Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 6 Washington on March 20, 2026 , Loss , 54, to, 72
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FINAL
Women's Basketball
54
vs No. 6 Washington
72
South Dakota State University Athletics
SDSU starts final road trip at UMKC
2/15/2008 1:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Holding The Summit League lead by two games with five to play, the South Dakota State University women's basketball team begins its final road trip of the regular season Saturday afternoon at UMKC.
Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. The men's game between SDSU and the Kangaroos completes doubleheader action at 7 p.m.
The Jackrabbits enter the matchup 18-6 overall and 11-2 in The Summit League. SDSU has won seven games in a row and 12 of its last 13 after home-court victories against Western Illinois on Feb. 9 and IUPUI on Feb. 11.
Western Illinois stands second in the league with a 9-4 record, followed by Oral Roberts at 8-4. Those two squads are slated to square off Monday in Macomb, Ill.
UMKC is 9-15 overall, including 2-11 in league play. The Kangaroos dropped their last outing, falling 51-49 at Southern Utah.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game marks the third meeting in women's basketball between South Dakota State and UMKC. The Jackrabbits won the initial meeting, 75-73, at the Dial Classic in Brookings during the 1981-82 season? the last year the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was in existence.
The series remained idle until this season, when the Jackrabbits joined The Summit League, and SDSU posted a 76-63 victory Jan. 21 at Frost Arena.
ONLINE COVERAGE: Audio coverage of Saturday's game is scheduled to be available via subscription service through GoJacks.com.
Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio streaming, as well as Aaron Johnston's weekly coach's show, are available for $9.95 per month or $99.95 for an entire year of coverage. An audio-only subscription also is available for $4.95 per month, with programming consisting only of live radio broadcasts.
Video streaming of all SDSU home games, as well as Saturday's game at UMKC, is available either on a pay-per-view basis or yearly subscription through the Summit League web site (www.thesummitleague.org).
Local radio coverage begins approximately 20 minutes before tipoff on KJJQ 910 AM, with Scotty Kwas calling the play-by-play.
Action photos of Jackrabbit games also will be posted online throughout the season and made available for purchase under the “Photos” heading at GoJacks.com.
SIGHTS ON THE SUMMIT: South Dakota State begins another new era this season as it begins play in the 10-team Summit League (formerly the Mid-Continent Conference). Teams began playing a double round-robin schedule in early December.
The Jackrabbits were picked to finish third in the league based on a poll involving the league's coaches, sports information directors and select media despite receiving the most first-place votes. Defending conference tournament champion Oral Roberts (Okla.) was tabbed the league favorite, followed by 2006-07 regular season champion Oakland (Mich.).
Individually, junior forward Jennifer Warkenthien was named to the Summit League Preseason All-Conference Second Team.
IN TRANSITION: The 2007-08 season marks the final year of a four-year transition process toward reclassification of the Jackrabbit athletics program from NCAA Division II to full Division I status. By meeting annual criteria outlined by the NCAA, SDSU will be eligible for NCAA postseason competition during the 2008-09 season.
FIRST MEETING: South Dakota State bridged a 16-0 run between the closing minutes of the first half and the start of the second half to knock off UMKC, 76-63, in Summit League women's basketball action Jan. 21 at Frost Arena.
The Jackrabbits won the game at the line, making a season-high 30 free throws in the contest compared to 12 by UMKC.
SDSU led by as many as five points, 12-7, in the opening minutes before UMKC gained its first lead at 19-18 on an Alysa Klein layup with 8 minutes, 16 seconds remaining in the first half. The Kangaroos led by as many as four points in the opening stanza and held their last lead of the night at 28-25 after a layup by Krystal VanHook with 4:32 remaining.
The Jackrabbits took control from there, scoring the final 10 points of the half with contributions from five different players to lead 35-28 at the break.
