By: Con Marshall
The Chadron State College basketball teams will be striving to give their fans something to cheer about this weekend when they host their South Dakota rivals in the final home games of the season.
South Dakota Mines will visit on Friday night and Black Hills State will come calling Saturday night. Both double-headers will start at 5:30. The three seniors on the women’s team and five on the men’s team will be honored between Saturday night’s games.
In addition to the rivalry games and the Senior Night ceremonies, other promotions are in store for fans. On Friday, all CSC faculty and their families are admitted free, and allowed one free popcorn bucket for Faculty Appreciation Night. On Saturday, members of Chadron State football’s offensive and defensive lines will square off on the court in the third annual ‘Big Boy Basketball’ game. Chadron State Reserve Officer Training Corps members will be presented with scholarship funds both nights as well, during the men’s halftimes.
The last two weekends have not gone well for either Chadron State team. The slippage began when they played at Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines on Feb. 1 and 2.
Those teams defeated the CSC women 72-56 and 60-45, respectively, while the Black Hills men won 82-62 and Mines prevailed 80-59.
Both Chadron State quintets also came up short on the scoreboard while visiting Colorado School of Mines and Colorado-Colorado Springs last weekend.
The South Dakota teams also were on the road last weekend.
The Mines women defeated New Mexico Highlands 60-46 but lost to Colorado State-Pueblo 58-50 despite 27 points by the Lady Rockers’ only senior, Taylor Molstad. The Rapid City team is now 8-13 overall and 5-12 in the RMAC.
The South Dakota Mines men also split, falling to Highlands 95-82, but beating Pueblo 80-66. Redshirt freshman Mitchell Sueker, who poured in 32 points against the Eagles two weeks ago, is the team’s top scorer with a 14.1 average, followed by Allec Williams at 13 points a game and Logan Elers at 12.
Elers was the RMAC Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks after he collected 10 rebounds in each game last weekend. The 6-7 New Zealand native also scored 28 points in the two contests.
Coached by CSC graduate and former point guard Eric Glenn, the Hardrockers are 11-14 for the season and 8-9 in the conference.
The Black Hills State women lost at Pueblo 73-63 but overwhelmed Highlands 85-52 last weekend. Sophomore Morgan Ham paces the Spearfish team in scoring with a 14.4 average, followed by sisters Remi and Racquel Wientjes at 10.5 and 9.6 per game, respectively.
The Black Hills women are 13-8 overall and 9-8 and tied for eighth in the RMAC standings.
The Yellow Jackets men have suddenly been difficult to beat. After losing their first five games in January, they have won six in a row after stopping Pueblo 89-64 and edging Highland 66-65 on a three-pointer by Makalib McInnis with eight seconds remaining last Saturday night.
The winning skein has moved the Black Hills men into third place in the RMAC at 12-5. They are 13-8 overall.
The Jackets’ leader is often 6-7 Fraser Malcolm, who is averaging a team-high 17 points, but Dez Stoudamire fired in 27 points against the Eagles when the teams met in Spearfish two weeks ago. Both are seniors.
The Chadron State women are 4-19 overall and 3-14 in the conference. The men are 10-13 and 8-9.
The three Eagles women playing their last game at home are Mickenzie Brennan of Alliance, Nebraska, Rebecca Stevenson of Lacey, Washington, and Savannah Weidauer of Pleasant Grove, Utah.
The CSC men to be recognized are Diontae Champion of Pearl, Mississippi, Charles Gavin and Jaisean Jackson, both of Denver, Adoum Mbang of Cameroon and Jeremy Ruffin of Chicago.