Eagles prepare for South Dakota rivals
Chadron State College dropped both of its games over the weekend by six points, losing 63-57 against Colorado Mines, Friday, and 70-64 against University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, Saturday, in the Chicoine Center.
The losses drop the Eagles women’s basketball team to 3-14 in the conference and sits on a five-game losing streak.
The Eagles travel to Rapid City, South Dakota, Friday, playing 10-7 South Dakota Mines Hardrockers, and Spearfish, South Dakota, Saturday, playing 11-6 Black Hills State University Yellow Jackets. In the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, Mines and Black Hills’ offenses rank second and third in scoring respectively. CSC’s 72.8 points allowed-per-game ranks 15th in the RMAC.
“I think this weekend will be a good opportunity for us.” Jordan Morris, freshman of Apple Valley, Minnesota, said. “Our team has grown a lot this season and we’ve been working hard and preparing for this weekend. I am going into this weekend ready for a fight against Black Hills and Mines.”
Mines’ Ryan Weiss, sophomore of Ames, Iowa, leads the RMAC with 73 3-pointers, shooting 47 percent from the arc and leads the Hardrockers with 105 field goals. Complimenting Weiss, Anna Haugen, senior of Fort Collins, Colorado, ranks second in the conference 9.7 rebounds-per-game. The Hardrockers are riding a seven-game win streak.
The Yellow Jackets are coming off a 98- 78 win over CSU-Pueblo last weekend, marking a conference-best for points scored in a single game. Black Hills’ 3.32 positive turnover margin ranks second best in the conference. Racquel Wientjes, Junior of Onida, South Dakota, averages 17 points-per-game which ranks second in the conference.
CSC’s offense averages 60 points-per-game while Taryn Foxen, junior of Aurora, Colorado, ranks second in the RMAC with 404 points this season.
Against UCCS, the Eagles outscored the Mountain Lions 35-27 in the second half, but it wasn’t enough to overcome early-game woes. In the first quarter, the Mountain Lions outscored CSC 22-5 as the Eagles shot two of 11 from the field and missed all six of their 3-point attempts. CSC shot six of 10 from the arc in the second quarter and saw Foxen lead with 20 points and four steals in the game.
Entering halftime trailing by eight against Colorado Mines, CSC scored seven points in the third quarter. CSC outscored its opposition 39-28 in the first and fourth quarters, but saw Mines shoot 46 percent from the field and 62 percent from the arc in the second quarter. The Orediggers scored 23 points off 14 Eagle turnovers and shot 35 percent from the field. Denali Pinto, sophomore of Boulder, Colorado, led the Orediggers with 31 points and three steals.
CSC’s Morris posted a season-high 15 points and added nine total rebounds.
“We played great as a team against Colorado Mines. My teammates worked the ball around, and they were able to find me inside the paint and I finished around the rim. It was a great team effort and I couldn’t have done it on my own.” Morris said.