RAPID CITY - Bethany Holyoak has gone from nervous freshman to experienced leader for the South Dakota Mines women's basketball team in just three seasons.

Holyoak, a 6-foot-1 post player, is currently leading the Hardrockers in scoring and rebounding. But the transition from team player to leader has been a big one.

"Coming into the season I knew I was the only retuning starter with a lot of experience," Holyoak said. "I knew I would have to step up and be a leader."

Holyoak and the Hardrockers were able to lean on All-American Melanie Vedvei the past two seasons. But now it is Holyoak who is being asked to do more. She has responded with 14 points a game and over eight boards to lead the way.

"Melanie has big shoes to fill, but the thing I learned the most about from her was her competitive nature and how bad she wanted to win, which rubbed off on us," Holyoak said.

To hear Holyoak tell it, her secret of success is simple.

"I go into each game thinking I am going to do the little things well, like boxing out," she said. "I only worry about the things I can control."

The junior from Moorcroft, Wyo., started her career as an inexperienced freshman starter and has progressed into the leader of a young team that has recently found its footing.

"I had no idea I would start my freshman year," Holyoak said. "I thought my freshman year would be a learning year, but when I found out I would start, I was freaking out. We were a young team with just three juniors and six freshmen that year."

Mines (6-7 overall, 2-0 DAC) played the role of underdog much of that season and responded by knocking off several ranked teams and winning at Minot State when Holyoak knocked down a buzzer beater.

Playing college basketball was a dream Holyoak had since junior high and after garnering several high school honors, including player of the year in her conference, she said the opportunities presented to her at Mines were a perfect fit.

"The education I can get here is amazing, and I get a chance to play basketball which is what I wanted," the industrial engineering major said.

This season started slow for Mines, but three straight wins heading into the holiday break has the team headed in the right direction. After suffering through five straight losses, the Hardrockers won a pair of Dakota Athletic Conference games against Dakota State and Mayville State before putting away Presentation College.

"We are finally playing the whole game because against teams like Hastings and Doane we kept up with them but we had a couple two-minute stretches where we struggled. We are starting to play a full 40 minutes," Holyoak said. "We are getting more experience and we are executing the offense a little better."

The 'Rockers have become more comfortable with the new faces on the court and they are starting to get some offense on the perimeter to go along with the inside game provided by Holyoak and sophomore Jerika Ihnen. Both of the players have had to deal with their fair share of double teams this year, but this Mines team has something that may have been lacking in past seasons.

"I think we are a lot quicker than a lot of the teams we have played and we have to use that to our advantage," Holyoak said. "All four of our post players can run and beat the other team down the floor."

It may have taken the Hardrockers awhile to get going in the race, but it appears they are just now hitting their stride.