CHADRON — Chelsey Biegler poured in 28 points and two teammates combined for 31 as Black Hills State defeated Chadron State 72-65 in a women’s Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference basketball game Saturday night.
Biegler, a 5-foot-10 sophomore, sank nine of 22 field goal attempts, including three 3-pointers, and made all seven of her free throws before fouling out with 4:33 to play. Black Hills led 60-54 at the time. Less than a minute later, Chadron State cut the difference to three points when Kattie Ranta hit a 12-foot jump shot.
However, the Yellow Jackets scored the next six points, five of them by Cassidy Kotelman, to get some breathing room. Kotelman initially scored on a scoop shot in the paint, then grabbed a rebound, made the putback and added the free throw when she was fouled on the shot.
Kotelman finished with 16 points and grabbed a team-high eight rebounds while playing what coach Mark Nore said was probably her best game of the season. Bailey Kusser added 15 points for the Yellow Jackets, now 4-9 overall and 3-6 in the RMAC.
Ranta led Chadron State with 19 points. Guards Dallas Shaw and Kate Simonton contributed 14 and 13 points, respectively. Shaw, who was four of seven from 3-point range, also grabbed a game-best10 rebounds.
Chadron State shot 42.3 percent from the field compared to Black Hills’ 34.3 percent, but the Yellow Jackets’ 17 offensive rebounds were 10 more than the Eagles collected of their glass and helped the visitors get 18 more field goal attempts.
CSC is now 2-11 overall and 2-7 in the conference.
Both teams will play at New Mexico Highlands and Western New Mexico this coming weekend.
Con Marshall, Information Services