SPEARFISH, S.D. – For the first time in program history, Black Hills State claims the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament championship, following a 69-66 win over Regis Saturday night inside Donald E. Young Center in Spearfish, S.D. The Yellow Jackets secured the win with an efficient night from Joel Scott, who led his squad with 29 points on 8-of-11 shooting and nine rebounds. With the victory, BHSU earns an automatic bid to the NCAA Division II Championship, which will be the first in program history.
Regis found a groove early and jumped out to a 12-3 advantage over the Yellow Jackets within the opening five minutes of regulation, thanks to a successful three-pointer from guard Brian Dawson. The Rangers continued on a hot streak throughout the next four minutes, but Black Hills State chipped away at the lead before taking a 20-18 advantage at the 11:45 mark, following a successful triple from Adam Moussa.
The Rangers responded successfully; however, regaining the lead before extending it to 31-25, following a three-pointer from Will Cranston-Lown with 5:08 remaining in the opening half. Black Hills State would not go away quietly, though, and stormed back to take a 36-35 advantage heading into halftime.
BHSU held on to its lead for the opening portion of the second period until Regis’ Aaron Bokol converted three points the old-fashioned way to put the Rangers up 44-43 with 12:37 remaining. The teams traded leads twice more over the next two minutes before RU caught fire and opened its advantage to 60-53 with just over six minutes remaining.
Moussa stepped up once more with a crucial three-pointer that sparked a 14-4 Black Hills State run, pushing the Yellow Jackets in front at 67-64 with 1:56 remaining in regulation. Dawson knocked down a clutch jumper for Regis to cut the BHSU lead to 67-66 with 50 seconds to go. Scott then stepped up with two successful free throws in the final two seconds that put the Rangers away and handed the Yellow Jackets their first RMAC Tournament Championship in program history.
Black Hills State finished the game shooting 45.8-percent from the field and 81.8-percent from the free-throw line. Regis completed the contest with a 40-percent field-goal average while outrebounding the Yellow Jackets 36-32.
Scott highlighted the RMAC All-Tournament team as the tournament’s Most Valuable Player, while BHSU teammates Moussa, Sindou Cisse and Ryker Cisarik also earned all-tourney spots. Dawson and Cranston-Lown were named all-tournament selections for Regis, in addition to Colorado Mesa’s Blaise Threatt and University of Colorado Colorado Springs Jon’il Fugett.
The Yellow Jackets now await their opponent at the NCAA Division II Men’s Basketball Tournament. BHSU will learn their foe Sunday evening during the NCAA DII Selection Show, which is set to broadcast at 8:30 p.m. MT, on
NCAA.com. The complete tournament bracket will be revealed on the NCAA’s official
tournament page.