CHADRON, Neb. – Allison Richards scored a game-high 16 points, Megan Counts logged her first career double-double and the Chadron State women's basketball team earned a statement win over rival Black Hills State by a 60-50 margin Thursday evening at the Chicoine Center.

The win snaps a 13-game losing streak for the women's program against the Yellow Jackets, as CSC's last win over the Spearfish school prior to Thursday was back on February 24, 2017. 

Chadron State improved its record to 4-14 overall and 3-9 in the RMAC. Black Hills State dropped to 11-7 overall and 7-4 in the RMAC. The Yellow Jackets began 6-0 in conference play but have lost three straight and four of their last five.

Richards, who scored the second-most points in her Chadron State career Thursday, shot 6-for-8 from the field and a perfect 4-for-4 from three-point range in 29 minutes off the bench. Counts added an 11-point, 10-rebound double-double for the Eagles, setting a career-high in rebounds in the process. 

Chadron State's offense was the story in the first quarter, with the Eagles coming out of the gate hot and shooting 72 percent (8-11) in the opening period featuring a three from Kyra Tanabe and two threes from Richards to lead 21-12 after 10 minutes. 

The Eagle defense dominated the second quarter, holding the Yellow Jackets without a field goal as the visitors were 0-14 from the field and scored five points in the second frame, all from the free throw line. Chadron State led 27-17 at halftime. 

Chadron State withstood a BHSU run in the third period. A 10-0 Yellow Jackets run turned a 12-point Eagle lead into a one-basket lead at 33-31, and Black Hills took the lead for the first time in the second half with a Morgan Hammerbeck three that made it 38-36, BHSU. 

The Eagles held their nerve, with Richards answering immediately with a three at the other end to put Chadron State back up by one when the third quarter ended. After the Yellow Jackets scored a three-point play to open the fourth quarter, Counts answered with a three-ball to hand the lead right back to CSC. 

Counts took over, scoring six of eight CSC points as the home team built a 52-46 lead. The Yellow Jackets hung tough, with free throws keeping it a four-point game at 54-50 with 1:38 left, but the Eagles iced it at the line and Black Hills didn't score again.

In a statistical quirk, three of the four quarters featured one team outscoring the other 21-12, with the Eagles having the advantage in the first and fourth quarters and Black Hills outscoring CSC by that margin in the third.

Chadron State shot 35.8 percent from the field, 41.2 percent from three and 78.9 percent from the line. The Eagles held Black Hills to a season-low 24.1 percent from the field and 17.6 percent from deep. 

The two teams were tied in points in the paint with 20 apiece, but the Eagles outscored BHSU 33-0 in bench points, led by 16 from Richards and nine from Tanabe. Behind Counts' 10 boards, Bati Assefa and Kylie Krise grabbed six apiece for CSC. 

The Eagles are off the rest of the week and are home again next week, facing Colorado Christian on Thursday, February 6 and CSU Pueblo on Saturday, February 8.

Chadron State— Allison Richards 16, Megan Counts 11, Kyra Tanabe 9, Kylie Krise 6, Ashayla Powers 6, Camren Morris 5, Bati Assefa 3, Olivia Waufle 2, Kadyn Comer 2. Totals: 19-53 FG, 7-17 3PT, 15-19 FT. 60 points, 43 rebounds, 8 assists, 13 turnovers.

Black Hills State— Haylee Weathersby 14, Bradie Schlabs 12, Morgan Hammerbeck 11, Kalla Bertram 7, Gracie Haneborg 6. Totals: 14-58 FG, 3-17 3PT, 19-23 FT. 50 points, 37 rebounds, 8 assists, 12 turnovers.

Ballard's Career High Leads Eagles Past BHSU

CHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State College men's basketball team rebounded from a Tuesday setback with authority on Thursday night, defeating Black Hills State 90-77 in a crucial Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference game in the Chicoine Center in Chadron, led by senior Trey Ballard's career-high 22 points.

Trailing by two at halftime, the Eagles took off in the second half. They made 16 of 26 field goal shots, seven of them 3-pointers, to shoot 61.5 percent in the second half and outscore the Yellow Jackets 51-36 in the final 20 minutes.
     
