- 400th Game: Black Hills State 91, Dixie State 70 (Dec. 8, 2018)
- 300th Win: Black Hills State 91, Colorado Christian 63 (Feb. 14, 2021)
NOTABLE HEAD COACHES' WINS IN A2 ARENA
- Mike Olson's First Home Win: Black Hills State 83, National American 57 (Nov. 20, 1990)
- Mike Olson's 100th Career Win: Black Hills State 80, Sioux Falls 58 (Jan. 19, 1996)
- Mike Olson Ties BHSU School-Record with 105th Win: Black Hills State 123, Dakota State 95 (Feb. 10, 1996)
- Mike Olson's 100th Home Win: Black Hills State 73, Huron 48 (Jan. 16, 1999)
- Michael Krusynski's First Career & Home Win: Black Hills State 98, Carroll (Nov. 6, 1999)
- Paul Sather's First Career & Home Win: Black Hills State 65, Dakota Wesleyan 57 (Nov. 5, 2005)
- Bradd Schafer's First Career & Home Win: Black Hills State 65, Montana State-Northern 62 (Oct. 29, 2010)
- Jeff Trumbauer's First BHSU & Home Win: Black Hills State 72, South Dakota Mines 67 (Nov. 17, 2014)
- Ryan Thompson's Home Win: Black Hills State 88, Westminster 55 (Dec. 7, 2018)
- Ryan Thompson's 100th Career Win: Black Hills State 80, Westminster 69 (Feb. 28, 2023)
RECAPPING THE BIGGEST GAMES IN A2 ARENA HISTORY
Black Hills State 83, National American 57
November 20, 1990
Inaugural Men's Basketball Game in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
Recap Courtesy Rapid City Journal
SPEARFISH, S.D. – Joe Divis scored 17 points and Vic Malbrough added 15 as Black Hills State cruised to an 83-57 win over National College in men's college basketball Tuesday night.
The Yellow Jackets (2-1) jumped out to a 26-9 lead in the first half and stretched the lead to 49-26 at the half.
The Yellow Jackets were hot from the field, netting 54 percent of their shots. The Mavericks connected on only 38 percent of their shots.
Tyron Dillingham led National, 0-1, with 21 points.
Black Hills will travel to Montana Tech Saturday and host Chadron State at 8 p.m. Tuesday.
National College will compete in the Dakota Wesleyan Classic Friday.
Black Hills State 80, Rocky Mountain 63
December 6, 1997
100th Men's Basketball Game in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
Recap Courtesy Rapid City Journal via Newspapers.com
SPEARFISH, S.D. – After having its five-game winning streak snapped at Chadron State Tuesday, Black Hills State got back on the winning side of the ledger with an 80-63 win over Rocky Mountain College Saturday night at the Young Center.
Four players netted double-digit scoring for the Yellow Jackets. Brian Fennema pumped in 19 points, followed by Brant Miller with 15, Travis Traphagen with 12, and Brett Theeler had 11.
Brad Severen paced the Battling Bears' scoring with 12 points, Joe Peterson and Cory Goll tossed in 12 points a piece and Michael Simonton added 10.
Josh McNames, a junior guard from De Smet, established a new school single-game record with 15 assists.
Dave Hohenthal (82-83), and Chris Rozell (95-96) shared the previous record of 13 assists.
"It was a very workman like effort," said BHSU coach Mike Olson. "Hopefully it is an effort we can build on."
"Josh McNames was outstanding. He is a great passer and a great defender."
A slam dunk by Eli Meccage gave the Battling Bears a 14-13 lead late in the opening half. Black Hills answered with a 14-2 scoring run, highlighted by a trio of three-point goals by Theeler.
The Battling Bears lived up to their nickname closing within 37-35 at halftime.
Rocky Mountain enjoyed its largest lead of 46-41 early in the second half after Severen connected on the three-pointer.
Black Hills responded with 10 straight points, building a 51-46 advantage. Later, another 6-0 scoring outburst capped by Miller's slam dunk upped the lead to 69-44.
Coach Olson noted the Jackets had 22 lay ups in the second half. "We finally got a nice inside-outside mix," he said. "We wanted to establish Fennema and Miller on the inside and we did."
Black Hills dominated the rebounding battle 37-20 with reserves Brad Massman and Theeler grabbing 9 and 8 respectively.