As SDSU opened a double-digit lead in the opening minute of the second half, UMKC went scoreless over an eight-minute span in the two halves. SDSU built its lead to 20 points, 55-35, at the 10:36 mark following back-to-back press-breaking layups by Ketty Cornemann.
UMKC clawed away, pulling to within eight, 63-55, at the 5:18 mark with a run of their own led by sophomore Chazny Morris, who led all scorers with 24 points off the bench. But the Jackrabbits continued to pound the ball inside as the tandem of Jennifer Warkenthien and Maria Boever scored seven straight points to put the game out of reach.
Warkenthien finished the night with 22 points, while Boever tallied 18 on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Both forwards shared game-high honors with eight rebounds as SDSU held a 40-27 advantage on the boards.
Cornemann marked her return to the starting lineup with 12 points.
The Jackrabbits made 22-of-57 from the field, 38.6 percent, but were only 2-of-10 from three-point range. At the line, SDSU made 30-of-44 attempts for 68.2 percent.
UMKC out-shot the Jackrabbits, finishing the game 22-of-49 from the field, 44.9 percent. Senior center Alysa Klein, who topped the 1,000-career-point mark in the game, was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor to finish with 12 points. She also led the team with eight rebounds.
Brittany Picconi added 11 points as she led UMKC's 7-of-18 shooting performance from behind the arc with three three-pointers. The Kangaroos also converted 12-of-14 free throw attempts, 85.7 percent.
SDSU also won the turnover battle, forcing 23 turnovers by UMKC while committing 14 of its own.
LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits gained control of The Summit League race by posting home-court victories over Western Illinois and IUPUI.
SDSU 85, Western Illinois 60
South Dakota State drained a season-high 14 three-pointers as the Jackrabbits gained sole possession of first place in the Summit League women's basketball standings, blitzing co-leader Western Illinois, 85-60, Feb. 9 at Frost Arena.
Playing in front of a 36th Annual Pork Classic and season-high crowd of 3,801, the Jackrabbits never trailed in the game.
Reserve freshman guard Macie Michelson led the long-range barrage early on, hitting three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put the Jackrabbits up 11-4 six minutes into the game. SDSU, which never trailed, took its first double-digit lead of the night, 17-6 , on an Andrea Verdegan three-pointer.
Western Illinois would get back to within six on a couple occasions, the last at 24-18, but the Jackrabbits closed the half with an 11-3 run, capped by three-pointers by Verdegan and Stacie Oistad. SDSU finished the first half 5-of-9 from three-point range.
The Jackrabbits opened the second half by making three of their first four three-point tries to build a 50-29 advantage with 15:38 remaining.. The lead eventually grew to 35 before the Jackrabbits cleared the bench.
After 11 first-half turnovers, SDSU turned the ball over only five times in the second half, while forcing 10 second-half turnovers and 24 for the game by the Westerwinds.
For the game, SDSU made 14-of-23 three-point attempts, 61 percent. Six different Jackrabbits made a three-pointer, led by Verdegan, who tied a career high with a 5-for-5 shooting performance from three-point range en route to sharing game-high honors. Maria Boever added 17 points for the Jackrabbits on 7-of-8 shooting from the field.
Michelson finished with a career-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range. Fellow freshman Kristin Rotert contributed 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
Overall from the field, SDSU made 29-of-59 shots, 49 percent. The Jackrabbits converted 13-of-20 free throw attempts, 65 percent.
The Westerwinds received 11 points each from Gina Hugelier and Katy Clark. Nicole Myers added 10 points.
WIU made 19-of-46 attempts from the field, 41 percent, including 3-of-10 from three-point range. At the line, the Westerwinds made 19-of-22 tries, 86 percent.
SDSU held a 33-28 rebounding advantage, led by six from Jennifer Warkenthien.
SDSU 68, IUPUI 44
Ketty Cornemann and Kristin Rotert combined for 36 points and nine three-pointers as the South Dakota State University women's basketball team continued its torrid long-range shooting in a 68-44 victory over IUPUI Feb. 11 at Frost Arena.
