By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information Director

KANSAS CITY – Darrius Miles and Dalton Peterson both scored 18 points, with Peterson hitting six threes, as Chadron State men's basketball defeated Ottawa University 83-67 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. 

The win brings Chris Francis's group back to a .500 winning percentage at 2-2 overall with a second consecutive 1-1 weekend. The Eagles will have their home opener this upcoming Friday, November 22, against Sioux Falls. 

In Friday's win, Chadron State shot 49 percent from the field, 34 percent from three and 78 percent from the line. Peterson led the effort from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 10 three-point attempts to score a season-high and finish two points off his career-high.

Miles, a 6-foot-11 UT Arlington transfer, went to work inside, finishing 8 of 12 from the field, recording five rebounds and a block, and personally scoring the first nine points of the game.  

Julio Phipps recorded 10 points while shooting 80 percent from the floor to finish in double figures for the second straight game. Jalen Thomas finished with nine points and six rebounds. Point guard Zach Smith had eight points and seven assists, the most assists in a single game by a CSC player this season so far. 

Defensively, CSC totaled up eight steals (including two apiece from Peterson, Phipps and John Jenkins) and three blocks. Ottawa finished with 10 assists and 11 turnovers.

On offense, the Eagles finished with a season-high 18 assists and a season-low 14 turnovers. Their .492 field goal percentage was CSC's best mark of the season, beating out the .455 percentage from their earlier win over Texas A&amp;M-International. All that helped offset Chadron State losing the rebounding battle for the first time all season, as the Eagles finished with 36 boards while their opponents had 45. 

Chadron State asserted its will early, taking a 9-0 lead courtesy of Darrius Miles, who scored on back-to-back dunks before hitting a three-pointer and jumper to stake Chadron to a lead right off the bat. 

With Chadron State up 13-4, the Eagles caught fire from three-point range as Peterson hit three three-pointers and Trey Harris hit another to put CSC up 25-7 after nine minutes of game time. Although Ottawa closed the deficit to 10 points at 41-31 for halftime, Chadron State led by double digits for the final 14:17 of the first half. 

Ottawa trimmed the lead to just five by scoring the first four points of the second half to make it 41-36, but Peterson answered again, hitting a three, getting a steal at the other end and dishing a pass to Zach Smith for an and-one fastbreak layup. Smith made the free throw to put CSC up 11.

With CSC up eight, 60-52, with just over 10 minutes to go, Zach Smith kickstarted a scoring run with a four-point play after he was fouled on a made three-point basket. That was the first four points of a 12-0 scoring run for CSC, as Miles made two baskets while Treyson Neff and John Jenkins each made one to give the Eagles their largest lead of the night at 72-52. The Eagles led by double digits the rest of the way. 

Chadron State— Darrius Miles 18, Dalton Peterson 18, Julio Phipps 10, Jalen Thomas 9, Treyson Neff 8, Zach Smith 8, John Jenkins 4, Trey Ballard 3, Trey Harris 3, Zy Wright 2. Totals: 29-59 FG, 11-32 3PT, 14-18 FT. 83 points, 37 rebounds, 18 assists, 14 turnovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731766103037.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorKANSAS CITY – Darrius Miles and Dalton Peterson both scored 18 points, with Peterson hitting six threes, as Chadron State men's basketball defeated Ottawa University 83-67 at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The win brings Chris Francis's group back to a .500 winning percentage at 2-2 overall with a second consecutive 1-1 weekend. The Eagles will have their home opener this upcoming Friday, November 22, against Sioux Falls. In Friday's win, Chadron State shot 49 percent from the field, 34 percent from three and 78 percent from the line. Peterson led the effort from beyond the arc, hitting 6 of 10 three-point attempts to score a season-high and finish two points off his career-high.Miles, a 6-foot-11 UT Arlington transfer, went to work inside, finishing 8 of 12 from the field, recording five rebounds and a block, and personally scoring the first nine points of the game. Julio Phipps recorded 10 points while shooting 80 percent from the floor to finish in double figures for the second straight game. Jalen Thomas finished with nine points and six rebounds. Point guard Zach Smith had eight points and seven assists, the most assists in a single game by a CSC player this season so far. Defensively, CSC totaled up eight steals (including two apiece from Peterson, Phipps and John Jenkins) and three blocks. Ottawa finished with 10 assists and 11 turnovers.On offense, the Eagles finished with a season-high 18 assists and a season-low 14 turnovers. Their .492 field goal percentage was CSC's best mark of the season, beating out the .455 percentage from their earlier win over Texas A&amp;M-International. All that helped offset Chadron State losing the rebounding battle for the first time all season, as the Eagles finished with 36 boards while their opponents had 45. Chadron State asserted its will early, taking a 9-0 lead courtesy of Darrius Miles, who scored on back-to-back dunks before hitting a three-pointer and jumper to stake Chadron to a lead right off the bat. With Chadron State up 13-4, the Eagles caught fire from three-point range as Peterson hit three three-pointers and Trey Harris hit another to put CSC up 25-7 after nine minutes of game time. Although Ottawa closed the deficit to 10 points at 41-31 for halftime, Chadron State led by double digits for the final 14:17 of the first half. Ottawa trimmed the lead to just five by scoring the first four points of the second half to make it 41-36, but Peterson answered again, hitting a three, getting a steal at the other end and dishing a pass to Zach Smith for an and-one fastbreak layup. Smith made the free throw to put CSC up 11.With CSC up eight, 60-52, with just over 10 minutes to go, Zach Smith kickstarted a scoring run with a four-point play after he was fouled on a made three-point basket. That was the first four points of a 12-0 scoring run for CSC, as Miles made two baskets while Treyson Neff and John Jenkins each made one to give the Eagles their largest lead of the night at 72-52. The Eagles led by double digits the rest of the way. Chadron State— Darrius Miles 18, Dalton Peterson 18, Julio Phipps 10, Jalen Thomas 9, Treyson Neff 8, Zach Smith 8, John Jenkins 4, Trey Ballard 3, Trey Harris 3, Zy Wright 2. Totals: 29-59 FG, 11-32 3PT, 14-18 FT. 83 points, 37 rebounds, 18 assists, 14 turnovers.

🏀MBB: Peterson paces CSC win from downtown in Kansas City Friday

CHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State will wrap up the 2024 season against an opponent looking to clinch the conference title this Saturday, which will also be Senior Day at Elliott Field.

The Eagles (3-7, 2-6 RMAC) will clash against No. 7 CSU Pueblo (9-1, 8-0 RMAC) in Chadron, with the visiting ThunderWolves hoping to clinch an outright RMAC title with a win. 

Kickoff is scheduled for noon, with Senior Day ceremonies starting approximately 25 minutes before kick. A total of 21 players are due to be recognized pregame.

The game can be streamed live on the RMAC Network. Fans can also listen live on Double Q Country 97.5 and 105.9 or doubleqcountry.com, with Dave Collins and Sam Parker on the call, or follow along via live stats. 

Chadron State faced a nationally ranked opponent in No. 11 Western Colorado and took them down to the wire before losing 21-17.

The Eagles scored on a 45-yard pick-six by cornerback Jadon Bowen and a 47-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Thomas from Preston Pearson. Western also scored on a pick-six, meaning Chadron State's defense held the Mountaineers offense to just 14 points, well under WCU's season average of 36 points per game.

Saturday's game will be Senior Day for the Chadron State program, with 21 players taking part in a pregame ceremony to commemorate their final games with the program. 

The players due to be honored Saturday are, in numerical order – Simeon Marton, Kyle McIntosh, Brodie Roden, Grant Swenson, Deonte Jackson, Xavier Harrell, Rylan Aguallo, Adam Lynch, Hunter O'Connor, Tyler Smith, Jacob Nasalroad, Brayton Branic, Kwame Frimpong, Vincent Mosley, Tyler Carpenter, Morgan Roper, D'Anthony Smith, Nicholas Gossage, Isaac Abramson, Jamahd Monroe and Peter Krohn. 

The list includes six offensive starters – four on the offensive line (D. Smith, Nasalroad, T. Smith and Gossage) a wide receiver (Swenson) and a tight end (Krohn), although D'Anthony Smith and Nicholas Gossage are unlikely to play due to injury.  

The group also includes two defensive starters – the team's second-leading tackler in Harrell and O'Connor, who has re-written the program's pass-rushing record books while earning two First-Team All-RMAC honors and a 2022 All-American nod – and a special teams starter in long snapper Adam Lynch. 

Chadron State's 3-7 record, and particularly its 2-6 RMAC record, is a little deceiving as five of CSC's six losses in conference play have come by one score, including three by a field goal or less.

The Eagles have dropped one-possession games to nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines (13-12) and Western Colorado (21-17) and have also dropped narrow games to New Mexico Highlands (33-30), Black Hills State (21-18) and South Dakota Mines (24-17). In the Highlands and Black Hills State games, Chadron State missed a field goal as time expired that would have sent the game to overtime. 

Despite the losing record, the Eagles have scored a total of 227 points this season and allowed just 174, adding up to a +53 point differential. That scoring differential is the fifth highest in the RMAC, and the Eagles are one of six RMAC teams with a positive differential. The standings, however, show the Eagles in a three-way tie for seventh. 

The main reason for Chadron State's positive point differential and gravitation towards close games has been the lockdown play of the Eagles defense. 

Chadron State's defense ranks second in the RMAC in both scoring defense (allowing 17.4 points per game) and total defense (allowing 278.0 yards per game). Nationally, the Eagles rank 30th in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense.

So far this season, Chadron State has allowed over 20 points in just four of their 10 games and over 25 points in just one (the 33-30 decision against New Mexico Highlands).

Individually, safety Dax Yeradi has four interceptions, placing him in a three-way tie for the RMAC lead with Colorado Mesa's Jason Thome and Black Hills State's Nicc Quinones.

Linebackers Reed Henkel and Xavier Harrell rank sixth and seventh in the conference with 41 and 39 solo tackles, respectively. Hunter O'Connor is fifth in the RMAC with 6.5 sacks this season.

Chadron State has five defensive touchdowns this season, which puts the Eagles in a three-way tie for second in Division II, trailing only Emory &amp; Henry, which has seven.

