RAPID CITY, S.D. --- The South Dakota Mines women's basketball team has played four games thus far and has played well for much of the games in the first three contests. Despite that, they have not come away with a victory.
They have one more test to come prior to beginning conference play on Monday as they head to Spearfish for a non-conference matchup with Black Hills State University at 5:00 p.m.
GAME INFORMATION
Black Hills State
Date/Time: Nov. 27 / 5:00 p.m. MT
Site: Spearfish, S.D.
Arena: Donald E. Young Center
Series Overall: Black Hills State leads 27-16 (since 2003).
Streak: Black Hills State Won 2
Series at Black Hills State: Black Hills State leads 15-7 (since 2003).
Streak at Black Hills State: Black Hills State Won 2
Last Meeting: Black Hills State won in Spearfish, 52-46 (1/24/2003).
Watch Live: RMAC Network | www.rmacnetwork.com/sdmines
HITTING THE GLASS
The Hardrockers crash the boards and that begins with Sydnee Durtsche and Naomi Hidalgo. Durtsche was the fourth-leading rebounder in the RMAC last season, while Hidalgo averaged about 5 in just 20 minutes per game. Those two have continued to do that with Durtsche averaging 6.5 to start the season and Hidalgo getting 5 in 14.8 minutes per game. They are joined by Savea Mansfield averaging 4.3 and Piper Bauer averaging 4 per game.
SHARPSHOOTER
Speaking of Bauer, she was one of the leading shooters in the RMAC and NCAA Division II last season and has picked up right where she left off, hitting 40.6% from distance to average 16.8 points per game.
SPREADING THE WEALTH
Emily Thomas has impressed as a true freshman thus far, averaging 3.3 assists per game and 3.8 rebounds per game.
EXPANDING THEIR GAMES
Earlier we mentioned Bauer and Durtsche but both have put in work to expand their games. Bauer was typically a threat just from the three-point arc and Durtsche was not a scoring threat, but now Durtsche is averaging 9 points per game and has added a three-pointer to her arsenal, hitting 3-7 so far this season. Bauer has also improved her mid-range offensive game, adding more layers to her scoring ability.
SCOUTING BLACK HILLS STATE
Black Hills State is coming off a great year that included a 23-8 overall record, including an RMAC mark of 17-5 that gave them a third-place finish in the RMAC. They were good enough to earn a bid to the NCAA Division II tournament and won in their first-round matchup vs. Regis.
They bring back a lot of the pieces that allowed them to have success. In all, 12 players return from that squad.
Despite losing a couple of their top player in Danica Kocer and Niki Van Wyk, the Yellow Jackets do bring back Ellie Moore as a 2022-23 All-RMAC Honorable Mention along with Kalla Bertram and Morgan Hammerbeck.
In their first three games, they were able to win two of them but fell in their most recent contest to Northern State.
Ellie Moore, Morgan Hammebeck, and Kalla Bertran are their three leading scorers, averaging 11.7, 11.3, and 7.7 points per game. Moore and Hammerbeck are also their leading rebounders at 6.7 and 6.3 per game.
LOOKING AHEAD
After Monday's contest, RMAC play begins next weekend for the Hardrockers as they take on UCCS and Regis on the road on Friday, Dec. 1, and Saturday, Dec. 2.
About South Dakota Mines
The South Dakota School of Mines & Technology is a member of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) and NCAA Division II offering 13 men's and women's varsity intercollegiate athletic programs. The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 members, as well as four associate members, located in the states of California, Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Utah.
