CHADRON, Neb. – A long wait will end this week for Chadron State women's basketball, as the Eagles will open RMAC play on Thursday before playing at the Chicoine Center for the first time all season on Saturday.
 
The Eagles (0-3, 0-0 RMAC) will face Black Hills State (1-5, 0-1 RMAC) on Thursday at 5 p.m. in the Donald E. Young Center in Spearfish to kick off conference action before CSC's home opener against South Dakota Mines (2-5, 1-0 RMAC) on Saturday afternoon at 1 p.m. in the Chicoine Center. 
 
While the Eagles have not played a Division II game that has counted in the standings since November 22, CSC gained experience by facing two Division I teams (Wyoming and Northern Colorado) in exhibition matches over Thanksgiving week. 
 
Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines kicked off RMAC play against one another on Tuesday night in Rapid City, with the Hardrockers taking home a 64-62 win over BHSU. Black Hills State's 1-5 record could be deceiving, as four of the Yellow Jackets' five losses have come by three points or less.
 
This week's contests will be the first of two matchups this season against each of Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines. Last season, Chadron State went 1-1 against both the Yellow Jackets and Hardrockers, winning at home and losing on the road against each program.
 
Both games (Thursday in Spearfish and Saturday in Chadron) will be available to stream live on the RMAC Network. Eagle fans can also listen live on Double Q Country FM and doubleqcountry.com, with Dave Collins on the call, or follow along with online live statistics.
 
Looking Back
CSC's last Division II game came on the road November 22 against in-state foes Wayne State, with the Wildcats defeating the Eagles 95-53 despite 15 points from Audrey Quintana and 14 from Kenna Wagner. Amya Winfrey led the Eagles defensively with six rebounds and two blocks.
 
RECAP: Wayne State
 
This past week, Chadron State lost a pair of Division I exhibition matches, falling 75-38 to Wyoming and 114-47 to Northern Colorado, but those results and statistics do not officially count. 
 
RMAC Network Reminder
As a reminder, RMAC Network games this season now require a pay-per-view subscription to watch. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league's membership to enhance their broadcast systems and programs.
 
NEWS: RMAC Network Moves To Pay-Per-View Model
 
RMAC fans can purchase monthly and annual subscriptions that will provide them access to all regular-season, championship, and archived broadcasts on the RMAC Network, including both home and away RMAC contests for Chadron State. A monthly subscription costs $25, and an annual subscription (for all sports) costs $130. Single-game passes are available for $10, which grants the viewer access to a single game for 24 hours. Subscriptions can be purchased through Hudl at rmacnetwork.com. 
 
RMAC Network subscriptions apply to any game that is hosted by an RMAC institution, regardless of whether or not Chadron State is playing in the game. CSC's home nonconference games are included in monthly and annual subscriptions. 
 
Fans will technical support issues can contact Hudl, visit the RMAC email the RMAC Network FAQ page, or directly email the RMAC at rmac@rmacsports.org.
 
Season Tickets/Parking
Season tickets to support Eagle men's and women's basketball remain on sale. 
 
Fans can purchase a reserved seat season for $175 or a general admission season ticket for $100 per seat. Season tickets grant access to all 10 remaining home RMAC doubleheaders for men's and women's basketball (Dec. 6, 11, 13; Jan. 15, 17, 27; Feb. 12, 14, 26, 28).
 
For fans attending all games, season tickets provide a $35 savings on reserved seats and a $25 savings on general admission compared to purchase single-game pricing for every home game.
 
Additionally, Chadron State is offering paid parking stalls for fans who would like to reserve a private parking space close to the arena for all games. Each stall costs $150 for the season and will be marked off with a personalized sign. 
 
Home Sweet Home
Saturday's game against South Dakota Mines will be CSC's first at home as the Eagles do not have a single home non-conference game this season. 
Last year's Chadron State team benefitted from playing at home, as the 2024-25 Eagles went 5-9 in the Chicoine Center compared to 1-11 outside of Chadron. 
 
Saturday night will also be the home head coaching debut for Jalen Little, and Little's first coaching appearance in the Chicoine Center for CSC since he was on the men's staff in 2020.
 
Fresh Faces
Contributions from new faces were to be expected for a program which is only returning three players who stepped on the court for last year's Eagle team, but head coach Jalen Little is receiving a lot from his true freshman recruiting class. 
 
