DENVER – For the first time in a month, the MSU Denver women's basketball team will venture out on the road for games Friday at Black Hills State and Saturday at South Dakota Mines.
 
Tip-off times are at 5 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
 
For MSU Denver, it will be a chance to measure its growth from the opening weekend of the season to now. The Roadrunners started the season in Texas, playing a pair of nationally-ranked teams at Texas Woman's with a neutral-site game against Angelo State (Texas) and then the host school.
 
That said, the trip to South Dakota for Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference games against quality fan bases will be yet another step up in a different way.
 
"We know what it's like to go into a tough environment like at Texas Woman's," MSU Denver coach Tanya Haave said. "But there will be quite a few more people at Black Hills, where they are always tough and gritty. Our returners know what to expect, though."
 
Black Hills State, which was picked to finish fifth in the RMAC in the league's annual preseason coaches' poll, is 4-2 overall and 1-1 in conference play after toppling league favorite Regis on the road before losing at UCCS last weekend. Black Hills State was 23-8 overall and 17-5 in the RMAC last year to earn the third seed for the conference tournament.
 
MSU Denver turned the tables on the Yellow Jackets last season – after losing at home 74-56 in December, the Roadrunners ventured into Spearfish to pick up wins in the second regular-season meeting, 62-52 on Feb. 4, as well as in the first round of the RMAC Tournament, 56-50, on Feb. 28.
 
"That's a team that will want to really pressure us," Haave said. "Lots of ball pressure and flying around defensively (in the half court). I believe we're progressing there – we're not there yet, but we're working on it. Now it's a matter of transferring it to a game – that's the next step, putting it on the floor in a game situation."
 
Black Hills State's defensive scheme is somewhat similar to Fort Hays State (Kan.), which defeated the Roadrunners 64-45 on Nov. 20. Fort Hays State is currently ranked Nos. 18 and 19 in the Division II polls – all five of the Roadrunners' losses have come to teams that were ranked when the teams played, moved into the rankings afterwards, or both.
 
South Dakota Mines is 0-7 and 0-2, but with All-RMAC guard Piper Bauer, one of the best 3-point shooters in the country, the Hardrockers are a dangerous team.
 
"We're going to have to contain Bauer," Haave said. "And I don't care about their record – they are tough to play at their place. They're 20 points better at home than they are on the road, and they were on the road last weekend. We treat every team the same. We might see their scores, but we do everything in our power to do what we're supposed to be doing, with each player focusing on her job and playing our game on the floor.
 
"This is always a tough road trip."
 
MSU Denver is 2-5 overall and 1-1 in league play. It split at home last weekend with a victory over Westminster before a loss against nationally-ranked Colorado Mesa.
 
"We got the split, and that's a good thing," Haave said. "That's what we need to do right now. We're not where Mesa is right now, not yet. So you take the split, take what you can from the loss, and get better. We're continuing to learn what it takes to play at that level and understanding more every day.
 
"As a coach sometimes you're not as patient as you should be, but we do see progress."