The Eagles added to their total last week with a 45-yard pick-six from Jadon Bowen, who made his first career start during the game. 

CSC now has four interception return touchdowns, including two pick-sixes in the same game from Dax Yeradi and Tucker Peterson against Fort Lewis. Logan O'Brien also had a pick-six against Adams State. 

Through a statistical quirk, the defense also gets credit for a play in the Jamestown game back in week one, when a bad punt snap landed in the end zone and defensive back Rylan Wehr fell on it for a score. Although the Jimmies were lined up in punt formation, the bad snap meant no punt was attempted and by rule, the play is classified as a rushing attempt and a fourth-down stop for the defense, similarly to if Jamestown had run an unsuccessful fake punt.

Defensive lineman Hunter O'Connor tallied another sack against Western Colorado, his third straight game with another sack. A pending possible stat change from the WCU game may lead to O'Connor being awarded with a second sack. 

The senior has either 34.5 or 35.5 sacks for his career and will enter Saturday, his final collegiate game, with an opportunity to pass Eagle alum Casey Beran (1996-1999) for Chadron State's all-time career sack record. 

The Broomfield, Colorado native already owns CSC's single-season (16) and single-game (five) sack records, all of which happened in 2022 while O'Connor garnered All-American honors.

O'Connor made an appearance on D2Football.com's annual Elite 100 list for the second straight season, ranking 100 players to watch from across the country in Division II. The full list can be viewed at this link.There are seven other RMAC players on the list – receiver Max McLeod, punter Blake Doud, offensive lineman Nic Van de Graaf and defensive back Jackson Zimmerman from Colorado School of Mines, defensive back Daniel Bone III and wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff from CSU Pueblo and linebacker Kendall Lightfoot from Western Colorado.

Chadron State's special teams have also made their presence felt throughout the season. 

The Eagles have blocked three punts, tied for the fourth-most in Division II. Chadron State has blocked six total kicks, ranking 10th in the nation in that category.

Senior Morgan Roper has blocked three extra-point kicks on his own, which is tied for fourth in Division II individually. Two of Roper's blocks came on extra points during the Colorado Mesa game. 

Chadron State has already seen five different quarterbacks take a snap and three different quarterbacks make a start so far in 2024, and they are nearly certain to have a fourth different starter on Saturday.

Transfer QB DJ Ralph has impressed when healthy. In six games, Ralph has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,085 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, but a shoulder injury has caused him to miss four total games and all but one series of a fifth.

Junior Miguel Larios (six games played, three starts) and true freshman Wyatt Sprague (three games played, one start) have also taken snaps, but according to CSC's depth chart, neither are expected to be available. 

On Saturday, it will likely be Preston Pearson, who played the majority of last week at quarterback, finishing 8-23 for 129 yards passing and 63 yards rushing on 21 carries. Before last week, Pearson had not attempted a pass since the season-opening game against Nebraska-Kearney on August 29. 

Pearson appeared in seven games at quarterback last season, but has not started a game so far in 2024 while also taking snaps at wide receiver, tight end, kick returns and other special teams duties in between his quarterback stints. 

Freshman Kasey Jones, a redshirt freshman from Alamosa, could potentially see action. Jones made his collegiate debut in mop-up duty against Adams State earlier this season, taking snaps at quarterback but not attempting a pass. 

An injury-necessitated youth movement could also play out in the backfield for Chadron State in Saturday's game. 

Workhorse running back Jake Marschall, whose 154 carries led the RMAC entering last week's action, exited in the first quarter with an injury during the loss to Western Colorado, and primary backup Rylan Aguallo is already out for the year.

That opens the door for true freshman Isaac Jean-Pierre of Mesa, Arizona to potentially make his first collegiate start. In 2024, Jean-Pierre has 23 carries for 69 yards, with a long run of 20 last week against Western Colorado. 

Pearson could factor into the ground game at quarterback, while redshirt freshman Chase Nelson (24 carries, 12 receptions) is an all-purpose threat. Also looming is another true freshman running back – Sargent, Nebraska's Quincey Ryker, who only has two career carries but took one 72 yards to the house on his first collegiate snap against Adams State. 

First Team All-RMAC receiver Tommy Thomas missed three games due to injury earlier this season but is back to mostly looking like his old self. 

Thomas leads CSC receivers with 34 catches, 396 receiving yards and four touchdowns despite the three games on the shelf. Thomas has found the end zone in four of Chadron State's last five games. 

A quartet of Eagle receivers have two receiving touchdowns apiece – Jamahd Monroe (23 catches, 386 yards), Grant Swenson (25 catches, 300 yards), Rollin George III (18 catches, 198 yards) and Peter Krohn (18 catches, 189 yards). 

In single-game performances, Swenson recorded a 100-yard game against Adams State while Monroe has two games with over 85 receiving yards. 

The road to the RMAC title goes through Chadron, since CSU Pueblo will be trying to win it outright by winning Saturday at Elliott Field.

The ThunderWolves dispatched five-time defending RMAC champions Colorado School of Mines last week and won a top-10 clash with Western Colorado two weeks ago to move into pole position.

If Chadron State can defeat the ThunderWolves, Western Colorado has an opportunity to grab a share of the RMAC title, but the Mountaineers could have their hands full with Colorado Mesa this Saturday. 

Last week, Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines suffered their third losses of the regular season, taking them out of the RMAC title hunt and creating an uphill climb to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. 

Thanks to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's schedule, the Chadron State football team has been saving the opponent that has proven to be the best for last. That is Colorado State University-Pueblo, which will meet the Eagles on Saturday at Elliott Field.

It will be final game of the season for CSC, while Pueblo will be striving to solidify a playoff berth and clinch the outright RMAC title, which they will do with a win. An Eagles victory over the ThunderWolves would open the door for Western Colorado to earn a share of the title. Kickoff will be at noon after 21 Chadron State seniors are recognized for Senior Day.

The ThunderWolves are 8-0 at the top of the RMAC standings. They're 9-1 overall, losing only to Grand Valley State, currently the No. 5 team in the country, on Sept. 14 by a 24-21 score. CSU Pueblo is ranked No. 7 in the latest National Football Coaches Association rankings.

Pueblo has had just two RMAC contests within a 15-point margin —a 24-21 win over Black Hills State on Oct. 19 and a 44-34 verdict over then-No. 8 Western Colorado on Nov. 2.

The Pack, as the Pueblo teams are often called, led 37-14 in the latter game before Western posted three of the final four touchdowns to close the gap. It is the only loss for the Mountaineers, who edged the Eagles 21-17 last Saturday in Gunnison.

Also last Saturday, CSUP cleared another hurdle as it zeroes in on the RMAC title by beating five-time defending champion Colorado School of Mines 28-13 in Pueblo.

The ThunderWolves lead the RMAC in both total offense at 480.3 yards a game and scoring at 42.1 points a game.

They are averaging 318 yards passing, also tops in the conference, and have passed for twice as many touchdowns (34) as they have earned on the ground (17).

Two seniors have shared the quarterback duties. Devin Larsen started the first seven games of the season for CSUP and has completed 134 of 218 passes for 1,705 yards, including a 508-yard game against South Dakota Mines in the season opener. Roman Fuller has started the Pack's last three games and played in eight overall, clicking on 93 of 132 passes for 1,324 yards. Both have thrown for 16 touchdowns. Larsen has been intercepted three times and Fuller only once.

Pueblo's top receiver is senior Reggie Retzlaff, who has 59 receptions for 1,110 yards and 12 TDs. Five more ThunderWolves have caught at least 20 tosses.

Even with their aerial prowess, the Pack also has the RMAC's leader in most of the rushing categories. Russell Howard, a 5-8, 200-pound senior, has carried 152 times for 1,115 yards, 70% of his team's total, for a 7.3-yard average, and 11 touchdowns. No one else on the team has run for more than 161 yards.

In the latest NCAA Regional rankings, which determine qualification to the NCAA Tournament, the ThunderWolves were ranked #1 in Super Region Four, meaning Pueblo would have a first-round bye and a home playoff games if rankings hold.

Chadron State head coach Jay Long is in his 13th season leading the Eagles in 2024. He is an alum of the university, earning two RMAC All-Conference selections at center during his playing career. 

Coach Long went 25-8 on the field across his first three seasons in charge of the CSC program from 2012-2014, although NCAA violations by the previous coaching staff and not connected to Long led to the first nine of those wins being vacated. 

During Long's coaching tenure the Chadron State program has seen 10 All-America selections, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, numerous All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and All-Region awards, one Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist, and the first NFL draft pick that CSC has produced since 1989 when offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey was picked in the seventh round by the Cleveland Browns in 2013. 

Prior to coaching at Chadron, Long spent three seasons as the head coach at Black Hills State University while the Yellow Jackets were transitioning from NAIA to Division II. He was also an assistant coach at BHSU for six seasons, serving as the offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator over that time frame. 

