SPEARFISH, S.D./CHADRON, Neb. – Faced with the longest road trip of the season, the Western New Mexico University women's basketball team will head to South Dakota and Nebraska this week to face Black Hills State University and Chadron State College.


First up will be a matchup with the Yellow Jackets who have been red hot winning seven straight games inside the RMAC with wins over Colorado Christian, Colorado Mines, Metro State, Regis, Adams State, Fort Lewis and Chadron State. They recently had their overall seven-game winning streak snapped on Jan. 11 at South Dakota Mines, 61-56 and hold an overall record of 8-5 and 7-2 in the RMAC. A pair of players average in double-figures led by Chelsey Biegler's 14.8 per game. Calli Bechtel pours in another 11.7 per contest. Bechtel and Cassidy Kotelman lead the team in rebounds averaging 4.8 per game.


Last year, BHSU won in Silver City, 70-63. Biegler and Bechtel powered the Yellow Jackets combining for 49 points in the win. Morgan Wohltman (Queen Creek, AZ/Highland High School) led the Lady Mustangs with 21 points.


The Lady Mustangs will face Chadron State College on Saturday. The Eagles have lost six straight and are 1-12 overall and 1-8 in the RMAC. Their last win came at home against Colorado Mines, 68-59, back on Dec. 14. They have been close in a number of other games falling by four to Montana State-Billings (59-55), by two to Western State (79-77), by four to Colorado Christian (62-58), by seven to Metro State (67-60), and by two to Fort Lewis (85-83). CSC has a pair of players that rank high in scoring in the conference led by Kayli Rageth's 16.3 per game and Kattie Ranta's 15.6 per night. Dallas Shaw also averages in double-figures with 10.2 per game. Ranta nearly averages a double-double with 9.4 rebounds.


The Lady Mustangs defeated the Eagles, 72-44, last year in Silver City. Wohltman led three Lady Mustangs in double-figures going for 15 points. Ranta led the Eagles with 12 points. CSC won the last meeting in Chadron, 81-70, back on Jan. 14, 2011.


The Lady Mustangs came away with a big comeback victory over Fort Lewis this past Saturday for their first win over the Skyhawks in 16 tries. The win moved WNMU to 7-8 overall and 4-6 in the RMAC, just a half-game back of sixth-place, in which four teams are currently tied.


Junior point guard RaTanya Newsome (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School) leads the team in scoring posting 13.6 per night which ranks her 15^th in the RMAC. She also leads the team in field goals made (74), free throws made (43), assists (60), which ranks fifth in the RMAC in assists per game (4) and steals with 32, which puts her fourth in the RMAC in steals per game (2.1). Junior guard Ashley Mitchell (Fort Defiance, AZ/Window Rock High School) (12.3) and junior center Stephanie Moore (Anton, TX/Anton High School) (10.8) also average in double-digits. Junior forward Nalani Hernandez (Tucson, AZ/Tucson High School) leads the team in rebounding at eight per game and ranks fifth in the conference. She also leads the team in blocks with 13, which has her in ninth in the conference in blocks per game (0.9). Mitchell leads the team in three-pointers with 27 and ranks fourth in the RMAC in three-pointers per game (2.3) and fifth in percentage (37.5). Mitchell is third in assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.7 per game.


As far as team rankings in the conference, WNMU is second in offensive rebounds per game (15.2), fourth in rebounding offense per game (40.5), first in turnover margin (6.20), fourth in assists (14.33), fifth in blocked shots (2.67) and second in steals (10.8).


WNMU will face both teams at 5:30 p.m. first against Black Hills State on Friday and then against Chadron State on Saturday.