RAPID CITY, S.D. – Fresh off a win, the South Dakota Mines women's basketball is back at it on the road this week.
First up is a trip to Fort Lewis on Thursday evening, followed by a Saturday matinee at Adams State as the Hardrockers look to improve their standing in league play.
GAME INFORMATION
Fort Lewis
Date/Time: Jan. 16 / 5:30 p.m.
Site: Durango, Colo.
Arena: Whalen Gymnasium
Series Overall: Fort Lewis leads 6-5.
Streak: South Dakota Mines Won 1
Series at Fort Lewis: Fort Lewis leads 3-2.
Streak at Fort Lewis: South Dakota Mines Won 1
Watch Live: RMAC Network
Adams State
Date/Time: Jan. 18 / 1:00 p.m.
Site: Alamosa, Colo.
Arena: Plachy Hall Gym
Series Overall: South Dakota Mines leads 7-4.
Streak: Adams State Won 1
Series at Adams State: South Dakota Mines leads 3-2.
Streak at Adams State: Adams State Won 1
Watch Live: RMAC Network
CRASHING THE GLASS
South Dakota Mines crashes the offensive glass and does it at a high rate, averaging 11.8 offensive rebounds per game, second in the RMAC.
The Hardrockers also have a +.7 rebound margin per game, which is fifth in the conference.
DEFENDING THE PAINT
The Hardrockers average 2.9 blocks per game, ranking fifth in the league.
CHASING THE RECORD
Piper Bauer continues to get closer to the school's career three-point record. She now has 269, seven behind
Ryan Weiss' record.
MORNING GRACE DOES IT ALL
Morning Grace Spotted Bear continues to impress, sitting near the top of the RMAC leaderboard in several categories.
MG is sixth in blocks, averaging .92 per game. It has four double-doubles, which is the fifth most in the RMAC. MG is also fifth with 8.4 rebounds per game.
This past weekend, Morning Grace scored 19 points and 14 rebounds against MSU Denver and added 13 more points in the win over the Colorado School of Mines.
KADA EMERGING
Miquedah Taliman took some time to adjust to a new team with South Dakota Mines after spending the past two seasons at Mesa Community College, but she has emerged as one of the teams' top scoring threats in recent games. She has notched four double-digit games in her last six, including a team-leading 19 in the win over Colorado School of Mines.
SCOUTING FORT LEWIS
Fort Lewis has started the season 5-0 overall with a 2-4 RMAC record, matching the Hardrockers.
Fort Lewis has a strong bench, averaging 23.3 points per game, second in the RMAC.
The Skyhawks like to pressure opposing offenses and force turnovers, and they're good at it. They force 19.29 per game, the second-most in the RMAC.
Darla Hernandez is a force for them, averaging 8.1 rebounds per game and tallying five double-doubles thus far.
Hernandez is the lone double-digit scorer for the Skyhawks, averaging 10.2 points per game.
Denice Ryan is just a step behind in scoring, averaging 9.9 points per game.
SCOUTING ADAMS STATE
Adams State is just over .500, sitting at 8-7 overall and 3-3 in league play.
Adams State also plays a scrappy, physical style, trying to force turnovers, and they succeed. They lead the league with 25.13 forced turnovers per game and have a +9 turnover margin, which are both top 10 at the NCAA Division II level.
14.5 turnovers per game are steals, which also leads the league and is in the top 10 at the Division II level.
Kiiyani Anitielu is their leading offensive threat, averaging 14.8 points per game on 40.7% from the field.
Taejhuan Hill leads the team with 8.1 rebounds per game.
Unsurprisingly, Adams State has five women who average 1.93 or more steals per game, all in the top 10 in the RMAC, giving the team success.
LOOKING AHEAD
After the road trip, the Hardrockers return home for three straight at the King Center, taking on Western Colorado, Westminster, and Chadron State on Jan. 23, Jan. 25, and Jan. 28.
You can find the latest on South Dakota Mines women's basketball all year long on X and Instagram (@hardrockerwbb), and you can also follow on Facebook at Hardrocker Women's Basketball. The latest on South Dakota Mines athletics can be found by following us on X at @GoHardrockers, hardrockerathletics on Instagram, and Hardrocker Athletics on Facebook.
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.
