As the Black Hills State University women’s basketball team prepares for their first game, expectations are high for the 2023- 24 season.
After finishing the 2022-23 season with an overall record of 23-8 and ranking fifth on the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s preseason poll, the team hopes to have continued success into this year. The Jackets will open their season on the road Nov. 14 against the University of Mary. When the Yellow Jackets battled the University of Mary last year, BH took the victory by 10 points.
“They’re a super talented team, last year was kind of a tough matchup for us,” said Haylee Weathersby, a junior forward for the Jackets. “We expect it to be like that; a close game back and forth.”
The BHSU women’s basketball team is coached by Mark Nore. Nore took over the head coach position five games into the 2002-03 season and has since led the Yellow Jackets to their first conference win in 2021.
“I feel like we’re definitely stronger physically, we have more size,” Nore said. “[We’re] a little bit more athletic in spots, but [we’re] very optimistic, it’s just a matter of piecing some of these things together.”
The Yellow Jackets’ roster is beginning to come together as some players return from injured reserve and others settle into new positions.
“I’m just looking for who’s going to step up,” Nore said. “I want to know who’s going to manage the game when we need to use the clock and understand who needs to get the ball and when.”
Nore plans to rely on the upperclassmen to lead his team through the season. “Ellie Moore is someone that needs a lot of touches,” Nore said. Morgan Hammerbeck, she’s just kind of our rock our team. Then, Kalla Bertram, she’s pretty electric; she’s just really
explosive. The team kind of leans on them a little bit throughout.”
Moore, who earned Honorable Mention All-RMAC recognition last season, finished fourth in the conference in blocks per game. Nore expects her to step up her game offensively this year. She averaged 6.7 points per game last season.
Bertram, a junior guard, started 10 games last season, but played in all 31 contests. She shot 43.6 percent from the floor and averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds.
Defensively, the Yellow Jackets plan to uphold their tradition of dominance.
“I would say that [defense] is kind of a staple of who we are,” Nore said. “I think we’re pretty good defensively every year. It’s always been a catalyst of who we are.”
The Jackets were ranked No. 23 in the country in points allowed during the 2022-23 season. Defensive standout, sophomore Tyler Whitlock, helped lead the defense with four steals a block and 18 total rebounds as a freshman from Colorado. Nore expects her to be a consistent contributor for the Yellow Jackets this season.
With an older team and multiple returning players, the Jackets are expected to perform cohesively this season.
“The team chemistry is honestly really great,” said HopeBonlander, associate head coach of the Yellow Jackets. “I feel like the girls mesh really well on the floor and they communicate well as teammates. But you know, even off the court, they’re pretty tight.”
In the past, the Jackets have found success, playing their way into the second-round DII Women’s National Championship Tournament last season. However, despite a No. 4 ranking in the South Central Conference, the team prefers to remain humble.
“We need to focus on getting better every day; if we do that, we’ll be in the mix again,” Nore said. “I think we can beat anyone
in the conference. I know we can. But, also with that being said, I don’t think we have enough separation to say we can go through it and not get beat.”
The team will began the season with three consecutive home games against South Dakota schools, including South Dakota Mines, before traveling to Denver to begin the RMAC conference schedule against Regis University on Dec. 1. The first home RMAC game is against Metropolitan State University of Denver on Dec. 8.