Cornemann, a sophomore from Yankton, scored 11 of the Jackrabbits' first 13 points, including three consecutive three-pointers, over the first 4 minutes and 40 seconds of the contest. SDSU led by 15, 23-8, with 9:20 remaining in the half before the Jaguars countered with a 9-0 run to get back to within six. However, the Jackrabbits put together a 9-4 spurt to close the first half leading 34-23.
SDSU maintained a double-digit lead for the final 18-plus minutes of the second half, thanks in large part to 12-of-22 shooting from the field. The Jackrabbits made 4-of-5 attempts from three-point range with Rotert and Cornemann each making a pair of treys.
Cornemann, who ended the night a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range, tied a career high with 19 points. Rotert added 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Jennifer Warkenthien contributed 10 points and a team-high six rebounds as SDSU held a narrow 29-28 rebounding edge.
The Jackrabbits finished the game 22-of-42 from the field, 52.4 percent, including 10-of-16 on three-pointers. SDSU made 14-of-23 free throw attempts, 60.9 percent.
IUPUI received double-double performances from Jernisha Cann, who tallied 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Julia Whitted, who added 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Jaguars were 17-of-50 from the field, 34 percent, and did not make a three-pointer until the final three minutes, ending the night 1-of-10 from behind the arc. At the line, the Jaguars made 9-of-11 tries, 81.8 percent.
ANOTHER WINNING SEASON: With its victory at Oakland (Mich.) on Feb. 2, South Dakota State all but sealed its 22nd consecutive winning season. Eleven times over that span the Jackrabbits have won 20 games in a season.
SDSU's last losing season was an 11-16 campaign during the 1985-86 season.
700 WINS: The Jackrabbits' victory over Missouri on Nov. 18 was the 700th in the women's basketball program's history. Since the modern era of women's basketball at South Dakota State University began with a 6-0 mark during the 1966-67 season, the Jackrabbits have gone on to compile an overall record of 714-329 (.685 winning percentage).
WARKENTHIEN MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: Junior forward Jennifer Warkenthien has taken on a leadership role for the Jackrabbits since returning to the lineup after missing the first seven games due to injury.
After a four-point, five-rebound season debut at Oral Roberts (Okla.) on Dec. 8, Warkenthien has reached double figures for scoring in 12 of the last 16 games, including 22 points against UMKC on Jan. 21. Since rejoining the lineup, Warkenthien has posted team-best averages of 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
She tallied a career-best 29 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 11-of-16 from the free throw line in an overtime win IPFW on Feb. 4. It marked the third time this season she has tallied 20-plus points in a game.
In her first home action of the season, Dec. 29 versus Northern Iowa, she turned in a 19-point, eight-rebound and four-block performance.
ROTERT FOR THREE: South Dakota State freshman Kristin Rotert has begun her collegiate career with a strong start from the perimeter as she currently at the top of The Summit League in a pair of three-point shooting categories. The Salem native leads the league in three-point percentage, shooting at a 42.4 percent clip, while also leading with an average of 2.21 three-pointers per game.
In NCAA statistics released Feb. 11, Rotert would have ranked 31st among Division I players in three-point percentage if the Jackrabbits had completed their transition to full D-I status.
With a team-best 53 three-pointers, Rotert has set a new freshman record for three-pointers in a season. The previous record of 41 was set by Sherri Brende during the 1997-98 campaign.
Scoring 10.5 points per game this season, Rotert had her string of double-figure games end at seven in the Wisconsin game on Dec. 14, when she was held to 2-of-12 shooting from the field en route to six points. She made a three-point field goal in the first 11 games before having her streak stopped Dec. 29 versus Northern Iowa. Rotert has drained a three-pointer in 20 of the team's 24 games, while starting six times. She has reached double figures 14 times, including a career-best 21 points against Minnesota-Duluth on Jan. 1.