The Eagles are now 10-10 overall and 6-6 in the RMAC and defeated Black Hills State for the third consecutive time in the Chicoine Center. Black Hills State is now 10-9 overall and 6-5 in the RMAC.   

For the game, Chadron State shot 51.8 percent from the field and were an even 50 percent from deep, hitting 12 of 24. The Eagles made 20 of 26 free throw attempts to shoot 76.9 percent there. 
    
To reach his career high, Ballard made 8 of his 10 shots from the field and sunk one three-pointer and all five of his free throws, but the senior guard was just one of five Eagles in double figures.   

The team's two leading scorers for the season, Jalen Thomas and Zy Wright, each had 14 points, while Jaylen Davis came off the bench to add 12, his season-high. In addition, veterans Julio Phipps and Dalton Peterson each sank 3 of 4 shots from behind the arc and finished with 11 and nine points, respectively. Thomas also had seven rebounds and seven assists to lead the Eagles in those categories. 

Both Wright and Peterson nailed three-pointers to put the Eagles ahead 6-4 early, but Black Hills State led the remainder of the opening half. The Yellow Jackets built a pair of eight-point leads before the Eagles scored 10 points in the final 2:40 of the half to trail by just 41-39 at intermission.

The Eagles scored the first five points of the second half on a jumper by Wright and a three by Darrius Miles, and they led the rest of the way. After a jumper and two free throws by Ballard gave the home team a 75-63 lead with 7:32 remaining, the difference was in double-digits the rest of the game.

BJ Woodruff, a 6-foot-1 freshman, was Black Hills' leading scorer with 15 points. Both Jaeton Hackley and Caelin Hearne added 13 and Joel Speckman had 10. The visitors were 44.6 percent from the field, including 10 of 32 on three-point attempts.  
 
The Eagles will have the rest of this week off, but will be back home again next week to meet Colorado Christian on Thursday, Feb. 6 and Colorado State-Pueblo on Saturday, Feb. 8.  

Chadron State—Trey Ballard 22, Zy Wright 14, Jalen Thomas 14, Jaylen Davis 12, Julio Phipps 11, Dalton Peterson 9, Darrius Miles 5, Zach Smith 3. Totals: 29-56 FG (12-24 3PT) 20-26 FT. 90 points, 38 rebounds, 12 assists, 9 turnovers.   

Black Hills State—BJ Woodruff 15, Jaeton Hackley 13, Caelin Hearne 13, Joel Speckman 10, Cam Lowe 9, Tristan Hurdle 9, Jack Haggett 6, John Shanklin 2. Totals: 29-65 FG (10-32 3PT) 9-13 FT. 77 points, 33 rebounds, 14 assists, 10 turnovers.

Eagles Knock Off Grizzlies In Men's Wrestling Dual

ALAMOSA, Colo. – Chadron State men's wrestling roared back in the upper weight classes, receiving five bonus point victories and another exclamation point pin from Cody Pinkerton to defeat Adams State 26-17 on the road in Alamosa. 

The Eagles, who at one point trailed 17-8 in the dual, improve to a 2-2 dual record. Adams State is now 3-4 in duals overall and 3-3 against RMAC opponents. 

It was an evenly lopsided dual, with bonus points occurring in eight of the 10 matches. Each side earned one pin, which bookended the dual as the Grizzlies earned a pin at 125 pounds and the Eagles finished with one at 285.

The night's first bout saw the only nationally ranked showdown of the evening, with ASU's No. 5-ranked Isaiah Gamez handling No. 10/14 Hunter Jacobsen in Jacobsen's return from injury. Gamez was ahead 12-0 when he corralled Jacobsen for a pin to stake the Grizzlies to a 6-0 lead.

The next four matches were all major decision, with each team winning two. James Davis remained unbeaten in RMAC duals with a 13-3 win at 133 before Adams State's No. 9-ranked Angel Flores struck back with a 18-4 win over CSC's Cyrus Wells. 

Torry Early kept his win streak going with an 8-0 win. Just like his win last week over then-No. 3 Dean Noble of Western Colorado, Early and his opponent were tied 0-0 through two periods before the Illinois native racked up the points in the final frame. 

