by By Eric R. Flores, Director of Sports Information
RAPID CITY, S.D.—It’s been a long time coming, but history was made at Goodell Gymnasium inside the King Center on Saturday afternoon as the Adams State University women’s basketball team came away with a 66-45 win. The win doubled as the first win for the women’s squad over the South Dakota Mines Hardrockers in program history and the first road Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference win in 1,051 days (Jan. 25, 2019 def. Colorado Christian, 67-48)..
Angelline Negeak (Inupiaq) scored a career-high 18 points, which included a career-high eight field goals, two of which were from three-point territory. Demi Black had 14 points. She also made two, three-pointers. Kayla Harris scored eight.
The Hardrockers’ Makenna Bodette, Piper Bauer and Ryan Weiss averaged 11 points or more entering the game. Bauer finished with six points, and Weiss had seven. Bodette did not play. Sydnee Durtsche and Bailey Johnson led SDSM with 10 points.
Adams State’s tough defense not only stopped the Hardrockers’ top scorers, it forced SDSM into 28 turnovers that turned into 28 Grizzlies’ points. The Hardrockers, who never led, forged a 12-12 tie with two minutes left in the first quarter after a Durtsche free throw. Nicole Brown hit a pair of charity tosses, and Celina Watson added a driving layup to give the Grizzlies a seven-point lead by quarter’s end.
Three-point baskets by Black and Stephanie Ruiz were part of a 27-5 run that stretched over 10 minutes of play spanning two periods. They led 39-16 at the break. ASU’s lead eventually grew to 28 points in the third quarter.