Entering the 2024 season, Coach Long is 59-56 at Chadron State. He has a career record of 74-71 as a head coach between three seasons at Black Hills and 12 seasons at CSC. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731687314612.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – Chadron State will wrap up the 2024 season against an opponent looking to clinch the conference title this Saturday, which will also be Senior Day at Elliott Field.The Eagles (3-7, 2-6 RMAC) will clash against No. 7 CSU Pueblo (9-1, 8-0 RMAC) in Chadron, with the visiting ThunderWolves hoping to clinch an outright RMAC title with a win. Kickoff is scheduled for noon, with Senior Day ceremonies starting approximately 25 minutes before kick. A total of 21 players are due to be recognized pregame.The game can be streamed live on the RMAC Network. Fans can also listen live on Double Q Country 97.5 and 105.9 or doubleqcountry.com, with Dave Collins and Sam Parker on the call, or follow along via live stats. Looking BackChadron State faced a nationally ranked opponent in No. 11 Western Colorado and took them down to the wire before losing 21-17.RECAP: Western ColoradoThe Eagles scored on a 45-yard pick-six by cornerback Jadon Bowen and a 47-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Thomas from Preston Pearson. Western also scored on a pick-six, meaning Chadron State's defense held the Mountaineers offense to just 14 points, well under WCU's season average of 36 points per game.Senior DaySaturday's game will be Senior Day for the Chadron State program, with 21 players taking part in a pregame ceremony to commemorate their final games with the program. The players due to be honored Saturday are, in numerical order – Simeon Marton, Kyle McIntosh, Brodie Roden, Grant Swenson, Deonte Jackson, Xavier Harrell, Rylan Aguallo, Adam Lynch, Hunter O'Connor, Tyler Smith, Jacob Nasalroad, Brayton Branic, Kwame Frimpong, Vincent Mosley, Tyler Carpenter, Morgan Roper, D'Anthony Smith, Nicholas Gossage, Isaac Abramson, Jamahd Monroe and Peter Krohn. The list includes six offensive starters – four on the offensive line (D. Smith, Nasalroad, T. Smith and Gossage) a wide receiver (Swenson) and a tight end (Krohn), although D'Anthony Smith and Nicholas Gossage are unlikely to play due to injury. The group also includes two defensive starters – the team's second-leading tackler in Harrell and O'Connor, who has re-written the program's pass-rushing record books while earning two First-Team All-RMAC honors and a 2022 All-American nod – and a special teams starter in long snapper Adam Lynch. Close CallsChadron State's 3-7 record, and particularly its 2-6 RMAC record, is a little deceiving as five of CSC's six losses in conference play have come by one score, including three by a field goal or less.The Eagles have dropped one-possession games to nationally ranked Colorado School of Mines (13-12) and Western Colorado (21-17) and have also dropped narrow games to New Mexico Highlands (33-30), Black Hills State (21-18) and South Dakota Mines (24-17). In the Highlands and Black Hills State games, Chadron State missed a field goal as time expired that would have sent the game to overtime. Despite the losing record, the Eagles have scored a total of 227 points this season and allowed just 174, adding up to a +53 point differential. That scoring differential is the fifth highest in the RMAC, and the Eagles are one of six RMAC teams with a positive differential. The standings, however, show the Eagles in a three-way tie for seventh. D-FenseThe main reason for Chadron State's positive point differential and gravitation towards close games has been the lockdown play of the Eagles defense. Chadron State's defense ranks second in the RMAC in both scoring defense (allowing 17.4 points per game) and total defense (allowing 278.0 yards per game). Nationally, the Eagles rank 30th in scoring defense and 23rd in total defense.So far this season, Chadron State has allowed over 20 points in just four of their 10 games and over 25 points in just one (the 33-30 decision against New Mexico Highlands).Individually, safety Dax Yeradi has four interceptions, placing him in a three-way tie for the RMAC lead with Colorado Mesa's Jason Thome and Black Hills State's Nicc Quinones.Linebackers Reed Henkel and Xavier Harrell rank sixth and seventh in the conference with 41 and 39 solo tackles, respectively. Hunter O'Connor is fifth in the RMAC with 6.5 sacks this season.Making Their Own PointsChadron State has five defensive touchdowns this season, which puts the Eagles in a three-way tie for second in Division II, trailing only Emory &amp; Henry, which has seven.The Eagles added to their total last week with a 45-yard pick-six from Jadon Bowen, who made his first career start during the game. CSC now has four interception return touchdowns, including two pick-sixes in the same game from Dax Yeradi and Tucker Peterson against Fort Lewis. Logan O'Brien also had a pick-six against Adams State. Through a statistical quirk, the defense also gets credit for a play in the Jamestown game back in week one, when a bad punt snap landed in the end zone and defensive back Rylan Wehr fell on it for a score. Although the Jimmies were lined up in punt formation, the bad snap meant no punt was attempted and by rule, the play is classified as a rushing attempt and a fourth-down stop for the defense, similarly to if Jamestown had run an unsuccessful fake punt.O'Connor TrackerDefensive lineman Hunter O'Connor tallied another sack against Western Colorado, his third straight game with another sack. A pending possible stat change from the WCU game may lead to O'Connor being awarded with a second sack. The senior has either 34.5 or 35.5 sacks for his career and will enter Saturday, his final collegiate game, with an opportunity to pass Eagle alum Casey Beran (1996-1999) for Chadron State's all-time career sack record. The Broomfield, Colorado native already owns CSC's single-season (16) and single-game (five) sack records, all of which happened in 2022 while O'Connor garnered All-American honors.O'Connor made an appearance on D2Football.com's annual Elite 100 list for the second straight season, ranking 100 players to watch from across the country in Division II. The full list can be viewed at this link.There are seven other RMAC players on the list – receiver Max McLeod, punter Blake Doud, offensive lineman Nic Van de Graaf and defensive back Jackson Zimmerman from Colorado School of Mines, defensive back Daniel Bone III and wide receiver Reggie Retzlaff from CSU Pueblo and linebacker Kendall Lightfoot from Western Colorado.Block PartyChadron State's special teams have also made their presence felt throughout the season. The Eagles have blocked three punts, tied for the fourth-most in Division II. Chadron State has blocked six total kicks, ranking 10th in the nation in that category.Senior Morgan Roper has blocked three extra-point kicks on his own, which is tied for fourth in Division II individually. Two of Roper's blocks came on extra points during the Colorado Mesa game. Who's Under Center?Chadron State has already seen five different quarterbacks take a snap and three different quarterbacks make a start so far in 2024, and they are nearly certain to have a fourth different starter on Saturday.Transfer QB DJ Ralph has impressed when healthy. In six games, Ralph has completed 67 percent of his passes for 1,085 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, but a shoulder injury has caused him to miss four total games and all but one series of a fifth.Junior Miguel Larios (six games played, three starts) and true freshman Wyatt Sprague (three games played, one start) have also taken snaps, but according to CSC's depth chart, neither are expected to be available. On Saturday, it will likely be Preston Pearson, who played the majority of last week at quarterback, finishing 8-23 for 129 yards passing and 63 yards rushing on 21 carries. Before last week, Pearson had not attempted a pass since the season-opening game against Nebraska-Kearney on August 29. Pearson appeared in seven games at quarterback last season, but has not started a game so far in 2024 while also taking snaps at wide receiver, tight end, kick returns and other special teams duties in between his quarterback stints. Freshman Kasey Jones, a redshirt freshman from Alamosa, could potentially see action. Jones made his collegiate debut in mop-up duty against Adams State earlier this season, taking snaps at quarterback but not attempting a pass. Future Is NowAn injury-necessitated youth movement could also play out in the backfield for Chadron State in Saturday's game. Workhorse running back Jake Marschall, whose 154 carries led the RMAC entering last week's action, exited in the first quarter with an injury during the loss to Western Colorado, and primary backup Rylan Aguallo is already out for the year.That opens the door for true freshman Isaac Jean-Pierre of Mesa, Arizona to potentially make his first collegiate start. In 2024, Jean-Pierre has 23 carries for 69 yards, with a long run of 20 last week against Western Colorado. Pearson could factor into the ground game at quarterback, while redshirt freshman Chase Nelson (24 carries, 12 receptions) is an all-purpose threat. Also looming is another true freshman running back – Sargent, Nebraska's Quincey Ryker, who only has two career carries but took one 72 yards to the house on his first collegiate snap against Adams State. Receiving CorpsFirst Team All-RMAC receiver Tommy Thomas missed three games due to injury earlier this season but is back to mostly looking like his old self. Thomas leads CSC receivers with 34 catches, 396 receiving yards and four touchdowns despite the three games on the shelf. Thomas has found the end zone in four of Chadron State's last five games. A quartet of Eagle receivers have two receiving touchdowns apiece – Jamahd Monroe (23 catches, 386 yards), Grant Swenson (25 catches, 300 yards), Rollin George III (18 catches, 198 yards) and Peter Krohn (18 catches, 189 yards). In single-game performances, Swenson recorded a 100-yard game against Adams State while Monroe has two games with over 85 receiving yards. RMAC UpdateThe road to the RMAC title goes through Chadron, since CSU Pueblo will be trying to win it outright by winning Saturday at Elliott Field.The ThunderWolves dispatched five-time defending RMAC champions Colorado School of Mines last week and won a top-10 clash with Western Colorado two weeks ago to move into pole position.RMAC StandingsTeam	RMAC Record	Overall Record#7/#6 CSU Pueblo	8-0	9-1#10/#11 Western Colorado	7-1	9-1Colorado Mesa	6-2	7-3#24/NR Colorado School of Mines	5-3	7-3Black Hills State	4-4	5-5South Dakota Mines	4-4	5-5Chadron State	2-6	3-7Fort Lewis	2-6	3-7New Mexico Highlands	2-6	2-8Adams State	0-8	0-10If Chadron State can defeat the ThunderWolves, Western Colorado has an opportunity to grab a share of the RMAC title, but the Mountaineers could have their hands full with Colorado Mesa this Saturday. Last week, Colorado Mesa and Colorado School of Mines suffered their third losses of the regular season, taking them out of the RMAC title hunt and creating an uphill climb to qualify for the NCAA Tournament. <h2>Opponent Preview</h2>by Con MarshallThanks to the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference's schedule, the Chadron State football team has been saving the opponent that has proven to be the best for last. That is Colorado State University-Pueblo, which will meet the Eagles on Saturday at Elliott Field.It will be final game of the season for CSC, while Pueblo will be striving to solidify a playoff berth and clinch the outright RMAC title, which they will do with a win. An Eagles victory over the ThunderWolves would open the door for Western Colorado to earn a share of the title. Kickoff will be at noon after 21 Chadron State seniors are recognized for Senior Day.The ThunderWolves are 8-0 at the top of the RMAC standings. They're 9-1 overall, losing only to Grand Valley State, currently the No. 5 team in the country, on Sept. 14 by a 24-21 score. CSU Pueblo is ranked No. 7 in the latest National Football Coaches Association rankings.Pueblo has had just two RMAC contests within a 15-point margin —a 24-21 win over Black Hills State on Oct. 19 and a 44-34 verdict over then-No. 8 Western Colorado on Nov. 2.The Pack, as the Pueblo teams are often called, led 37-14 in the latter game before Western posted three of the final four touchdowns to close the gap. It is the only loss for the Mountaineers, who edged the Eagles 21-17 last Saturday in Gunnison.Also last Saturday, CSUP cleared another hurdle as it zeroes in on the RMAC title by beating five-time defending champion Colorado School of Mines 28-13 in Pueblo.The ThunderWolves lead the RMAC in both total offense at 480.3 yards a game and scoring at 42.1 points a game.They are averaging 318 yards passing, also tops in the conference, and have passed for twice as many touchdowns (34) as they have earned on the ground (17).Two seniors have shared the quarterback duties. Devin Larsen started the first seven games of the season for CSUP and has completed 134 of 218 passes for 1,705 yards, including a 508-yard game against South Dakota Mines in the season opener. Roman Fuller has started the Pack's last three games and played in eight overall, clicking on 93 of 132 passes for 1,324 yards. Both have thrown for 16 touchdowns. Larsen has been intercepted three times and Fuller only once.Pueblo's top receiver is senior Reggie Retzlaff, who has 59 receptions for 1,110 yards and 12 TDs. Five more ThunderWolves have caught at least 20 tosses.Even with their aerial prowess, the Pack also has the RMAC's leader in most of the rushing categories. Russell Howard, a 5-8, 200-pound senior, has carried 152 times for 1,115 yards, 70% of his team's total, for a 7.3-yard average, and 11 touchdowns. No one else on the team has run for more than 161 yards.In the latest NCAA Regional rankings, which determine qualification to the NCAA Tournament, the ThunderWolves were ranked #1 in Super Region Four, meaning Pueblo would have a first-round bye and a home playoff games if rankings hold.Coach's CornerChadron State head coach Jay Long is in his 13th season leading the Eagles in 2024. He is an alum of the university, earning two RMAC All-Conference selections at center during his playing career. Coach Long went 25-8 on the field across his first three seasons in charge of the CSC program from 2012-2014, although NCAA violations by the previous coaching staff and not connected to Long led to the first nine of those wins being vacated. During Long's coaching tenure the Chadron State program has seen 10 All-America selections, 11 CoSIDA Academic All-Americans, numerous All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference and All-Region awards, one Harlon Hill Trophy Finalist, and the first NFL draft pick that CSC has produced since 1989 when offensive lineman Garrett Gilkey was picked in the seventh round by the Cleveland Browns in 2013. Prior to coaching at Chadron, Long spent three seasons as the head coach at Black Hills State University while the Yellow Jackets were transitioning from NAIA to Division II. He was also an assistant coach at BHSU for six seasons, serving as the offensive coordinator, offensive line coach and recruiting coordinator over that time frame. Entering the 2024 season, Coach Long is 59-56 at Chadron State. He has a career record of 74-71 as a head coach between three seasons at Black Hills and 12 seasons at CSC.

