Yellowjackets sting Eagles, 77-61

The Chadron State women’s and men’s basketball team only had one game last weekend against Black Hills State on Saturday. Unfortunately, the Yellowjackets came and conquered by winning both games.

To start out the night, the women’s teams battled it out on the court. Chadron came out hot when Dallas Shaw, sophomore guard of Buffalo, Wyo., hit a three pointer 20 seconds into the game. Chadron then kept the lead until a good jump shot by Black Hill’s Bailey Kusser made the score 17-14 with 7:44 left to play.  Both teams were neck-and-neck the rest of the game, but Chelsey Biegler’s 28 points for BHS pulled them ahead for the 72-65 win.

Kattie Ranta, junior guard of Rapid City, S.D., led for Chadron with 19 points but had help from Shaw with 14 points and Kate Simonton, sophomore guard of Bakersfield, Calif., with 13. Shaw also led the team in rebounds with 10.

“For the most part we have a young and inexperienced team, the more situations we’re able to put ourselves in, like Saturday, the more growth and maturity you’ll see develop,” Head Coach Tim Connealy said.

Later that night in the men’s game, action started out the same as the women’s when David Downey, junior guard of Scottsbluff, hit a three pointer, one of the four that he would make later on. However, the Yellowjackets converted on a pair of turnovers with eight minutes to play, and ended the half 31-30.

Coming out in the second half, Black Hills went on a 17-5 scoring drive in the first six minutes of play. A huge factor for Black Hills was their 14 offensive rebounds and 22 second chance points that led them to the 77-61 win.

“We have to work on finishing more easy shots in the lane, and cut down on turnovers, we’re shooting ourselves in the foot with those,” Head Coach Brent Bargen said.

Both teams travel to play New Mexico Highlands at Las Vegas, N.M., on Friday and Western New Mexico at Silver City, N.M. on Saturday.