"I think we learned a lesson Tuesday," said Olson. "Theeler and Massman gave us good performances off the glass."
Olson also praised the play of freshman reserve Mike Smith.
"I was real pleased with our second half effort. It was a solid performance in all phases. Our defensive pressure got a running game going."
The win marked BH's 82
nd victory in 100 home games.
Olson was asked why the home court success has continued throughout out the years in spite of new players. "I think it is an attitude. It is a tradition we have established," he said. "It really perpetuates itself. We enjoy playing at home. Our crowd gives us a lift. It is fun to play here."
A crowd of 1,855 cheered on the Yellow Jackets Saturday.
Rocky Mountain College, playing its seventh straight road game, dropped to 0-7. Four of the Battling Bear losses were to teams ranked in the top 20 in the NAIA Division 1 and 2 polls.
"Black Hills did a nice job in the second half," said RMC coach Jerry Matlock. "They did a good job of making the plays."
Black Hills State 73, Huron 48
January 16, 1999
100th Men's Basketball Win in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
Recap Courtesy Rapid City Journal via Newspapers.com
SPEARFISH, S.D. – Since the Young Center opened in the 1990-91 season, Black Hills State has enjoyed the home cooking of its home environment.
The Yellow Jackets notched their 100
th win on the Young Center hardwood, collecting a 73-48
win over Huron University Saturday before a loud and enthusiastic crowd of 3,108 people.
Black Hills' win, coupled with Dakota Wesleyan's loss to the University of Sioux Falls, left the Jackets in sole possession of the top rung in the SDIC standings.
"That was as complete a performance I recall us having since we built this program," said Black Hills coach Mike Olson.
"I thought we were very good in all phases of the game. I've been looking for that type of performance."
Brian Fennema led four Yellow Jackets players in double-digit point production with 19 points. Travis Traphagen contributed 18, Trent Traphagen 12, and Josh McNames 10.
Zach McCall was the lone Screaming Eagles double-figure scorer with 12 points.
For the second game in a row, Black Hills took the early lead and never trailed in the game.
Brad Massman tallied six early points in the paint as BHSU vaulted to a 14-3 early lead. Trent Traphagen's 3-pointer later increased the difference to 26-8. Black Hills led with a 35-21 half-time advantage.
Aaron Thomas' basket pulled the Screaming Eagles within 36-29 at the 15:38 mark of the second half.
Travis Traphagen scorched the net, draining four shots from beyond the 3-point arc, upping the BH lead to 51-34. Traphagen connected on five of six 3-point attempts in the game.
Black Hills canned a sizzling 82 percent of its 3-point shots in the second half. The Yellow Jackets converted 20 of 35 of their 3-point attempts in their two wins over the weekend.
"The defensive job Brian Fennema did on Aaron Thomas was big," said Olson.
Thomas, the SDIC Player of the Year last season, was limited to nine points by the stinger defense.
"We played good team defense and we rebounded very hard," said Olson. "The knockout punch was delivered from the perimeter midway through the second half."
Olson was asked his thoughts on the Jacket's 100 wins on the home court.
"Who would have ever thought that we could build a program like that," he responded. "It's a pleasant by-product of a lot of work from a lot of people."
Olson credited the half-time performance of Bruce Crevier and "playing a great opponent" as reasons for the large supportive crowd.
Huron, 2-2 in the league and 11-7 overall, hosts the University of Sioux Falls Thursday. BH, 16-2 overall and 4-0 in the conference, faces its toughest road challenge of the season visiting Dakota Wesleyan and Mount Marty.
Black Hills State 100, Dakota State 82
February 22, 2009
200th Men's Basketball Win in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
Recap Courtesy Rapid City Journal via Newspapers.com
SPEARFISH, S.D. – It was a record-setting day for the Black Hills State University men's basketball team on Sunday afternoon.
The Yellow Jackets, the regular season Dakota Athletic Conference champion, downed Dakota State, 100-82, in the first round of the conference tournament at the Young Center.
The win improved NAIA Division II fifth-ranked BHSU to 25-4 on the season. The 25 victories mark the most wins in a single season in the program's history.
"It's a great thing for our players," said Black Hills State head coach Paul Sather. "These guys deserve that recognition. There's been a lot of good teams here at Black Hills. We believe this is a team that can accomplish some things."
