SPEARFISH, S.D. – The Black Hills State Yellow Jackets are starting their 2026-27 season in Bozeman, Montana, as they face the Montana State Bobcats in an exhibition game. The Yellow Jackets are entering year two of the Kelly Kruger era and enter the season with massive expectations as the Yellow Jackets are returning a lot of talent and added more to help them move up the ranks of the RMAC.
Know before you go
Date/Time/Location: November 2, 2026, at 11 a.m. in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse in Bozeman, Montana
Live stream: ESPN+ (pay-per-view)
Tickets: Admission to this game is free due to it being kids night; however, due to the high number of kids in attendance, fans are asked to sit in sections 106, 108, and 110 during the game.
People are also reading…
Yellow Jackets storylines
- Black Hills State enters this season fresh off a strong year in which the Yellow Jackets went 18-11 (14-6 RMAC) and won an RMAC tournament game over Western Colorado before falling to Colorado Mesa to end the season. BHSU earned key wins last year over Adams State, UCCS, and MSU Denver.
- BHSU went 8-8 on the road last season with major wins over MSU Denver and Adams State.
- Last season, the Yellow Jackets had one of the best rebounding seasons in program history as they averaged 43.7 rebounds per game and allowed only 31.1. They ranked fifth in the country in rebounds per game and fourth in rebound margin. They also ranked 18th in offensive rebounds per game. Kruger also helped lead BHSU to the longest win streak in the program's Division II history when the Yellow Jackets won nine games in a row.
- The Yellow Jackets are featuring a veteran-heavy team this year. BHSU is returning 69.3 percent of its minutes from last year and is also returning 70.3 percent of its starts, with four of the six players who started more than 10 games back for the Jackets.
- BHSU was projected to finish fourth in the RMAC preseason coaches poll with 155 points. The Yellow Jackets received one first-place vote, two second-place votes, and two third-place votes. They were picked just behind UCCS and just ahead of Fort Lewis. BHSU finished in a tie for fourth with Western Colorado last year.
- Reigning All-RMAC First Team guard Bradie Schlabs was the first Yellow Jacket to earn First Team All-RMAC since Danica Kocer and Niki Van Wyk in 2022-23. She was named preseason All-RMAC and is one of four starters returning this year. She averaged 10.2 points per game, which was second on the team, along with 4.0 rebounds and 5.5 assists last year. She was the first player in BHSU history to record 300 points, 100 rebounds, and 100 assists in a season in her freshman year. The sophomore reached 10 points in 16 of the 29 games this season, including season highs of 23 in the season opener versus St. Edward's and in the win over Adams State. Schlabs ranked fourth in the RMAC in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.45), eighth in the country and first in the RMAC in total assists (159), and sixth in the country and first in the conference in assists per game (5.5). She had at least two assists in every game this year and four or more in 25 of 29. She also recorded at least two steals in 14 of the last 22 games, including a career-high five versus CSU Pueblo. She had a career-high 11 assists in the win over CSU Pueblo, which tied the program record. Her 159 total assists ranked third in program history, her 5.5 assists per game ranked second in program history, and her 288 career assists rank seventh in program history. She is only 115 assists away from breaking the program assist record.
- Audrey Norville is another top returner for BHSU and the only other starter besides Schlabs who started all 29 games last season. She averaged 5.8 points per game and 5.8 rebounds per game. She had a career-high 15 points versus Western Colorado and three games with 10 rebounds, including a 12-point, 10-rebound double-double versus St. Mary's. She was one of the top defenders for the Yellow Jackets last year.
- Maureen Ulrich is another returner for BHSU this year. The 5-8 junior from Phoenix, Arizona, started 14 of 29 games and averaged 19.5 minutes per game. She averaged 6.8 points per game and 4.9 rebounds per game. Ulrich reached double digits in nine games last year, including four of the last seven games of the season. She had a season-high 13 points versus Regis and a season-high 10 rebounds versus South Dakota Mines.