A 6-foot wing player from Salem, Rotert was honored by The Summit League with its player of the week award on Nov. 20 after helping lead the Jackrabbits to victories over Oregon and Missouri. Over the two games, she averaged 17.5 points per game, while shooting 7-of-19 (42 percent) from behind the arc and 8-of-8 at the free throw line.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: In its recent two-game homestand, SDSU made a combined 24-of-39 three-point attempts, 61.5 percent.
With 14 treys against Western Illinois and 10 more versus IUPUI, SDSU has notched double digits in three-pointers on three separate occasions. The Jackrabbits made 11 threes in a Jan. 7 home victory over Oakland (Mich.). The 14 three-pointers against WIU were the most by a Jackrabbit team since draining 15 versus North Dakota State on Feb. 4, 2006.
In NCAA statistics released Feb. 11, SDSU would have ranked 20th among Division I squads by averaging 7.04 made three-pointers per game.
For the season, the Jackrabbits have made 77 more three-pointers than their opponents, 172-95. Eleven different players have connected from behind the arc this season.
BOEVER STARTS: Sophomore Maria Boever drew her first career starting assignments during the season-opening weekend and responded with a pair of double-figure scoring performances.
Against Arkansas State, the Worthington, Minn., native narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. She followed that with 19 points and nine rebounds before fouling out against UC Riverside.
Boever posted her first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds Jan. 5 versus IPFW. She has scored in double figures in 19 of 24 games, but had her string of 12 consecutive games snapped in her last outing versus IUPUI.
Boever has started all 24 games this season and currently ranks second on the team in both scoring and rebounding with respective averages of 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
She also leads the team in field goal shooting at 53.7 percent (115-of-214). In league games, Boever is shooting 58.6 percent (65-of-111), including 50-of-84, 59.5 percent, over the last 10 games.
VERDEGAN MOVING ON UP: Senior guard Andrea Verdegan played in her 100th career collegiate game Jan. 5 versus IPFW.
A starter in 83 of 110 career games, Verdegan is moving up the career charts in several categories during her senior season. By tying a career high with three-pointers against Western Illinois on Feb. 9, Verdegan upped her career total to 142, moving into a tie with Rachel Halsrud (142 three-pointers from 1992-95) for eighth place.
Verdegan became the 14th player in Jackrabbit history to record 300 career assists, reaching the milestone Jan. 12 at IUPUI with a five-assist effort. Her career total now stands at 330, putting her in 12th place. Verdegan also has moved into 13th place in career steals, entering the week with 177. She needs six steals to pass former teammate and current graduate assistant Megan Vogel (182 steals from 2004-07) for 12th place.
WINNING RECORD: Since moving up to the NCAA Division I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a winning record against D-I opponents. Now in its fourth season competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a 65-28 mark (.699 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 42 different Division I teams representing 16 conferences plus independents.
FRONT RUNNERS: The Jackrabbits have put together a streak of 49 consecutive wins in games in which they have held a halftime lead.
The streak began Jan. 2, 2006, when SDSU won at Idaho State, 82-70, a game it led 44-28 at the break. Starting then, the Jackrabbits won the final 11 games of the 2005-06 season it led at halftime, all 21 games during the 2006-07 season, and 16 of 17 victories so far this season have come with SDSU holding the lead after the first 20 minutes of play.
The last time SDSU lost a game it led at halftime was on Dec. 21, 2005, at Marquette (Wis.). The Golden Eagles turned a 32-29 deficit into a 67-55 victory in Milwaukee.
SDSU has led at the half in 16 of its 17 victories this season. When trailing or tied at the half, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 1-6 record, with the lone victory coming Feb. 4 at IPFW.
TOPS IN GPA: For the second year in a row, South Dakota State posted the highest team grade-point average in all levels of women's college basketball, officials from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced in July 2007.
“This is another great accomplishment for our team,” Jackrabbit head coach Aaron Johnston said. “Our players have always taken the award seriously, and it is great to see they have been honored two years in a row.”
