SPEARFISH - Black Hills State's 81-69 men's basketball triumph over Dickinson State on Saturday at the Young Center gives the Yellow Jackets a commanding lead atop the Dakota Athletic Conference standings.
The Yellow Jackets (21-4 overall, 10-1 DAC) have a 2-1/2 game lead over Dickinson State. BHSU has three games remaining in the regular season, while the Blue Hawks have four games left.
Luke Enos' 22 points paced four double-figure scorers for the Jackets. Cain Atkinson notched 20, and Will John Johnson and Clay Potorff added 10 apiece.
Tomaul Hawkins drained a game-high 25 points for the Blue Hawks. and Joshua Walker contributed 10.
"This game was similar to the one at Dickinson," said BHSU coach Paul Sather. "We were stagnant on offense in the first half. We weren't playing the way the guys practice.
"In the second half, our movement was much better."
The Jackets converted on
71 percent of their shot attempts in the second half, rallying from a
30-28 halftime deficit.
"Dickinson is a great defensive team," said Sather. "Having only six turnovers against their pressure was great."
BHSU, ranked sixth in the NAIA Division II poll, hosts South Dakota Mines at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday. The Jackets finish the regular season at Jamestown College on Feb. 18 and at Valley City State on Feb. 19.
"We still have three tough games," said Sather. "We haven't done anything yet. We can't be complacent or satisfied. We know South Dakota Mines is a good team. We have to be ready to play."