CSC prepared to face #7, arch-rival CSU-Pueblo Saturday in season finale

KANSAS CITY – Chadron State men's basketball hung with one of Division II's most storied programs for a half before the No. 20-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats pulled away for a 74-57 victory at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. 

The Eagles, who trailed by just four points at halftime, enjoyed a CSC career-high 18-point night from senior forward Julio Phipps, who added 10 rebounds for a double-double. 

Northwest Missouri State improved to 1-2. The Bearcats, who won four Division II national titles in five years from 2917-2022 but are now rebuilding with a new coaching staff, received 21 points from Luke Moustakas, who entered the game as their leading scorer.

The loss drops Chadron State to 1-2 on the season. The Eagles will stay in Kansas City and play tomorrow morning against NAIA school Ottawa University (Kansas), with tipoff set for 10:00 a.m. MT (11:00 a.m. local/CT).

Phipps, a Bronx, New York native and second-year Eagle after playing two seasons at Porterville College, made his first start of the year for CSC after making seven starts among 25 appearances last season. 

Phipps scored 18 points while shooting 8 of 11 from the field. Among his 10 rebounds, six were offensive boards to create second-chance opportunities for the Eagles. Phipps also added three blocked shots. 

The 18 points are the most in Phipps's CSC career, surpassing his previous high of 10. It was just off his collegiate career high, which is 21 points in junior college from December 4, 2021. 

Behind Phipps, veteran guard Jalen Thomas finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals while shooting 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Trey Ballard tallied his third straight game in double figures to open the year, scoring 12 points on 4 of 11 shooting. 

Despite the loss, Chadron State won the rebounding battle for the third consecutive game to start the season, nabbing 40 rebounds compared to Northwest Missouri's 36. The advantage was especially apparent on the offensive glass, with Chadron State grabbing 15 offensive rebounds and outscoring the Bearcats 13-0 in second chance points. 

The Eagles finished with eight assists and 15 turnovers, while the Bearcats had more of both with 19 assists and 17 turnovers. 

The Eagles were stride-for-stride with their nationally ranked opponents for the first 30 minutes. CSC took an early 6-5 lead thanks to a layup from Phipps and back-to-back buckets from Jalen Thomas. Although the Bearcats took a 14-8 lead, the Eagles went on a 7-0 scoring run with a jumper from Darrius Miles and a three and a two from Ballard to go ahead 15-14. 

While that would be CSC's last lead of the night, the Bearcats didn't lead by more than eight at any point during the first half and only had a four-point 32-28 advantage at halftime. Unfortunately for the Eagles, their shooting went cold after the break. 

After shooting 41 percent from the field in the first half, CSC dipped to 26 percent in the second half. The Eagles were 0-11 from three-point range in the second half and 1-18 for the game. 

Chadron State outpaced the Bearcats in several more categories, earning the stats edge in steals (9 to 7), blocks (4 to 2), points off turnovers (16 to 12), points in the paint (34 to 30) and bench points (24 to 9). 

Chadron State— Julio Phipps 18, Jalen Thomas 13, Trey Ballard 12, Zy Wright 6, Darrius Miles 6, Jaylen Davis 2. Totals: 21-65 FG, 1-18 3PT, 14-19 FT. 57 points, 40 rebounds, 8 assists, 15 turnovers.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731687135913.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorKANSAS CITY – Chadron State men's basketball hung with one of Division II's most storied programs for a half before the No. 20-ranked Northwest Missouri State Bearcats pulled away for a 74-57 victory at the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. The Eagles, who trailed by just four points at halftime, enjoyed a CSC career-high 18-point night from senior forward Julio Phipps, who added 10 rebounds for a double-double. Northwest Missouri State improved to 1-2. The Bearcats, who won four Division II national titles in five years from 2917-2022 but are now rebuilding with a new coaching staff, received 21 points from Luke Moustakas, who entered the game as their leading scorer.The loss drops Chadron State to 1-2 on the season. The Eagles will stay in Kansas City and play tomorrow morning against NAIA school Ottawa University (Kansas), with tipoff set for 10:00 a.m. MT (11:00 a.m. local/CT).Phipps, a Bronx, New York native and second-year Eagle after playing two seasons at Porterville College, made his first start of the year for CSC after making seven starts among 25 appearances last season. Phipps scored 18 points while shooting 8 of 11 from the field. Among his 10 rebounds, six were offensive boards to create second-chance opportunities for the Eagles. Phipps also added three blocked shots. The 18 points are the most in Phipps's CSC career, surpassing his previous high of 10. It was just off his collegiate career high, which is 21 points in junior college from December 4, 2021. Behind Phipps, veteran guard Jalen Thomas finished with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals while shooting 5-for-5 from the free-throw line. Trey Ballard tallied his third straight game in double figures to open the year, scoring 12 points on 4 of 11 shooting. Despite the loss, Chadron State won the rebounding battle for the third consecutive game to start the season, nabbing 40 rebounds compared to Northwest Missouri's 36. The advantage was especially apparent on the offensive glass, with Chadron State grabbing 15 offensive rebounds and outscoring the Bearcats 13-0 in second chance points. The Eagles finished with eight assists and 15 turnovers, while the Bearcats had more of both with 19 assists and 17 turnovers. The Eagles were stride-for-stride with their nationally ranked opponents for the first 30 minutes. CSC took an early 6-5 lead thanks to a layup from Phipps and back-to-back buckets from Jalen Thomas. Although the Bearcats took a 14-8 lead, the Eagles went on a 7-0 scoring run with a jumper from Darrius Miles and a three and a two from Ballard to go ahead 15-14. While that would be CSC's last lead of the night, the Bearcats didn't lead by more than eight at any point during the first half and only had a four-point 32-28 advantage at halftime. Unfortunately for the Eagles, their shooting went cold after the break. After shooting 41 percent from the field in the first half, CSC dipped to 26 percent in the second half. The Eagles were 0-11 from three-point range in the second half and 1-18 for the game. Chadron State outpaced the Bearcats in several more categories, earning the stats edge in steals (9 to 7), blocks (4 to 2), points off turnovers (16 to 12), points in the paint (34 to 30) and bench points (24 to 9). Chadron State— Julio Phipps 18, Jalen Thomas 13, Trey Ballard 12, Zy Wright 6, Darrius Miles 6, Jaylen Davis 2. Totals: 21-65 FG, 1-18 3PT, 14-19 FT. 57 points, 40 rebounds, 8 assists, 15 turnovers.

🏀MBB: #20 Northwest Missouri St pulls away from CSC in 2nd half

CHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State men's wrestling program has made the decision to postpone their Black &amp; Cardinal Classic intersquad dual, which was originally scheduled for Friday, November 15 at 6 p.m. in the Chicoine Center. 

Due to several injuries within the program, the Eagles were going to be unable to provide a full slate of exhibition matches. To not jeopardize the health of other athletes and focus on recovery for official competitions in the near future, the program has decided not to hold the event at the scheduled time. 

The Black &amp; Cardinal Classic may be held at a later date this winter. More details will follow if and when it is rescheduled. 

Chadron State, the defending RMAC champions, are scheduled to host two official RMAC duals in January, with Colorado Mesa visiting on January 17 and Western Colorado coming on January 24. The Eagles' other five RMAC duals will be away from the Chicoine Center. 

The Eagles will take to the mat next at the Kearney Open hosted by UNK on November 23.