Eleven players reached the scoring column in the win. Cain Atkinson poured in 23 points to lead the Jackets, while reserve Travis Haney notched 15. Will John Johnson canned 13 points and pulled down 14 rebounds and Clay Pottorff added 12 points for Black Hills.
Jason DeZeeuw and Derek Kreutzfeldt each tallied 16 points to lead Dakota State.
Atkinson sank five treys in the opening six minute, presenting the Jackets with a 25-8 advantage. BHSU converted 10-of-15 trifectas in the first half to build a 54-45 halftime lead.
"I felt offensively we were pretty well focused," said Sather. "Shooting the ball well heals a lot of mistakes. We shared the ball pretty well."
Spencer Childress and Will John Johnson dished off five assists each. Childress is one of the national leaders in assists-to-turnover ratio at 4 to 1 per game.
"Spencer is huge key for us in everything we can do," said Sather.
Black Hills State hit the century mark on a two-pointer by Matt Tasset in the closing minute.
With Sunday's win, the Jackets will host arch-rival South Dakota Mines at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The winner of Wednesday's game will advance to the conference championship game on March 1. The DAC champion secures an automatic berth into the national tournament at Point Lookout, Mo., on March 11-17.
Black Hills State 93, Minot State 77
March 2, 2009
Black Hills State Wins First-Ever DAC Tournament Title in Midst of School-Record 30-Win Season
Recap Courtesy Rapid City Journal via Newspapers.com
SPEARFISH, S.D. – Finally, the Black Hills State men are kings of the Dakota Athletic Conference.
Will John Johnson had a game-high 20 points and 16 rebounds, helping the fifth-ranked Yellow Jackets earnt eh program's first-ever Dakota Athletic Conference Tournament title, 93-77, over Minot State on Sunday at the Young Center.
"Will John is our heart and soul," said BHSU coach Paul Sather. "He battles for every rebound and lays it on the line every night."
The win earned the Yellow Jackets an automatic berth to the NAIA Division II National Tournament. It will be Black Hills State's first tournament appearance since 2003.
The Yellow Jackets also received solid production from Luke Enos, who chipped in 18 points, Clay Pottorff, who added 17, and Cain Atkinson, with 12.
"I am the luckiest man in the world to work with these guys every day," said Sather. "They play as a team and pull for each other."
Minot State was led by C.J. DeWitty's 15 points, while Aaron Patterson chipped in 14 and Ricky Martinez added 12.
Johnson's basket early in the second half handed BHSU the lead for good, helping the Yellow Jackets pull away from a 37-37 halftime tie. BHSU (27-4 overall) outscored the Beavers 28-11 to increase its lead to 65-48 in the second half. The hosts canned 60 percent of their shots in the second half.
Minot State battled back to within 74-65 with 5:55 left but the Jackets kept the Beavers at bay down the stretch.
"We had a key defensive breakdown, three or four turnovers and a free-throw violation," said Mint State head coach Mike Hultz of his team's chances of shaving the deficit even further.
The first half featured scoring runs by each squad. The Jackets built a 17-5 lead after Randy Herman drained a 3-pointer. The Beavers knotted the score at 35 on the trifecta by Martinez with 29 seconds left in the half. A steal and ensuing layup by Martinez gave MSU a 37-35 edge. However, a bucket by Enos sent the game into halftime tied at 37-37.
"Basketball is a game of runs," Hultz said. The (Jackets) had their run in the first half, and we answered. We were fortunate to be tied at halftime."
The Beavers connected on only 30 percent of their shot attempts in the initial 20 minutes.
"Our goal is to get better every day. It takes work to be a good team," Sather said. "Our players have done that this year. We're excited about continuing to play."
The pairings for the national tournament will be announced by the NAIA on Wednesday. The tournament is scheduled to be held at the College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Mo., from March 11 through March 17.
"This is everything I've been dreaming about since high school, to make it to the championship game of the conference tourney and to play at the national tourney," said BHSU senior Randy Herman.
Black Hills State 91, Minot State 74
February 27, 2011
300th Men's Basketball Game in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
SPEARFISH, S.D. - The Black Hills State University men's basketball team defeated Minot State 91-74 in the semifinal round of the Dakota Athletic Conference tournament.