Adams State won the next two matches to build its largest lead of the dual, earning a major decision at 157 and a decision win at 165. Chadron State started its turnaround at 174 with a 7-5 decision win from Logan Berger, with the South Carolina native earning a match-winning takedown in the second period. 

The final three weights were all Eagles. No. 4-ranked Keegan Gehlhausen cruised to a 17-1 tech fall victory in 5:41 and freshman Mason Villwok earned a 13-2 major decision win in his Chadron State dual debut at 197 pounds. At 285, Pinkerton earned a pin for a second consecutive dual, falling behind 3-0 but escaping, earning a takedown and sealing the pin for six points. 

Chadron State will get back on the mat this Saturday for another RMAC dual against New Mexico Highlands. The Cowboys are still searching for their first RMAC dual win this season.

Bout-by-Bout Results
125: #5/5 Isaiah Gamez pins #10/14 Hunter Jacobsen, 6:41
133: #19 James Davis maj. dec. Adam Concepcion, 13-3
141: #9 Angel Flores maj. dec. Cyrus Wells, 18-4
149: #17 Torry Early maj. dec. Kieran Thompson, 8-0
157: #6 Aaden Valdez maj. dec. Brandon Paredes, 16-2
165: Levi Deaguero dec. Tayten Gillette, 4-2
174: Logan Berger dec. Dallas Porter, 7-5
184: #4 Keegan Gehlhausen tech falls Sergio Zaragoza, 17-1
197: Mason Villwok maj. dec. Josh Coon, 13-2
285: Cody Pinkerton pins Ronan Melani, 1:56

Exhibition Matches:
141: Jakob Romero tech falls Skyler Geier-Dodson, 17-1

Women's Wrestling Falls At Adams State

ALAMOSA, Colo. – Chadron State women's wrestling came out on top in the final four bouts of the night, but it was ultimately too little, too late as Adams State defeated the Eagles 29-18 in the final RMAC dual of the season for both teams. 

Adams State won each of the first six matches and built a commanding 26-1 lead before CSC's victories. Karstin Hollen won via forfeit, Maria Arellano won via decision, Sicily Frates won via tech fall and Esther Peters earned a pin in the final match of the dual. 

With the dual victory, Adams State improves to 1-3 in RMAC matches while the Eagles dropped to 0-4 in conference and 1-6 overall. Two days ahead of Saturday's RMAC Championships, the Grizzlies will finish fourth in the conference standings while CSC will finish fifth. 

Adams State got a big win early in the dual, with ASU's Katelyn Faczak defeating CSC's No. 20-ranked Mana Chanthasone by a 7-4 decision at 103 pounds. The Eagles were then pinned at both 110 and 117, with the Grizzlies adding 10-0 tech falls at 124 and 138 sandwiched around a CSC forfeit at 131. 

The Grizzlies returned the favor with a forfeit at 145 to put the Eagles on the board, and Chadron State dominated the upper weight classes despite the insurmountable deficit. Maria Arellano battled with ASU's Abby Smith at 160, with Arellano earning a tiebreaker point to come out on top after the wrestlers finished 2-2. 

Sicily Frates provided a lopsided win with two near falls in the second period to earn a 12-2 tech fall, and Esther Peters only needed 1:49 to pin her opponent at 207 pounds. 

The Eagles will move on to Saturday's RMAC championships, where wrestlers will compete in brackets for individual titles across 10 weight classes while a team tournament title is also up for grabs. The Eagles have 15 wrestlers on the entry list.

Bout-by-Bout Results
103: Katelyn Faczak dec. #20 Mana Chanthasone, 7-4
110: #11 Austria Holland pins Rylee Balcazar, 1:48
117: Rylie McCabe pins Shania Wear, 5:02
124: Bella Devoto tech falls Maddox Gehlhausen, 10-0
131: Brisa Salas wins by forfeit
138: #9 Corrie Williams tech falls Hattie Baldwin, 10-0
145: Karstin Hollen wins by forfeit
160: Maria Arellano dec. Abby Smith, 3-2
180: Sicily Frates tech falls Abigail Wold, 12-2
207: Esther Peters pins Brook Newton, 1:49