CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State women's basketball will have an opportunity to make a statement against two rivals on a short week when they face both conference South Dakota schools this Tuesday and Thursday.
The Eagles (1-14, 1-9 RMAC) will battle Black Hills State (10-7, 7-3 RMAC) in the Chicoine Center this Tuesday at 5 p.m. before playing South Dakota Mines (6-12, 4-6 RMAC) on the road in Rapid City on Thursday at 5:30 p.m.
Black Hills State and South Dakota Mines will be the first repeat RMAC opponents of the season for Chadron State.
Both games will be streamed live on the RMAC Network, accessible through daily, monthly or annual subscription options, or listen live on Double Q Country 97.5 and 105.9 FM and doubleqcountry.com with Dave Collins on the call.
Looking Back
Chadron State got one big scoring performance in each game, but didn't have the offensive balance to go with it as the Eagles averaged just 46.5 points per game in a pair of losses.
RECAPS: Westminster | Colorado Mesa
The Eagles fell to Westminster 82-53 despite a career-high 22 points from Audrey Quintana, who shot 6-for-12 from the field and 8-for-9 from the line during the contest with a pair of three-pointers.
Chadron State faced the RMAC's stingiest defense last Saturday in No. 9-ranked Colorado Mesa, and the Mavericks held CSC to under 10 points in three of the four quarters in a 70-41 loss. Ella Moser scored 15 of CSC's 41 points on 5 of 9 shooting with a trio of three-pointers.
RMAC Peak Pricing
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.
This week only through January 30: fans can use the promo code "RMACSPRING26" and receive 25 percent off an annual subscription as part of a conference-wide "Peak Pricing Sale."
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.
Good Precedent, Bad Precedent
Past history is working both for and against CSC women's basketball during Tuesday's matchup against Black Hills State.
On the one hand, the Eagles will be facing a 2025-26 Yellow Jackets team that frustrated CSC into its worst performance of the season in the team's first meeting on December 4, an 83-34 win for Black Hills State in Spearfish. Chadron State's season-lows in points scored, field goal percentage and scoring margin are still from that contest.
The Eagles will hope to replicate last year's home result against Black Hills. In 2024-25, Chadron State came into the CSC/BHSU game in the Chicoine Center with a 3-14 record while the Yellow Jackets were 11-6 and tied for second in the RMAC standings at 7-3, but the Eagles handed Black Hills a 70-60 loss.
Last season's win snapped what had been a 13-game losing streak for the Eagles against Black Hills State. Chadron State is 2-24 against BHSU since the 2011 season.
Ella-Matic
True freshman Ella Moser made three three-pointers during last Saturday's game against Colorado Mesa, her fifth time with three or more threes in a game this season.
Moser finished with 15 points, the second-highest scoring total of the Cedar Rapids, Iowa native's career behind a 17-point game against CSU Pueblo on December 11.
Moser has emerged one of the RMAC's top three-point shooters. She ranks third in the league among qualified shooters with a .359 three-point percentage, tied for fourth in made threes per game (2.2) and seventh in total made threes (33).
Career Night
Audrey Quintana's 22-point explosion against Westminster is the most points scored in a game by a Chadron State player so far this season.
Quintana also tied a CSC individual single-game season high with eight made free throws as the junior sunk 8 of 9 attempts from the stripe. Quintana is 27-for-30 in free throws for the season, and the junior's .900 free-throw percentage would lead the league if Quintana had enough attempts to qualify.
This season, Quintana is Chadron State's second-leading scorer at 9.2 points per game and ranks second in assists with 28 (1.9 per game). She leads Chadron State with 19 steals (1.3 per game).
In the Polls
With new program leadership and a primarily new team, the Chadron State women's basketball program was picked 14th in the RMAC Preseason Coaches Poll.
Defending regular season champions Colorado Mesa were the preseason pick to win the league, receiving nine first-place votes plus five second-place votes for 191 total points. The other six first-place votes went to defending tournament champions UCCS, who also had four second-place votes and three third-place votes for 181 total points.
Behind the top two, Adams State, Western Colorado and Colorado School of Mines rounded out the top five. The remainder of the RMAC Tournament places are occupied by Black Hills State, CSU Pueblo and New Mexico Highlands. MSU Denver is picked ninth, followed by Colorado Christian, South Dakota Mines, and Fort Lewis in the top 12.
Westminster placed 13th with 47 points in the poll, just one point ahead of the Eagles, who had 46. Regis rounded out the poll and was picked 15th, receiving 21 points.
The RMAC has one nationally ranked team in the WBCA Coaches Poll – Colorado Mesa at No. 9.
Scouting the Opponents
Black Hills State
Black Hills State is 10-7 overall and 7-3 in the RMAC. After a 7-1 league start, the Yellow Jackets will enter Tuesday having lost consecutive games after falling to No. 9 Colorado Mesa 62-49 and Western Colorado 75-74. The Yellow Jackets were picked sixth in the preseason RMAC Coaches Poll and are currently in a four-way tie for third in the league standings.
Black Hills State is one of the top rebounding teams in the nation. The Yellow Jackets rank fifth in the nation in rebounds per game (44.24) and fourth in rebound margin (+14.1, meaning they average 14.1 more rebounds per game than their opponents). BHSU has not been outrebounded in any of its 17 games this season.
The Yellow Jackets are led by Bradie Schlabs (whose brother, Garet Schlabs, is a Chadron State football player). Bradie Schlabs is averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.9 assists per game. Schlabs averages over an assist per game more than anyone else in the conference. Sawyer Stoebner (9.2 ppg, 6.3 rpg) and Taylin Serlen (8.4 ppg, 0.8 blocks per game) also contribute.
The Yellow Jackets have an interim head coach in Kelly Kruger, who has a decorated 34-year career featuring stops at Northwestern College (1981-87), Southwest Minnesota State University (1991-05), Adams State University (2006-13), Ashford University (2013-16), and Iowa Central Community College (2016-20).
South Dakota Mines
South Dakota Mines is 6-12 overall and 4-6 in the RMAC. The Hardrockers defeated Chadron State 75-51 at the Chicoine Center in their previous matchup. They will enter Thursday's contest having lost five in a row (to Mines, Fort Lewis, Adams State, Western Colorado and Westminster).
South Dakota Mines has two main stars in Savea Mansfield and Morning Grace Spotted Bear. Mansfield ranks fifth in the RMAC with 18.6 points per game and has the RMAC's third-best field goal percentage at 52 percent. Mansfield only scored 14 points against Chadron State last time out, her fifth-lowest output of the year.
Morning Grace Spotted Bear chips in 13.4 points per game and ranks eighth in the RMAC with 6.6 rebounds per game. Addison Miranda is third with 8.8 points per game and is the team's primary shooter, making 42 of 126 three-point attempts.
The Hardrockers also have a first-year coach in Kyley Bachand, who spent the last two seasons as the head coach of William Jewell. Prior to that, Bachand has been on staff at Division I schools Colorado State, SMU, and Eastern Illinois.
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 at Otero Junior College.
As a student-athlete, Little played one season at Alaska Anchorage (Division II, GNAC) before transferring to Otero. He closed his playing career at the Division I level for Abiliene Christian University (Texas).