"It's nice to be able to have five guys in double-figures," said head coach Bradd Schafer. "The defensive effort we had tonight was outstanding and being able to out rebound them by 14 says a lot about our hustle. It was a total team effort and I'm proud of our guys."
The Yellow Jackets had five players score double-digit points led by senior Cain Atkinson who finished the contest with 23 points. Seniors Luke Enos and Will John Johnson scored 18 points and 13 points, respectively. Senior Spencer Childress and sophomore Tanner Adler each scored 10 points.
Black Hills State shot the ball extremely well in the game. The Yellow Jackets shot 50% from the field and from behind the three-point arc. The Yellow Jackets pulled down 43 rebounds to Minot State's 29. Black Hills State also blocked six shots.
The Yellow Jackets will return to action Tuesday, March 1 as the team will face S.D. School of Mines at the Center in Spearfish. Tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT. Tickets are available in advance at the Young Center or at the gate.
Black Hills State 91, Dixie State 70 (BOX SCORE)
December 8, 2018
400th Men's Basketball Game in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
SPEARFISH, S.D. – Five players scored in double figures, as the Black Hills State University men's basketball team ran past Dixie State University, 91-70, on Saturday evening in the first ever meeting between the teams.
Makaleb McInnis led the Yellow Jackets (4-3, 3-0 RMAC) with 20 points, hitting three treys and going 9-for-10 from the charity stripe. Fraser Malcolm and Connor O'Hearn each recorded 16 points, both hitting four three-pointers, while Tyler Oliver had 13, and Stefan Desnica added 12 points. O'Hearn has now made four shots from beyond the arc, which is his career-high, in two consecutive games.
For the second night in a row, BHSU jumped out a big lead early. The Yellow Jackets went up, 11-2, just over two minutes into the game, forcing the Trailblazers (3-3, 1-2 RMAC) into an early timeout. Nine of those points came from McInnis shots from beyond the arc. The Green and Gold would not let up, leading by 22, 36-14, with 9:29 to play in the half. The home team would lead by as many as 25, and took a 22 point advantage, 52-30, into the locker room.
Dixie State never got closer than 14 points in the second half, and the Yellow Jackets won handily, 91-70, to move to 3-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. For the second consecutive game, BHSU made 15 three-pointers as a team, with six different players making at least one.
BHSU shot 50.0 percent from the field (26-for-52), while DSU was 43.3 percent from the floor (26-for-60). The Yellow Jackets were 15-for-34 (44.1 percent) from beyond the arc, while the Trailblazers were 4-for-16 (25.0 percent) on three-pointers. BHSU was 24-for-31 (77.4 percent) from the charity stripe, and Dixie State was 14-for-16 (87.5) from the free throw line. The Green and Gold were outrebounded by DSU, 36-29.
Julien Ducree led the Trailblazers with 16 points, while Matt Conway had 11, and Dub Price added 10.
The Green and Gold will next head on the road for the final two games of 2018. BHSU will play at Adams State on December 15, before taking on Fort Lewis December 16. Saturday's game is scheduled to tip off at 7:30 p.m., while Sunday is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Black Hills State 85, Western Colorado 80 (BOX SCORE)
December 3, 2021
Joel Scott Breaks BHSU Single-Game Scoring Record
SPEARFISH, S.D. - Black Hills State men's basketball defeated Western Colorado, 85-80 in a shootout that saw a record-breaking performance from Joel Scott.
Scott scored a school-record 50 points in the game, breaking the record previously held by Jeff Stevens who scored 46 in 1996.
Believe it or not, Scott wasn't the only 50+ scorer in the game, as WCU's Matthew Ragsdale scored 53 points of his own.
The Yellow Jackets (3-3, 1-0 RMAC) get out to a 1-0 record in conference play, shooting 55.2 percent from the field and winning the turnover battle 12 to six.
In addition to Scott's 50 points, he also recorded 12 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season.
Sindou Cisse scored 14 points on the night, while Sava Dukic and PJ Hayes each totaled four boards.
Both teams traded baskets to open the game before 3-pointers from Cisse and Ryder Kirsch gave the Yellow Jackets a 17-14 lead with under 14 to play. An Adam Moussa layup gave BHSU its largest lead of the half, 19-14, but WCU kept pace.
Back-and-forth play continued from there as the game went into halftime with the Yellow Jackets down 38-35.