By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – The Chadron State men's wrestling program has made the decision to postpone their Black &amp; Cardinal Classic intersquad dual, which was originally scheduled for Friday, November 15 at 6 p.m. in the Chicoine Center. Due to several injuries within the program, the Eagles were going to be unable to provide a full slate of exhibition matches. To not jeopardize the health of other athletes and focus on recovery for official competitions in the near future, the program has decided not to hold the event at the scheduled time. The Black &amp; Cardinal Classic may be held at a later date this winter. More details will follow if and when it is rescheduled. Chadron State, the defending RMAC champions, are scheduled to host two official RMAC duals in January, with Colorado Mesa visiting on January 17 and Western Colorado coming on January 24. The Eagles' other five RMAC duals will be away from the Chicoine Center. The Eagles will take to the mat next at the Kearney Open hosted by UNK on November 23.

CSC Wrestling Black & Cardinal Classic Postponed

CHADRON, Neb. – With one win and one last second loss out of the first two games of the Chris Francis era, the Chadron State men's basketball program will take another road trip to Kansas City for two more nonconference tests. 

The Eagles will face No. 20 Northwest Missouri State, who won four national titles in a five-year span from 2017-2022 but are currently 0-2 with a brand-new coaching staff, on Thursday at 5 p.m. CT (4 p.m. MT). The following day, Chadron State will take on Ottawa University, an NAIA school in Kansas, at 11:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. MT).

Both matches will take place in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City as part of the "Bearcat/Gorilla Classic," hosted by Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State. 

No video live streams will be available, but Eagle fans can follow along via live stats. The NW Missouri State game will be broadcast on KXCV Northwest Missouri Public Radio.

The Eagles split a season-opening trip to Texas, defeating Texas A&amp;M International 72-68 before losing to Texas A&amp;M Kingsville 73-71 on an overtime buzzer beater. 

Chadron State outscored International 11-4 over the final four minutes of game time to pull off a win in the season-opener before battling to an extra period with Kingsville. 

In the game against TAMUK, the Eagles tied the score with 15 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime and with 25 seconds remaining in the extra period before falling on the last shot.

Municipal Auditorium By Con Marshall

The Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City has a long, storied history. Annually, it hosts the NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament and has also hosted over 80 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament games, including nine NCAA Final Fours.

CSC Coach Chris Francis is no stranger to the arena. He played in the Municipal Auditorium's 10,700-seat basketball arena twice as a member of the Rogers State basketball teams in 2007-2011 and was the head coach when his University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma team qualified for national tournaments there five times. 

His many memories from those contests include one from his senior year in 2011 when he blocked a shot at the buzzer that helped Rogers State upset Texas Wesleyan 66-64. In 2019, as a head coach, his Science and Arts team edged No. 1 ranked Master's University from California 78-75 by sinking a 3-pointer at the buzzer.

After he became Chadron State's head coach late last summer and the Eagles' schedule was incomplete, Francis's familiarity with the Kansas City area helped him line up the games that will be played this week. 

As the annual home of the NAIA national tournament, it makes sense that several of the coaches participating in this weekend's classic at the Municipal arena have NAIA connections. Francis and Northwest Missouri's Matt Keeley, who came from Ottawa University in Arizona, are both in their first years as Division II coaches after careers at the NAIA level, while Ottawa (Kansas) is a current NAIA school hoping to return to Municipal for the national tournament this spring.

Senior guard Trey Ballard was the breakout performer of the season's first weekend for Chadron State.

Ballard scored 15 points twice over CSC's first two games, setting and then immediately matching a CSC career high. In the season-opener against Texas A&amp;M International, Ballard was the team's leading scorer while shooting 6 of 13 from the field with five rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Against Texas A&amp;M Kingsville, Ballard again scored 15 points while hitting 4 of 8 three-point attempts. Ballard also grabbed eight rebounds for another CSC career-high and blocked a shot. 

While not in the starting lineup, Ballard will likely be in a prominent sixth-man role for the Eagles this season, as his 30 minutes per game lead the Eagles after the first weekend. 

Chadron State won the rebounding battle in each of its first two games of the season, and by no small margin. 

The Eagles nearly doubled up Texas A&amp;M International in rebounds, grabbing 36 to TAMIU's 19 last Friday. Against Texas A&amp;M Kingsville, the Eagles again finished with more boards, grabbing 51 while the hosts snared 42. 

Ballard is also the team's leading rebounder with 13, 6.5 per contest. Just behind him are graduate student guard Jalen Thomasand senior guard Zy Wright, who have 12 rebounds each. Junior forward Trey Harris has 10. 

Over the opening weekend, a total of 11 players saw the court for Chadron State, with nine of those averaging 16 minutes or more per game. 

The starting lineup over the first two games has been the same – guard Jalen Thomas (22.5 minutes per game) and forwards Trey Harris (23.5), Jaylen Davis (16.0), John Jenkins (21.0) and Darrius Miles (24.5). 

Starting hasn't necessarily correlated to minutes played, however, as guards Trey Ballard (30 minutes per game) and Zach Smith(28.5) come off the bench to play significant roles and are CSC's leaders in minutes played through the first weekend. 

Guard Zy Wright (22 minutes per game) and forward Julio Phipps (17 per game) have also played big roles as reserves.  

Opponent Previews By Con Marshall

No basketball team in the nation has had more success in recent years than Northwest Missouri State. With Ben McCollum as the head coach, the Bearcats won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. However, McCollum resigned last spring to become the head coach at Division I Drake and took several of his players with him.

Northwest Missouri State's new coach is Matt Keeley, who came from the Ottawa University in Arizona and got the job after leading the Spirit to two NAIA Final Fours from 2021-2023. The Bearcats opened their season last weekend during a classic in St. Joseph. Mo., and are 0-2 after losing to Augustana of South Dakota 72-50 and Wayne State of Nebraska 75-64.

It is the first 0-2 start for the Northwest Missouri State program since 1977-78. The 22-point loss to Augustana was the first time since 2010 that the Bearcats had lost a game by that much. 

The Bearcats are ranked No. 20 in the nation, down from last season when they finished 2024 ranked No. 4. The Bearcats won the MIAA but lost to eventual national champions Minnesota State-Mankato in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. 

Through two games, the Bearcats' leading scorer is forward Luke Moustakas, who is averaging 13.5 points per game while hitting 7 of 19 three-point attempts. 

As an NAIA team, Ottawa University started playing in October and has a 4-1 record entering their game with the Eagles.  The Braves tallied 114 points in one of their early games and won two others by more than 30 points. However, last Tuesday, MIAA school Washburn beat Ottawa 97-57 in an exhibition game.  

Ottawa's leader is 6-foot-7 Keith Robinson, an Australian who after five games was shooting 64% from the field and averaging 18.6 points and seven rebounds.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/11/1731533236277.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – With one win and one last second loss out of the first two games of the Chris Francis era, the Chadron State men's basketball program will take another road trip to Kansas City for two more nonconference tests. The Eagles will face No. 20 Northwest Missouri State, who won four national titles in a five-year span from 2017-2022 but are currently 0-2 with a brand-new coaching staff, on Thursday at 5 p.m. CT (4 p.m. MT). The following day, Chadron State will take on Ottawa University, an NAIA school in Kansas, at 11:00 a.m. CT (10:00 a.m. MT).Both matches will take place in the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City as part of the "Bearcat/Gorilla Classic," hosted by Northwest Missouri State and Pittsburg State. No video live streams will be available, but Eagle fans can follow along via live stats. The NW Missouri State game will be broadcast on KXCV Northwest Missouri Public Radio.Looking BackThe Eagles split a season-opening trip to Texas, defeating Texas A&amp;M International 72-68 before losing to Texas A&amp;M Kingsville 73-71 on an overtime buzzer beater. Chadron State outscored International 11-4 over the final four minutes of game time to pull off a win in the season-opener before battling to an extra period with Kingsville. In the game against TAMUK, the Eagles tied the score with 15 seconds left in regulation to send it to overtime and with 25 seconds remaining in the extra period before falling on the last shot.Municipal Auditorium By Con MarshallThe Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City has a long, storied history. Annually, it hosts the NAIA Men's Basketball National Tournament and has also hosted over 80 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament games, including nine NCAA Final Fours.CSC Coach Chris Francis is no stranger to the arena. He played in the Municipal Auditorium's 10,700-seat basketball arena twice as a member of the Rogers State basketball teams in 2007-2011 and was the head coach when his University of Science and Arts in Oklahoma team qualified for national tournaments there five times. His many memories from those contests include one from his senior year in 2011 when he blocked a shot at the buzzer that helped Rogers State upset Texas Wesleyan 66-64. In 2019, as a head coach, his Science and Arts team edged No. 1 ranked Master's University from California 78-75 by sinking a 3-pointer at the buzzer.After he became Chadron State's head coach late last summer and the Eagles' schedule was incomplete, Francis's familiarity with the Kansas City area helped him line up the games that will be played this week. As the annual home of the NAIA national tournament, it makes sense that several of the coaches participating in this weekend's classic at the Municipal arena have NAIA connections. Francis and Northwest Missouri's Matt Keeley, who came from Ottawa University in Arizona, are both in their first years as Division II coaches after careers at the NAIA level, while Ottawa (Kansas) is a current NAIA school hoping to return to Municipal for the national tournament this spring.Ballin' BallardSenior guard Trey Ballard was the breakout performer of the season's first weekend for Chadron State.Ballard scored 15 points twice over CSC's first two games, setting and then immediately matching a CSC career high. In the season-opener against Texas A&amp;M International, Ballard was the team's leading scorer while shooting 6 of 13 from the field with five rebounds, three assists and one steal.Against Texas A&amp;M Kingsville, Ballard again scored 15 points while hitting 4 of 8 three-point attempts. Ballard also grabbed eight rebounds for another CSC career-high and blocked a shot. While not in the starting lineup, Ballard will likely be in a prominent sixth-man role for the Eagles this season, as his 30 minutes per game lead the Eagles after the first weekend. Cleaning The GlassChadron State won the rebounding battle in each of its first two games of the season, and by no small margin. The Eagles nearly doubled up Texas A&amp;M International in rebounds, grabbing 36 to TAMIU's 19 last Friday. Against Texas A&amp;M Kingsville, the Eagles again finished with more boards, grabbing 51 while the hosts snared 42. Ballard is also the team's leading rebounder with 13, 6.5 per contest. Just behind him are graduate student guard Jalen Thomasand senior guard Zy Wright, who have 12 rebounds each. Junior forward Trey Harris has 10. In RotationOver the opening weekend, a total of 11 players saw the court for Chadron State, with nine of those averaging 16 minutes or more per game. The starting lineup over the first two games has been the same – guard Jalen Thomas (22.5 minutes per game) and forwards Trey Harris (23.5), Jaylen Davis (16.0), John Jenkins (21.0) and Darrius Miles (24.5). Starting hasn't necessarily correlated to minutes played, however, as guards Trey Ballard (30 minutes per game) and Zach Smith(28.5) come off the bench to play significant roles and are CSC's leaders in minutes played through the first weekend. Guard Zy Wright (22 minutes per game) and forward Julio Phipps (17 per game) have also played big roles as reserves. Opponent Previews By Con MarshallNo basketball team in the nation has had more success in recent years than Northwest Missouri State. With Ben McCollum as the head coach, the Bearcats won the NCAA Division II national championship in 2017, 2019, 2021 and 2022. However, McCollum resigned last spring to become the head coach at Division I Drake and took several of his players with him.Northwest Missouri State's new coach is Matt Keeley, who came from the Ottawa University in Arizona and got the job after leading the Spirit to two NAIA Final Fours from 2021-2023. The Bearcats opened their season last weekend during a classic in St. Joseph. Mo., and are 0-2 after losing to Augustana of South Dakota 72-50 and Wayne State of Nebraska 75-64.It is the first 0-2 start for the Northwest Missouri State program since 1977-78. The 22-point loss to Augustana was the first time since 2010 that the Bearcats had lost a game by that much. The Bearcats are ranked No. 20 in the nation, down from last season when they finished 2024 ranked No. 4. The Bearcats won the MIAA but lost to eventual national champions Minnesota State-Mankato in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Through two games, the Bearcats' leading scorer is forward Luke Moustakas, who is averaging 13.5 points per game while hitting 7 of 19 three-point attempts. As an NAIA team, Ottawa University started playing in October and has a 4-1 record entering their game with the Eagles. The Braves tallied 114 points in one of their early games and won two others by more than 30 points. However, last Tuesday, MIAA school Washburn beat Ottawa 97-57 in an exhibition game. Ottawa's leader is 6-foot-7 Keith Robinson, an Australian who after five games was shooting 64% from the field and averaging 18.6 points and seven rebounds.

