RAPID CITY - For a team that is sitting at 3-5 on the season and currently sitting on a three-game losing streak the idea of traveling nearly nine hours each way to a Thanksgiving basketball tournament may not sound like the best of ideas. South Dakota School of Mines head women's basketball coach Barb Felderman hopes it is just what her team needs.

The Hardrockers have been battling youth and inexperience much of the early season, but the road trip represents an important point in their season.

"This is our last weekend before we start conference play and we need to get some flow and balance established," Felderman said. "It is important that we come out of this with some confidence."

The 'Rockers will take part in the two-day Hastings Thanksgiving Classic beginning today and concluding Saturday in Nebraska. While the tournament may be small, the competition is anything but.

Hastings College (Neb.) enters the game with a perfect 6-0 mark and the No. 2 ranking in the NAIA. After opening the season with a 55-50 win over Jamestown College the Broncos have not scored less than 74 points in any game.

The Hardrockers' other game will come against Doane College as Mines looks to reverse the outcome of the teams' first meeting of the season when the 'Rockers fell, 77-58.

"We had a horrible game against them," Felderman said. "We didn't have any rhythm or reason the first time we played and they were very aggressive."

Mines has made strides since the first meeting Nov. 15 and hope to cut down on the 30 turnovers that derailed them that time around.

The Hardrockers have faced five GPAC opponents, dropping three and winning two.

Mines is led by Bethany Holyoak, who is averaging nearly 15 points a game, and hope to continue to get more production from Stephany Bjustrum, who missed the early part of the season due to surgery to remove her appendix.

"We are getting better play, but we are a young team and at times it shows," Felderman said.