Scott turned on the jets in the second half, scoring 11 points over the next five minutes of play to eventually give BHSU a 51-48 lead on a breakaway dunk. Scott would score 38 of his 50 points in the second period.
From there, the Yellow Jackets would hold a narrow advantage, only leading by as much as eight points following a 7-0 scoring run midway through the second. The Mountaineers worked their way back to tie the game at 68-all, but Scott's 24 points in the final 9:44 of the game and free throws from Cisse and Moussa would seal the victory.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets return to the court Saturday night to host Fort Lewis at 6 p.m. in the Young Center.
Black Hills State 91, Colorado Christian 63 (BOX SCORE)
February 14, 2021
300th Men's Basketball Win in Donald E. Young Center Gymnasium
SPEARFISH, S.D. - Black Hills State men's basketball put away Colorado Christian 91-63 Sunday night at the Donald E. Young Center.
BHSU (6-5, 6-5 RMAC) finished with 47 points off the bench on a night that saw 12 different Yellow Jackets score points.
Trey Whitley scored 21 to lead the team, making 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and 7-of-10 from the field.
Ryder Kirsch led the team with five rebounds to go along with eight points and a steal. Adam Moussa dished out seven assists and tallied three points.
Joel Scott scored 19, going 8-of-9 from the field and grabbed three boards.
Sindou Cisse grabbed three steals while making 7-of-8 from the field to total 15 points.
After going back and forth to open the game, back-to-back threes from Kirsch kicked off a 9-0 scoring run to put BHSU ahead 16-9 nearing the 14-minute mark. A Whitley 3-pointer followed by a Cisse layup would give the Yellow Jackets their first double-digit lead of the game at 29-18.
A steal and a dunk from Cisse would put BHSU up by as much as 17 points with 6:06 left in the first, pushing their lead to 39-22. The teams traded points the rest of the half, and Whitley's fourth 3-pointer of the game sent the Yellow Jackets into the half with a 49-36 advantage.
BHSU played add-on in the second half and wouldn't look back as they outscored the Cougars 9-2 out of the break, capped by a Moussa trey to move ahead 60-38. Later in the game, a
John Shanklin layup put the Yellow Jackets up by 30 and would go on to lead by as much as 32 (87-55) on a PJ Hayes 3-pointer at 4:51.
From there, BHSU emptied the bench and saw points from Taylor Edwards and Ryker Cisarik, while Michael Russell tallied three rebounds and two assists in the final minutes to seal the game.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets will play Chadron State on Tuesday, Feb. 16 at 7:30 p.m. at the Donald E. Young Center.
Black Hills State 69, Regis 66 (BOX SCORE)
March 5, 2022
Black Hills State Wins RMAC Tournament, Secures First-Ever NCAA Division II Tournament Berth
SPEARFISH, S.D. - Black Hills State men's basketball won a back-and-forth battle with Regis, 69-66 Saturday night to win its first ever RMAC Championship.
The Yellow Jackets (22-7, 20-4 RMAC) advance to their first ever NCAA Tournament in program history.
Joel Scott led the team with 29 points (8-of-11) and nine rebounds along with three steals and a block.
Sindou Cisse and PJ Hayes both scored in double figures with 12 points and 10 points, respectively.
Adam Moussa dished out five assists while grabbing six boards and scoring nine.
Regis got out to an early 18-12 lead after making 4-5 from deep to open the game. The Yellow Jackets used an 8-0 run from there to take their first lead of the game, 20-18 on a Moussa trey midway through the first half.
The Rangers would work their way back ahead, but BHSU used another quick spurt and a clutch three from Moussa to take the lead in the final seconds of the first and go into the locker room with a 36-35 advantage.
Both teams went back and forth out of the break, neither team separating themselves by more than four points midway as the Yellow Jackets led 47-44 with 10:59 remaining. Regis went on to score nine unanswered from there to take a 53-47 lead with under eight minutes to play.
BHSU wasn't done, though, climbing back with a Moussa three and Cisse layup to pull back within two, 62-60 with 4:44 to go in the game.
Two minutes later, Scott worked his way through the Regis defense for a big dunk and drew the foul for the 3-point play, giving the Yellow Jackets a 65-64 lead.
Leading 67-66 in the final seconds of play, Regis had the final possession, and the Yellow Jackets defense forced a turnover and a foul, bringing Scott to the free throw line with 2.1 seconds left.