🏀CSC men headed into big game against #20 Northwest Missouri State

Eagle football and volleyball are finishing their seasons this week, and the CSC men's basketball team takes the floor against #20 Northwest Missouri State Thursday after a strong opening weekend!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/8/1724858002589.png" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>Eagle football and volleyball are finishing their seasons this week, and the CSC men's basketball team takes the floor against #20 Northwest Missouri State Thursday after a strong opening weekend!<div><iframe title="Chadron State Sports Journal - November 13, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=azzei-173b938-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🔊 Chadron State Sports Journal - November 13, 2024

A jam-packed show with CSC Head Coach Jay Long and Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins breaking down the near-upset of #11 Western Colorado, the season-defining effort of a great defense, looking ahead to the CSU-Pueblo game and much more!

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/10/1666116284028.jpeg" alt=" " />
 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>A jam-packed show with CSC Head Coach Jay Long and Voice of the Eagles Dave Collins breaking down the near-upset of #11 Western Colorado, the season-defining effort of a great defense, looking ahead to the CSU-Pueblo game and much more!<div><iframe title="Jay Long Show - November 12, 2024" allowtransparency="true" height="150" width="100%" style="border: none; min-width: min(100%, 430px);height:150px;" scrolling="no" data-name="pb-iframe-player" src="https://www.podbean.com/player-v2/?i=6r9kb-17393f7-pb&from=pb6admin&share=1&download=1&rtl=0&fonts=Arial&skin=1b1b1b&font-color=auto&logo_link=episode_page&btn-skin=c73a3a" loading="lazy"></iframe></div>

🔊 PODCAST: Jay Long Show - November 12, 2024

KINGSVILLE, Tex. – Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville hit a wild buzzer-beating jump shot on a broken play at the end of overtime to hand Chadron State men's basketball a heartbreaking road loss by a final score of 73-71 in Kingsville.

The Javelinas found the game's final bucket after Chadron State previously tied the score with both 15 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime and with 25 seconds remaining in the extra period. 

The loss drops Chadron State to 1-1 after their season-opening win over Texas A&amp;M International on Friday. Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville is 2-0, having previously beaten South Dakota Mines before the win over the Eagles. 

Jalen Thomas, a 6-foot-1 native Texan who transferred to CSC this year from Division I Tarleton State, had the best game of his young Eagles career with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the field, nine rebounds and the game-tying layup in regulation.

Trey Ballard scored 15 points for the second consecutive game, matching a career-high set Friday. Ballard was 5-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-8 from three-point range, accounting for more than half of CSC's seven three-point makes for the game. 

UT-Permian Basin transfer Zy Wright also added 15 points. Like Ballard, Wright shot 5-for-12 from the field. Wright, a Georgia native, made 2 of 3 three-point attempts. 

The game was remarkably close throughout in a number of areas. The teams were tied at the conclusion of the first half, 25-25, as well as the second half at 62-62. Chadron State shot 37.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, while the Javelinas shot 37.5 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep. 

Both teams also left plenty of points available at the charity stripe. Chadron State made 18 of 30 free-throw attempts, a 60 percent clip, while Kingsville made 18 of 28. The Eagles did shoot better at the line as the game went on, however, making all three free throw attempts in overtime.

Chadron State won the rebounding battle, 51-42, but committed 16 turnovers while the Javelinas had just 10. The teams combined for 10 lead changes and 10 ties. 

Missed free throws were the story down the stretch in regulation. With four minutes to go and Kingsville holding a 60-57 lead, Wright made two of three free throws to pull the Eagles within one. Kingsville's Jordan Henderson was fouled at the other end, but made only one of two free throws to make it 61-59. 

Again, the Eagles got to the line, and Zach Smith made one of two to make it 61-60 with 3:25 to play. The score stayed there until there were just 37 seconds left, when Kingsville's Isaiah Payne again made just one of two from the stripe to build a 62-60 lead. 

Chadron State got the ball to Jalen Thomas, who missed once, but got his own rebound and scored on his second shot to tie the score at 62-62 with 15 seconds left. The Javelinas had a chance to win it at the buzzer in regulation but missed two shots on their final possession. 

In overtime, Wright scored CSC's first four points with a pair of layups, but Kingsville led 69-66 with a minute-and-a-half to go. Thomas earned a huge and-one layup and hit the free throw to complete the three-point play, tying the score at 69-69. After Kingsville retook the lead, Thomas was fouled and coolly sank two free throws to tie it at 71-71 with 25 seconds left. 

On the game's final play, Texas A&amp;M Kingsville held for the final shot. The Javelinas intended to get the ball to Zyon Little, their leading scorer who finished with 20 points, but Little lost control of the ball on his drive to the basket. The loose ball fell perfectly to junior guard Allen Singleton, who launched a wild shot at the horn that rattled around both sides off the rim before falling through.

Chadron State will head to Kansas City next weekend for a pair of games inside the Municipal Auditorium. The Eagles will play longtime Division II power Northwest Missouri State on Thursday, November 14 before battling NAIA school Ottawa University of Kansas the following day.

Chadron State— Jalen Thomas 16, Trey Ballard 15, Zy Wright 15, Zach Smith 7, Trey Harris 5, John Jenkins 5, Darrius Miles 4, Julio Phipps 4. Totals: 23-62 FG, 7-19 3PT, 18-30 FT. 71 points, 51 rebounds, 7 assists, 16 turnovers.

<figure>
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 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorKINGSVILLE, Tex. – Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville hit a wild buzzer-beating jump shot on a broken play at the end of overtime to hand Chadron State men's basketball a heartbreaking road loss by a final score of 73-71 in Kingsville.The Javelinas found the game's final bucket after Chadron State previously tied the score with both 15 seconds left in regulation to send the game to overtime and with 25 seconds remaining in the extra period. The loss drops Chadron State to 1-1 after their season-opening win over Texas A&amp;M International on Friday. Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville is 2-0, having previously beaten South Dakota Mines before the win over the Eagles. Jalen Thomas, a 6-foot-1 native Texan who transferred to CSC this year from Division I Tarleton State, had the best game of his young Eagles career with 16 points on 6 of 11 shooting from the field, nine rebounds and the game-tying layup in regulation.Trey Ballard scored 15 points for the second consecutive game, matching a career-high set Friday. Ballard was 5-for-12 from the floor and 4-for-8 from three-point range, accounting for more than half of CSC's seven three-point makes for the game. UT-Permian Basin transfer Zy Wright also added 15 points. Like Ballard, Wright shot 5-for-12 from the field. Wright, a Georgia native, made 2 of 3 three-point attempts. The game was remarkably close throughout in a number of areas. The teams were tied at the conclusion of the first half, 25-25, as well as the second half at 62-62. Chadron State shot 37.1 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from three, while the Javelinas shot 37.5 percent from the field and 33 percent from deep. Both teams also left plenty of points available at the charity stripe. Chadron State made 18 of 30 free-throw attempts, a 60 percent clip, while Kingsville made 18 of 28. The Eagles did shoot better at the line as the game went on, however, making all three free throw attempts in overtime.Chadron State won the rebounding battle, 51-42, but committed 16 turnovers while the Javelinas had just 10. The teams combined for 10 lead changes and 10 ties. Missed free throws were the story down the stretch in regulation. With four minutes to go and Kingsville holding a 60-57 lead, Wright made two of three free throws to pull the Eagles within one. Kingsville's Jordan Henderson was fouled at the other end, but made only one of two free throws to make it 61-59. Again, the Eagles got to the line, and Zach Smith made one of two to make it 61-60 with 3:25 to play. The score stayed there until there were just 37 seconds left, when Kingsville's Isaiah Payne again made just one of two from the stripe to build a 62-60 lead. Chadron State got the ball to Jalen Thomas, who missed once, but got his own rebound and scored on his second shot to tie the score at 62-62 with 15 seconds left. The Javelinas had a chance to win it at the buzzer in regulation but missed two shots on their final possession. In overtime, Wright scored CSC's first four points with a pair of layups, but Kingsville led 69-66 with a minute-and-a-half to go. Thomas earned a huge and-one layup and hit the free throw to complete the three-point play, tying the score at 69-69. After Kingsville retook the lead, Thomas was fouled and coolly sank two free throws to tie it at 71-71 with 25 seconds left. On the game's final play, Texas A&amp;M Kingsville held for the final shot. The Javelinas intended to get the ball to Zyon Little, their leading scorer who finished with 20 points, but Little lost control of the ball on his drive to the basket. The loose ball fell perfectly to junior guard Allen Singleton, who launched a wild shot at the horn that rattled around both sides off the rim before falling through.Chadron State will head to Kansas City next weekend for a pair of games inside the Municipal Auditorium. The Eagles will play longtime Division II power Northwest Missouri State on Thursday, November 14 before battling NAIA school Ottawa University of Kansas the following day.Chadron State— Jalen Thomas 16, Trey Ballard 15, Zy Wright 15, Zach Smith 7, Trey Harris 5, John Jenkins 5, Darrius Miles 4, Julio Phipps 4. Totals: 23-62 FG, 7-19 3PT, 18-30 FT. 71 points, 51 rebounds, 7 assists, 16 turnovers.

