RAPID CITY --- The South Dakota School of Mines (10-12 overall, 3-5 DAC) women's basketball team split its two meetings with this weekend's visitors, earning a two-point win over the Valley City State Vikings (Jan. 9) after falling short to the Jamestown Jimmies a night earlier (Jan.8).
"Jamestown is a good, veteran team that is solid both inside and out, and we always have good battles with Valley City," Mines head coach Barb Felderman said.
The Vikings have a strong post presence in Abby Rittenhouse, who is averaging 14 points a game, and go up against Mines' own dynamic player in senior Bethany Holyoak (an Industrial Engineering major from Moorcroft, Wyo.). Holyoak has been on a tear of late averaging better than 17 points a game. The 6-foot-1-post player had a significant game last Thursday, becoming the fourth player in Lady Hardrocker history to have 800 rebounds and score more than 1,500 points in their career at SDSM&T.
The rest of the Lady 'Rockers are also coming on strong, as junior Jerika Ihnen (an Interdisciplinary Sciences major from Tea, S.D.) is having success in the paint, averaging almost 13 markers each game.
On the perimeter, SD Mines has a pair of guards that can distribute the ball and has good touch. Sophomore Ariel Granillo (an Industrial Engineering major from Chandler, Ariz.) is averaging just under 10 points a game while sophomore Shalane Hampp (an Industrial Engineering major from Duncan Falls, Ohio) is putting up 6.9 points a contest and leads the team with 77 assists.
The Dakota Athletic Conference is on its last push as after the two games this weekend, all eight teams have just one road trip remaining on the schedule along with two more home contests to close out the regular season..