- Addison Branscum started eight games for BHSU last year in her eight games played and was leading the Yellow Jackets in scoring before going down. Branscum averaged 11.0 points per game and 5.5 rebounds per game. She reached double digits in six of her eight games and had 19 points versus St. Mary's, 16 versus South Dakota Mines, and 14 versus Northern. She also had 10 rebounds versus South Dakota Mines and at least four rebounds in every game. She shot 45 percent from the field and 31.8 percent from 3-point range.
- Olivia Kieffer is the top transfer for BHSU. Kieffer is coming off a successful career at the University of South Dakota, where she spent the first three years of her career. During her three years at USD, she played 92 games with two starts, averaging 13.2 minutes per game. She shot 38 percent from the field, 31.6 percent from three, and 67.2 percent from the line, while averaging just under two rebounds per game, 0.7 assists per game, and 3.8 points per game. Her career high in points came in her sophomore season against Arizona State, when she had 16 points and went 4-for-7 from three. Against Northern Arizona, she had 15 points and went 5-for-6 from the field and 4-for-4 from three. During her college career, she appeared in five WNIT games, with her best appearance coming in the third round versus Wyoming her freshman season, when she had six points on 2-for-4 from the field and 2-for-2 from three. She also had seven points versus UC Riverside in the first round of that run.
- Head coach Kelly Kruger is entering his first season as full-time head coach after spending last year as the interim. Kruger currently sits with an 18-11 record at BHSU and has a 549-457 record overall after 34 years at Northwestern College, Southwestern Minnesota State, Adams State, Ashford, and Iowa Central Community College.
Montana State storylines
- Montana State is coming off a 27-8 season in which the Bobcats went 16-2 in the Big Sky and won the conference for the third time in four years. They reached the conference championship game before falling to Idaho to miss out on an NCAA Tournament appearance. The Bobcats then advanced to the third round of the WNIT after beating San Francisco and Portland before falling to the University of South Dakota.
- BHSU will be the first regular-season game for the Bobcats, but they played an exhibition game versus South Dakota Mines last week and won by 60. MSU posted a perfect 15-0 record at home last year and has not lost in the Brick Breeden Fieldhouse since a 73-69 defeat to Sacramento State on March 1, 2025.
- Montana State was one of the best programs in terms of turnovers last season. MSU ranked third in the country in turnovers forced per game (25.17), fourth in steals per game (15.2), and fourth in turnover margin (9.8). The Bobcats also enter the year ranked 133 on KenPom.
- The Bobcats used the same starting lineup all season. Five players started 35 of 35 games last year, and all five starters and their top six scorers are back from that team. This is a veteran group with a lot of minutes under its belt.
- MSU was picked first in the Big Sky preseason coaches poll with nine first-place votes and 99 points, just ahead of Idaho, which received 90. The Bobcats were also ranked first in the Big Sky preseason media poll with 23 first-place votes and 283 points after winning the Big Sky last year with a 16-2 record.
- Taylee Chirrick is the top player for MSU and was named preseason Player of the Year in the Big Sky release. She was the Big Sky MVP and Defensive Player of the Year last season and was one of the top defenders in the country, ranking second in the nation in steals (145), second in triple-doubles (2), and third in steals per game (4.14). Chirrick was also ranked 23rd in free throw attempts (196), 34th in field goal attempts (496), 43rd in points (623), and 44th in field goals (221). She averaged 17.8 points per game and 7.1 rebounds per game. She recorded a 31-point, 12-rebound, 11-steal triple-double versus Portland State and a 17-point, 10-rebound, 10-assist triple-double versus North Dakota last year. She scored in double figures in 32 of 35 games and had multiple steals in 31 of 35 games.
- Addison Harris is another top player for MSU. She was named preseason all-conference and First Team All-Big Sky last year. She averaged 14.1 points per game, 4.1 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game. Harris scored in double figures in 27 of 35 games last year and had a season-high 27 points versus Carroll (Mont.). She finished with double digits in seven of her last nine games.
- Head coach Tricia Binford is in her 22nd season at Montana State and 24th season as a head coach. Binford has an MSU record of 366-261 and a career record of 405-297. She has posted a .500 or better record every season since 2006-07.