🏀MBB: CSC splits opening weekend in Texas, fall in OT at Kingsville

By: Con Marshall CSC Sports Information

CHADRON, Neb. –  Following a similar script to several other games this season, the Chadron State football team put up a valiant fight but endured another disappointing setback Saturday, falling 21-17 to the nationally-ranked Western Colorado Mountaineers in Gunnison.  

The Eagles led 17-7 late in the third period, but Western, which entered the game ranked 11th in NCAA Division II and is now 9-1 for the season and 7-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, escaped with a come-from-behind victory. It was the Mountaineers' smallest margin of victory this season. 

Now 3-7 for the season and 2-6 in the RMAC, CSC has now lost five games by a total of 18 points—once by one, two by three, another by seven and this contest by four.

"We played really hard against a really good team," Chadron State Coach Jay Long said. "The game had lots of big plays and we made our share. We gave it a great shot."

Primarily because of injuries sustained in the previous week's game, the Eagles played without five starters and then lost starting running back Jake Marschall on his first carry Saturday. The Eagles were also without starting quarterback DJ Ralph for the second straight week. 

Interceptions played a big role. On the first play from scrimmage of the game, Chadron State's pass was swiped by free safety Drea Thompson and taken 25 yards to the end zone to give Western an instantaneous 7-0 lead after the extra point was added. Despite that and another Chadron State first-half interception in the end zone five minutes later, the Eagles led 10-7 at halftime.

Even though a 23-yard field goal attempt by CSC's Wilson Yee was blocked by Western cornerback Kevon Carr late in the first quarter, Yee nailed a 55-yarder for the Eagles' first points with 2:47 remaining in the second period. Just over two minutes later, Eagles corner Jadon Bowen, seeing his first extensive action of the season, intercepted Western quarterback Drew Nash's pass and took it 45 yards to the end zone for a pick-six of his own to give Chadron State the lead. 

The Eagles went ahead 17-7 with 3 ½ minutes left in the third quarter when quarterback Preston Pearson, who did not throw either of the first two interceptions, hit wide receiver Tommy Thomas with a short pass that he took down the sideline for a 47-yard touchdown.  

The Mountaineers scored on long drives during their next two possessions to rescue their win.  They initially went 75 yards in eight plays with Nash hitting Victory David on a 29-yard pass for the touchdown with six seconds left in the third period. It cut the Eagles' lead to 17-14.

On their next possession, the Mountaineers put together a 14-play, 93-yard drive. David caught two passes for 30 yards before Nash hit Elias Zarate with a 22-yard pass that he took to the end zone to put the hosts ahead 21-17 with 6:33 remaining.

Confronted with a fourth down on their next possession, the Eagles ran a fake punt from their own 24-yard line and converted after punter Brodie Eisenbraun connected with tight end Peter Krohn on a 28-yard pass that carried out to the Western 48-yard line.  

Although the Eagles turned it over on downs after that, they got new life immediately afterwards when defensive tackle Tanner True recovered a Drew Nash fumble on a QB rushing attempt and took it 17 yards to the Western 23-yard line with 2:47 still to play. Spurred by a 10-yard pass from Pearson to Krohn, the Eagles reached the nine before running out of downs with 71 seconds remaining. 

Western tried to run out the clock, but Chadron forced a three-and-out and burned their time outs to force the Mountaineers to punt with 56 seconds still on the clock. The Eagles fielded the punt at midfield and picked up one first down, but on the final play of the game, Pearson's "Hail Mary" pass was intercepted by Kevon Carr in the end zone.

Led by Nash's 23 of 38 passing for 251 yards, Western finished with 334 total net yards. David caught five tosses for 70 yards to lead all receivers.

For Chadron State, Preston Pearson finished 8-23 with 129 yards passing while also carrying 21 times for 63 yards. He was the game's leading rusher. Thomas had three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown while running back Chase Nelson had two receptions for 51 yards.

CSC defensive end William Stemler was the game's leading tackler with 10 stops while teammates Xavier Harrell, Reed Henkel, Hunter O'Connor and Dax Yeradi all had six. 

<figure>
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 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Con Marshall CSC Sports InformationCHADRON, Neb. – Following a similar script to several other games this season, the Chadron State football team put up a valiant fight but endured another disappointing setback Saturday, falling 21-17 to the nationally-ranked Western Colorado Mountaineers in Gunnison. The Eagles led 17-7 late in the third period, but Western, which entered the game ranked 11th in NCAA Division II and is now 9-1 for the season and 7-1 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, escaped with a come-from-behind victory. It was the Mountaineers' smallest margin of victory this season. Now 3-7 for the season and 2-6 in the RMAC, CSC has now lost five games by a total of 18 points—once by one, two by three, another by seven and this contest by four."We played really hard against a really good team," Chadron State Coach Jay Long said. "The game had lots of big plays and we made our share. We gave it a great shot."Primarily because of injuries sustained in the previous week's game, the Eagles played without five starters and then lost starting running back Jake Marschall on his first carry Saturday. The Eagles were also without starting quarterback DJ Ralph for the second straight week. Interceptions played a big role. On the first play from scrimmage of the game, Chadron State's pass was swiped by free safety Drea Thompson and taken 25 yards to the end zone to give Western an instantaneous 7-0 lead after the extra point was added. Despite that and another Chadron State first-half interception in the end zone five minutes later, the Eagles led 10-7 at halftime.Even though a 23-yard field goal attempt by CSC's Wilson Yee was blocked by Western cornerback Kevon Carr late in the first quarter, Yee nailed a 55-yarder for the Eagles' first points with 2:47 remaining in the second period. Just over two minutes later, Eagles corner Jadon Bowen, seeing his first extensive action of the season, intercepted Western quarterback Drew Nash's pass and took it 45 yards to the end zone for a pick-six of his own to give Chadron State the lead. The Eagles went ahead 17-7 with 3 ½ minutes left in the third quarter when quarterback Preston Pearson, who did not throw either of the first two interceptions, hit wide receiver Tommy Thomas with a short pass that he took down the sideline for a 47-yard touchdown. The Mountaineers scored on long drives during their next two possessions to rescue their win. They initially went 75 yards in eight plays with Nash hitting Victory David on a 29-yard pass for the touchdown with six seconds left in the third period. It cut the Eagles' lead to 17-14.On their next possession, the Mountaineers put together a 14-play, 93-yard drive. David caught two passes for 30 yards before Nash hit Elias Zarate with a 22-yard pass that he took to the end zone to put the hosts ahead 21-17 with 6:33 remaining.Confronted with a fourth down on their next possession, the Eagles ran a fake punt from their own 24-yard line and converted after punter Brodie Eisenbraun connected with tight end Peter Krohn on a 28-yard pass that carried out to the Western 48-yard line. Although the Eagles turned it over on downs after that, they got new life immediately afterwards when defensive tackle Tanner True recovered a Drew Nash fumble on a QB rushing attempt and took it 17 yards to the Western 23-yard line with 2:47 still to play. Spurred by a 10-yard pass from Pearson to Krohn, the Eagles reached the nine before running out of downs with 71 seconds remaining. Western tried to run out the clock, but Chadron forced a three-and-out and burned their time outs to force the Mountaineers to punt with 56 seconds still on the clock. The Eagles fielded the punt at midfield and picked up one first down, but on the final play of the game, Pearson's "Hail Mary" pass was intercepted by Kevon Carr in the end zone.Led by Nash's 23 of 38 passing for 251 yards, Western finished with 334 total net yards. David caught five tosses for 70 yards to lead all receivers.For Chadron State, Preston Pearson finished 8-23 with 129 yards passing while also carrying 21 times for 63 yards. He was the game's leading rusher. Thomas had three catches for 55 yards and a touchdown while running back Chase Nelson had two receptions for 51 yards.CSC defensive end William Stemler was the game's leading tackler with 10 stops while teammates Xavier Harrell, Reed Henkel, Hunter O'Connor and Dax Yeradi all had six.

Chadron State final pass picked in end zone in upset attempt at #11 Western Colorado

CHADRON, Neb. – Camren Morris scored a career-high 16 points and newcomer Allison Richards also finished in double figures, but Chadron State women's basketball lost to Wayne State by a 73-64 score in the season opener for both teams Saturday morning at the Chicoine Center. 

The Eagles shot 45 percent from the field, 41 percent from three and 73 percent from the line against the Wildcats but were hurt by 27 turnovers. Wayne State led the entire game and were up by as many as 18 in the second half, but Chadron State outscored the visitors 24-17 in the fourth quarter to trim the final margin.

The Eagles improved as the game went on, shooting just 18 percent in the first quarter but improving to 35 percent in the second quarter, 54 percent in the third quarter and 75 percent (9-12) in the fourth quarter.