In making the Academic Top 25 Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive year and fifth time overall, the Jackrabbits led the nation during the 2006-07 academic year with a 3.693 team GPA. That mark was a slight dropoff from their 3.73 team GPA during the 2005-06 season.
In three seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has placed no worse than second among its D-I counterparts in team GPA. The Jackrabbits placed second in 2004-05 with a 3.567 team GPA, after closing out their tenure as an NCAA Division II institution during the 2003-04 season with a 3.407 team GPA to rank 13th within the division.
The Jackrabbits received the team academic award for the first time during the 1999-2000 season with a 3.469 team GPA.
During the 2006-07 season, seven Jackrabbit players ? more than any other team ? were honored on the Division I Independent All-Academic Team: senior Megan Vogel, juniors Courtney Grimsrud and Andrea Verdegan, and sophomores Morgan Meier, Ashlea Muckenhirn, Stacie Oistad and Jennifer Warkenthien.
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: For the second consecutive year, South Dakota State University women's basketball player Courtney Grimsrud has been named to the ESPN The Magazine University Division Academic All-District VII Second Team.
A senior from Sisseton, Grimsrud has compiled a 3.96 grade-point average during her collegiate career while majoring in biology. She was honored on the Division I Independent All-Academic team each of the past two seasons and has been a member of Jackrabbit teams that have led all divisions of women's basketball in team GPA each of the past two seasons.
The 2007 Division I Independent Defensive Player of the Year, Grimsrud currently ranks fifth on the Jackrabbit career charts with 103 blocked shots in 96 games. This season, she is averaging 3.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Selections to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Team are based on votes by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America from South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in athletic standing, maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 and be a starter or key reserve.
To read this week's entire release, download the document below.
Tipoff is slated for 4 p.m. at Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. The men's game between SDSU and the Kangaroos completes doubleheader action at 7 p.m.
The Jackrabbits enter the matchup 18-6 overall and 11-2 in The Summit League. SDSU has won seven games in a row and 12 of its last 13 after home-court victories against Western Illinois on Feb. 9 and IUPUI on Feb. 11.
Western Illinois stands second in the league with a 9-4 record, followed by Oral Roberts at 8-4. Those two squads are slated to square off Monday in Macomb, Ill.
UMKC is 9-15 overall, including 2-11 in league play. The Kangaroos dropped their last outing, falling 51-49 at Southern Utah.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game marks the third meeting in women's basketball between South Dakota State and UMKC. The Jackrabbits won the initial meeting, 75-73, at the Dial Classic in Brookings during the 1981-82 season? the last year the Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women was in existence.
The series remained idle until this season, when the Jackrabbits joined The Summit League, and SDSU posted a 76-63 victory Jan. 21 at Frost Arena.
ONLINE COVERAGE: Audio coverage of Saturday's game is scheduled to be available via subscription service through GoJacks.com.
Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio streaming, as well as Aaron Johnston's weekly coach's show, are available for $9.95 per month or $99.95 for an entire year of coverage. An audio-only subscription also is available for $4.95 per month, with programming consisting only of live radio broadcasts.
Video streaming of all SDSU home games, as well as Saturday's game at UMKC, is available either on a pay-per-view basis or yearly subscription through the Summit League web site (www.thesummitleague.org).
Local radio coverage begins approximately 20 minutes before tipoff on KJJQ 910 AM, with Scotty Kwas calling the play-by-play.
Action photos of Jackrabbit games also will be posted online throughout the season and made available for purchase under the “Photos” heading at GoJacks.com.
SIGHTS ON THE SUMMIT: South Dakota State begins another new era this season as it begins play in the 10-team Summit League (formerly the Mid-Continent Conference). Teams began playing a double round-robin schedule in early December.
The Jackrabbits were picked to finish third in the league based on a poll involving the league's coaches, sports information directors and select media despite receiving the most first-place votes. Defending conference tournament champion Oral Roberts (Okla.) was tabbed the league favorite, followed by 2006-07 regular season champion Oakland (Mich.).
