Cowgirls Head To South Dakota And Nebraska

Las Vegas, New Mexico - The Cowgirls will make the long trip to Spearfish, South Dakota, this weekend, then make their way down the map to Nebraska to face Chadron State.

COACH FEARING:

Coach Fearing enters her second year as the head coach of the Cowgirls. Last season, Coach reached the RMAC Tournament with a 13-13 record before falling to Colorado Mesa in the first round on the road. It was the first time in 20 years that a Cowgirls basketball team had reached the postseason. Coach Fearings Cowgirls sit at one game below .500 at 6-7 overall on the season.

RMAC COACHES POLL: 

New Mexico Highlands women's basketball was picked 8th in the 2025-26 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll, released last month. The Cowgirls were 13-14 overall and 10-10 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference last season.

LAST TIME OUT: 

1st Half: Western Colorado (WCU) 39- NMHU 44

After drawing first blood, the Cowgirls fell behind as Western Colorado went on a 7-0 run, not missing a single shot. The Cowgirls' offense found its stride, knocking down two threes to give them a lead going into the first media timeout. Out of timeouts, Kapiolani Anitielu would hit a three, and the Cowgirls' defense would come out and press the Mouantineers to force a turnover and give them a basket. Both teams were lights out, shooting the ball well in the first half, with WCU at 61.5% and NMHU at 61.1%. The Cowgirls would have the lead, 25-19, after the first quarter.

The shooting clinic would continue in the second quarter, as neither team seemed able to miss anything. The Cowgirls' defense applied pressure, forced multiple turnovers, and capitalized on them. Western Colorado's offense would find its stride as it began to score well. The two teams would make a combined 11 threes in the first half, with the Cowgirls having the lead.

2nd Half: WCU 56-74 - NMHU 64-85

Coming out of the half, both teams would be practicing forcing turnovers and tough shots. The Cowgirls would turn defense into offense. As the quarter proceeded with physical play, a majority of the team's points would come from the charity stripe. As the quarter closed, Kapiolani Anitielu would hit a three at the buzzer, and momentum was all Cowgirls.

The Cowgirls were running around, making great passes and cuts to pull away, and they would get the victory, 85-74.

 Kapiolani Anitielu, who had a career high of 29 points.

SHARING THE WEALTH: 

The Cowgirls enter the weekend at fourth in the conference in assists, and in each game this season, the Cowgirls have had two or more players in double digits in scoring. Including last week's games against Colorado Mesa and Western Colorado.

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION:

Black Hills State:

The Cowgirls will open the road trip against Black Hills State at 8-5 and 5-1 in conference. The Yellowjackets are currently riding a seven-game win streak coming into the weekend. Black Hills State is currently under the direction of Kelly Kruger, who was named interim coach on August 4th 2025. A builder of programs, Kruger arrives in Spearfish for what will be his 35th season as a collegiate head coach, where he has amassed more than 500 career wins and has taken a pair of NCAA Division II programs to national tournaments and Sweet 16 appearances.

Chadron State: 

The Cowgirls will then travel down to Nebraska to face the Eagles of Chadron State on Saturday. The Eagles will face the Adams State Grizzlies on Thursday, but before coming into the weekend, the Eagles are 1-10 overall and 1-5 in conference. Jalen Little was named the head coach on June 24 2025. Little brings nearly a decade of coaching experience within the RMAC and is a familiar name as he was an assistant for the Chadron State men's basketball program from 2016-2020 under former Eagles coach Houston Reed. 

UP NEXT: The Cowgirls will be back home against UCCS and CSU-Pueblo on the 22nd and 24th of January.

GET YOUR TICKETS: Season tickets for NMHU basketball are on sale now and can be purchased online at NMHUAthletics.com/Tickets.