Morris, a junior guard from Idalia, Colorado, bested her previous career high by six points, hitting 6 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 three-pointers. 

Richards, a junior college transfer originally from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, finished with 10 points on 3 of 6 shooting, including two made threes, while also recording four rebounds and four assists. 

Other new Eagles who made an impact in their first game at CSC included Bati Assefa, a Salt Lake CC transfer who finished with six pounts, seven rebounds and three blocks, and McKenzi Petersen, a Dawson CC transfer who grabbed five boards. 

Ashayla Powers, a returning Second Team All-RMAC player from last season, was limited by foul trouble to just 13 minutes played, but finished with seven points on 3-for-5 shooting and three rebounds. 

The game was a defensive struggle early on, with the score staying 2-2 until under five minutes left in the first quarter. Wayne State built a 15-6 lead, but a Camren Morris three with nine seconds left cut the lead to 15-9 after the first quarter. Morris, Allison Richards and Kyra Tanabe all hit three-pointers in the second quarter as CSC kept pace to trail 31-24 at the break.  

Wayne State took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Chadron 25-16 in the period. After a Morris three had cut Wayne's advantage to 45-38 with 3:52 to go in the third, the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run, featuring threes from Macy Birkholz and Tate Norblade, to go up by 16. 

In the fourth quarter, head coach Travis Brewster started subbing Ashayla Powers in and out with four fouls so that Powers essentially played offense only. The senior went to work, converting a three-point play and a jumper on consecutive possessions to make it 66-60 with two minutes to go. The turnovers continued, however, as CSC had three straight after that to end the game. 

Chadron State returns to the court next weekend, traveling to Billings, Montana to play MSU Billings on Friday, November 15 and Simon Fraser the following day. They are at home next on Wednesday, November 20 against Southwest Minnesota State at 6 p.m.

Chadron State— Camren Morris 16, Allison Richards 10, Kylie Krise 9, Kyra Tanabe 7, Ashayla Powers 7, Megan Counts 7, Bati Assefa 6, Malorie Byrne 2. Totals: 23-51 FG, 7-17 3PT, 11-15 FT. 64 points, 40 rebounds, 13 assists, 27 turnovers.

<figure>
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 <figcaption> </figcaption>
 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie CSC Sports Information DirectorCHADRON, Neb. – Camren Morris scored a career-high 16 points and newcomer Allison Richards also finished in double figures, but Chadron State women's basketball lost to Wayne State by a 73-64 score in the season opener for both teams Saturday morning at the Chicoine Center. The Eagles shot 45 percent from the field, 41 percent from three and 73 percent from the line against the Wildcats but were hurt by 27 turnovers. Wayne State led the entire game and were up by as many as 18 in the second half, but Chadron State outscored the visitors 24-17 in the fourth quarter to trim the final margin.The Eagles improved as the game went on, shooting just 18 percent in the first quarter but improving to 35 percent in the second quarter, 54 percent in the third quarter and 75 percent (9-12) in the fourth quarter.Morris, a junior guard from Idalia, Colorado, bested her previous career high by six points, hitting 6 of 10 shots from the field, including 3 of 5 three-pointers. Richards, a junior college transfer originally from Pine Ridge, South Dakota, finished with 10 points on 3 of 6 shooting, including two made threes, while also recording four rebounds and four assists. Other new Eagles who made an impact in their first game at CSC included Bati Assefa, a Salt Lake CC transfer who finished with six pounts, seven rebounds and three blocks, and McKenzi Petersen, a Dawson CC transfer who grabbed five boards. Ashayla Powers, a returning Second Team All-RMAC player from last season, was limited by foul trouble to just 13 minutes played, but finished with seven points on 3-for-5 shooting and three rebounds. The game was a defensive struggle early on, with the score staying 2-2 until under five minutes left in the first quarter. Wayne State built a 15-6 lead, but a Camren Morris three with nine seconds left cut the lead to 15-9 after the first quarter. Morris, Allison Richards and Kyra Tanabe all hit three-pointers in the second quarter as CSC kept pace to trail 31-24 at the break. Wayne State took control of the game in the third quarter, outscoring Chadron 25-16 in the period. After a Morris three had cut Wayne's advantage to 45-38 with 3:52 to go in the third, the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run, featuring threes from Macy Birkholz and Tate Norblade, to go up by 16. In the fourth quarter, head coach Travis Brewster started subbing Ashayla Powers in and out with four fouls so that Powers essentially played offense only. The senior went to work, converting a three-point play and a jumper on consecutive possessions to make it 66-60 with two minutes to go. The turnovers continued, however, as CSC had three straight after that to end the game. Chadron State returns to the court next weekend, traveling to Billings, Montana to play MSU Billings on Friday, November 15 and Simon Fraser the following day. They are at home next on Wednesday, November 20 against Southwest Minnesota State at 6 p.m.Chadron State— Camren Morris 16, Allison Richards 10, Kylie Krise 9, Kyra Tanabe 7, Ashayla Powers 7, Megan Counts 7, Bati Assefa 6, Malorie Byrne 2. Totals: 23-51 FG, 7-17 3PT, 11-15 FT. 64 points, 40 rebounds, 13 assists, 27 turnovers.

Morris' career-high scoring effort not enough in season opener for Chadron State

By: Paxton Ritchie&nbsp; CSC Sports Information Director

LAREDO, Tex. – Trey Ballard scored a CSC career-high 15 points, Trey Harris added 12 and the Chadron State Eagles defeated Texas A&amp;M International 72-68 on Friday night from the TAMIU Convocation Center. 

The win is the first at Chadron State and in Division II for head coach Chris Francis, as the Eagles move to 1-0 on the season. Texas A&amp;M International, which got its season underway last weekend, falls to 1-3. 

It's an early statement win for the Eagles, who were picked 15th and last in the RMAC Preseason Poll but have now defeated a regional opponent in the Dustdevils, who were projected to finish sixth in the 16-team Lone Star Conference. 

The Eagles trailed by one point at halftime, as the game featured six ties and three lead changes, with all lead changes coming in the second half. Chadron State took the lead for good with 3:25 to play, outscoring the Dustdevils 11-4 over the final four minutes of game time to pull out the win. 

<figure>
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 </figure>By: Paxton Ritchie&nbsp; CSC Sports Information DirectorLAREDO, Tex. – Trey Ballard scored a CSC career-high 15 points, Trey Harris added 12 and the Chadron State Eagles defeated Texas A&amp;M International 72-68 on Friday night from the TAMIU Convocation Center. The win is the first at Chadron State and in Division II for head coach Chris Francis, as the Eagles move to 1-0 on the season. Texas A&amp;M International, which got its season underway last weekend, falls to 1-3. It's an early statement win for the Eagles, who were picked 15th and last in the RMAC Preseason Poll but have now defeated a regional opponent in the Dustdevils, who were projected to finish sixth in the 16-team Lone Star Conference. The Eagles trailed by one point at halftime, as the game featured six ties and three lead changes, with all lead changes coming in the second half. Chadron State took the lead for good with 3:25 to play, outscoring the Dustdevils 11-4 over the final four minutes of game time to pull out the win. Chadron State shot 45.5 percent from the field (25-55), 21.4 percent from three (3-14) and 86.4 percent from the line (19-22). TAMIU lost despite a better shooting night, making 45.8 percent of their field goals and 33.3 percent of threes. However, the Dustdevils made just 18 of 30 free-throw attempts. The Eagles dominated the glass, collecting 36 rebounds to TAMIU's 19. Zy Wright led CSC with nine rebounds while Ballard grabbed five and Harris and Darrius Miles had four apiece. The Eagles also had 38 points in the paint compared to the hosts' 30. Chadron State gave minutes to 11 players over the course of the game, with nine players receiving 15 minutes or more and no player recording over 30 minutes. Ballard led the Eagles with 28 minutes played despite coming off the bench. Texas A&amp;M International immediately jumped out to a 6-0 lead, but the Eagles were undettered. Trey Harris, a transfer from New Mexico Junior College, hit a three-pointer for CSC's first points of the 2024-25 season. Later in the first half, Harris recorded back-to-back layups to tie the score at 18-18. The Dustdevils led by as many as seven on multiple occasions with under five minutes to go in the first half, but the Eagles closed to within one by the break. A 7-0 run with a Ballard layup, Zy Wright layup and Wright three-pointer tied the score at 27-27 with 2:36 left in the first half. The teams traded baskets to get to 31-31 before TAMIU made 1 of 2 free throws with seven seconds left in the half to take a one-point, 32-31 lead to the locker room. Chadron State took the lead for the first time in the entire game with 6:59 left to play in the game. Trailing 55-51, the Eagles got a 2-for-2 trip to the line out of Darrius Miles and a 1-for-2 trip out of Wright before Ballard forced a steal and converted a fastbreak layup at the other end to make it 56-55. The Dustdevils answered with a 6-0 run to take a 61-56 lead, but again, the Eagles countered by getting to the line and converted. Jalen Thomas went 2-for-2 and Treyson Neff went 3-for-3 from the stripe to cut the lead to 64-61. Jaylen Davis converted a layup, then got a steal on the Dustdevils ensuing possession, feeding John Jenkins on the fastbreak for a 65-64 Eagles advantage. CSC made enough plays down the stretch, including a sequence where the Dustdevils missed both free throws and the Eagles immediately followed with a dunk out of an inbounds play. For Texas A&amp;M International, Anthony Ignowski scored 24 points in the loss, shooting 8-for-10 from the field and 6-for-11 from the line.The Eagles will stay in the Lone Star State for a game Saturday evening against Texas A&amp;M-Kingsville. Tip-off against the Javelinas is set for 5 p.m. Mountain time. Chadron State— Trey Ballard 15, Trey Harris 12, Jalen Thomas 8, Zach Smith 7, Zy Wright 7, John Jenkins 6, Darrius Miles 6, Jaylen Davis 4, Julio Phipps 4, Treyson Neff 3. Totals: 25-55 FG, 3-14 3PT, 19-22 FT. 72 points, 36 rebounds, 11 assists, 20 turnovers.