Guard Kenna Wagner, a native of Fort Collins, Colorado and recent grad of Rocky Mountain High School, is CSC's second-leading scorer at 9.0 points per game and leads the team with 2.7 assists per game. Wagner poured in a career-high 14 points on 5 of 7 shooting against Wayne State and is shooting 37.5 percent from the floor and 50 percent from three (5-10).
 
Another true freshman, Cedar Rapids, Iowa's Ella Moser, is fourth on the team in scoring with 7.3 points per game. Moser scored a team-high 12 points, with four made three-pointers, in the season opener against Oklahoma Christian and leads the team in three-point makes (7) and attempts (17) on the season. 
 
The Eagles are also relying on juco transfers, including leading scorer Audrey Quintana from Central Arizona College (9.3 ppg), steals leader Dreanna Jackson from Edmonds CC (1.3 steals per game) and minutes leader Evelyn Old Coyote from Dawson CC (22.3 mpg). 
 
Scouting the Opponents
Black Hills State
The Yellow Jackets of Black Hills State are 1-5 but have lost by one possession in four of their five games and held the lead after three quarters in three of five. BHSU beat St. Edward's in the season opener and has since lost to St. Mary's, Minnesota Crookston, Northern State, Sioux Falls and the Hardrockers. 
 
Bradie Schlabs, whose brother Garet is a wide receiver for Chadron State football, is BHSU's only returning starter after winning Second Team All-RMAC honors as a true freshman last season. Schlabs is averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in the early going. 
 
Regis transfer Addie Branscum is also making an impact for the Yellow Jackets, averaging 13 points per game and scoring in double figures in five of six contests. Sawyer Stoebner averages 9.7 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. 
 
The Yellow Jackets underwent a late coaching change after Rachel Erickson, who won 18 games in her debut season, departed to join the staff at Division I Colorado State. BHSU's interim coach is Kelly Kruger, a 35-year coaching veteran who has over 500 wins with the likes of Northwestern College, Southwest Minnesota State, Adams State, Ashford University, and Iowa Central Community College.
 
Black Hills State was picked sixth in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll. 
 
South Dakota Mines
South Dakota Mines is 2-5 after defeating Black Hills State Tuesday. The Hardrockers' lone win is against Nebraska Wesleyan while SDM has lost to St. Mary's, St. Edward's, Sioux Falls, Northern State and Minot State. The Hardrockers also competed against Division I Colorado State in an exhibition.
 
Veterans Savea Mansfield (16.3 points per game, 5.6 rebounds per game) and Morning Grace Spotted Bear (11.9 ppg, 6.6 rpg) lead the Hardrockers. Mansfield scored a game-high 30 points against Black Hills State this Tuesday and has put up double figures in every game this season, including a 20-point effort last Saturday against Minot State. 
 
Spotted Bear scored a season-high 21 points in the season opener against St. Mary's and racked up a 15-point, 10-rebound double-double against Minot State. The redshirt junior also has multiple steals in three of SDM's six games this season.
 
The Hardrockers have a first-year head coach in Kyley Bachand. Prior to Rapid City, Bachand was the head coach at William Jewell for two seasons and was on staff at Colorado State, SMU, Eastern Illinois and Sioux Falls. As a student-athlete, Bachand competed at the University of Missouri (then-Big12, now SEC) and University of Illinois (Big10), becoming the first player in Missouri WBB history to make the All-Big12 Freshman Team.
 
Coach's Corner
Jalen Little is in his first season leading the Chadron State women's basketball program. 
 
For the past five seasons, Little has served as the lead assistant women's basketball coach at RMAC foe CSU Pueblo. During Little's time on staff, the ThunderWolves qualified for four consecutive RMAC tournaments from 2022-25, including a fifth-place finish (18-11, 13-7 RMAC) in the league standings last year. 
 
Little began his coaching career by spending four seasons as an assistant coach with the Chadron State men's basketball program under Houston Reed, who coached Little as a player. 
 
As a student-athlete, Little played one season at Alaska Anchorage (Division II, GNAC) before transferring to Otero Junior College. He closed his playing career at the Division I level for Abiliene Christian University (Texas).