Scott sank both free throws, clinching the game 69-66, and Black Hills State's first RMAC Tournament Championship.
All-Tournament Team
The RMAC announced their 2021-22 All-Tournament team following the championship game, to which four Yellow Jackets were named.
Joel Scott was named to the team and named MVP of the tournament, while Sindou Cisse, Adam Moussa and Ryker Cisarik were also named to the team.
2021-22 RMAC All-Tournament Team
Joel Scott (MVP) – BHSU
Sindou Cisse – BHSU
Adam Moussa – BHSU
Ryker Cisarik – BHSU
Brian Dawson – RU
Will Cranston-Lown – RU
Jon'il Fugett – UCCS
Blaise Threatt – CMU
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets earn an automatic bid to their first ever NCAA DII Tournament. Tune in to Sunday night's NCAA Tournament selection show at 8:30 p.m. on NCAA.com to find out when and where BHSU will play next.
Black Hills State 80, Westminster 69 (BOX SCORE)
February 28, 2023
Ryan Thompson's 100th Career Win
SPEARFISH, S.D. - Black Hills State men's basketball moved past 6-seeded Westminster, 80-69, Tuesday night to advance to the semifinal round of the RMAC Tournament.
The Yellow Jackets (25-4, 18-4 RMAC) shot 56.6 percent from the floor on the night, and 51.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Joel Scott finished with a game-high 23 points with nine rebounds, two steals and a block.
Ryker Cisarik scored 15, going 6-of-8 from the field and connecting on 3-of-4 from deep while also grabbing five boards.
Sindou Cisse led the team, dishing out eight assists and grabbing two steals while scoring seven.
PJ Hayes hit four threes to finish with 12 points and Ragsdale scored nine.
An early 5-0 spurt from the Yellow Jackets gave them a 7-5 lead two minutes in the game, but Westminster went ahead from there, taking an 11-7 lead.
A Ragsdale triple and a Cisarik dunk would put BHSU back on top 12-11 before both teams began trading buckets. As time ticked under the midway point, back-and-forth play continued and WC would hold a 22-16 lead with 7:53 left in the first.
Threes from Scott and Cisse evened things up at 26-all before another Scott trey put the Yellow Jackets back on top, 29-26, with under five to go before halftime.
A Ragsdale three, and layups from Hackley and Cisarik before the break, sent the men to the locker room with a 36-30 advantage.
Out of halftime, Westminster crept back to within three, 43-40, five minutes into the second half before three straight Cisarik threes gave BHSU its first 10-point lead, 54-44, with 12 minutes to go. Fisher made it four-straight threes for the Yellow Jackets on the following possession, pushing the lead to 57-44.
BHSU would lead by as many as 15 after a Cisarik layup made it 59-44 midway through the second. Threes from Scott and Hayes helped the Yellow Jackets hold onto their 15-point advantage as the game became 69-54 with 7:15 remaining.
Another Hayes trey at 5:46 gave BHSU its largest lead of the game, 72-56. A 10-2 Griffins run in the final minutes brought them back to within seven, 76-69, but the Yellow Jackets would make four from the charity stripe to seal the 80-69 win.
Notes
- Scott and Ragsdale have combined for 1,061 points so far this season, giving them the most combined points by a pair of NCAA teammates who were also high school teammates, surpassing 1,047 scored by Dick and Tom Van Arsdale at Indiana in the 1963-64 season.
- This win is the 100th of Head Coach Ryan Thompson's career making him the 4th head coach in program history to reach 100 victories.
- Thompson is the quickest in BHSU history to 100 wins, and with a coaching record of 100-39, his .719 winning percentage is the highest in school history among coaches who have managed at least 50 games.
Up Next
The Yellow Jackets advance to the semifinals of the RMAC Tournament for the third straight year, and will now head to Grand Junction, Colo. for the remainder of the tournament where they will now play No. 2 seed Fort Lewis on Friday, March 3.
The No. 20 Black Hills State University men's basketball team will play its 500
th game in program history in A2 Arena on Thursday, February 12, as they host Colorado School of Mines for a 7 p.m. tip-off. The game will stream live on both the RMAC Network and KDSJ Radio, while it will also air live on linear tv on KNBN-2 (Rapid City) and KSFL (Sioux Falls).