Individually, junior forward Jennifer Warkenthien was named to the Summit League Preseason All-Conference Second Team.
IN TRANSITION: The 2007-08 season marks the final year of a four-year transition process toward reclassification of the Jackrabbit athletics program from NCAA Division II to full Division I status. By meeting annual criteria outlined by the NCAA, SDSU will be eligible for NCAA postseason competition during the 2008-09 season.
FIRST MEETING: South Dakota State bridged a 16-0 run between the closing minutes of the first half and the start of the second half to knock off UMKC, 76-63, in Summit League women's basketball action Jan. 21 at Frost Arena.
The Jackrabbits won the game at the line, making a season-high 30 free throws in the contest compared to 12 by UMKC.
SDSU led by as many as five points, 12-7, in the opening minutes before UMKC gained its first lead at 19-18 on an Alysa Klein layup with 8 minutes, 16 seconds remaining in the first half. The Kangaroos led by as many as four points in the opening stanza and held their last lead of the night at 28-25 after a layup by Krystal VanHook with 4:32 remaining.
The Jackrabbits took control from there, scoring the final 10 points of the half with contributions from five different players to lead 35-28 at the break.
As SDSU opened a double-digit lead in the opening minute of the second half, UMKC went scoreless over an eight-minute span in the two halves. SDSU built its lead to 20 points, 55-35, at the 10:36 mark following back-to-back press-breaking layups by Ketty Cornemann.
UMKC clawed away, pulling to within eight, 63-55, at the 5:18 mark with a run of their own led by sophomore Chazny Morris, who led all scorers with 24 points off the bench. But the Jackrabbits continued to pound the ball inside as the tandem of Jennifer Warkenthien and Maria Boever scored seven straight points to put the game out of reach.
Warkenthien finished the night with 22 points, while Boever tallied 18 on 7-of-9 shooting from the field. Both forwards shared game-high honors with eight rebounds as SDSU held a 40-27 advantage on the boards.
Cornemann marked her return to the starting lineup with 12 points.
The Jackrabbits made 22-of-57 from the field, 38.6 percent, but were only 2-of-10 from three-point range. At the line, SDSU made 30-of-44 attempts for 68.2 percent.
UMKC out-shot the Jackrabbits, finishing the game 22-of-49 from the field, 44.9 percent. Senior center Alysa Klein, who topped the 1,000-career-point mark in the game, was a perfect 6-for-6 from the floor to finish with 12 points. She also led the team with eight rebounds.
Brittany Picconi added 11 points as she led UMKC's 7-of-18 shooting performance from behind the arc with three three-pointers. The Kangaroos also converted 12-of-14 free throw attempts, 85.7 percent.
SDSU also won the turnover battle, forcing 23 turnovers by UMKC while committing 14 of its own.
LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits gained control of The Summit League race by posting home-court victories over Western Illinois and IUPUI.
SDSU 85, Western Illinois 60
South Dakota State drained a season-high 14 three-pointers as the Jackrabbits gained sole possession of first place in the Summit League women's basketball standings, blitzing co-leader Western Illinois, 85-60, Feb. 9 at Frost Arena.
Playing in front of a 36th Annual Pork Classic and season-high crowd of 3,801, the Jackrabbits never trailed in the game.
Reserve freshman guard Macie Michelson led the long-range barrage early on, hitting three-pointers on back-to-back possessions to put the Jackrabbits up 11-4 six minutes into the game. SDSU, which never trailed, took its first double-digit lead of the night, 17-6 , on an Andrea Verdegan three-pointer.
Western Illinois would get back to within six on a couple occasions, the last at 24-18, but the Jackrabbits closed the half with an 11-3 run, capped by three-pointers by Verdegan and Stacie Oistad. SDSU finished the first half 5-of-9 from three-point range.
The Jackrabbits opened the second half by making three of their first four three-point tries to build a 50-29 advantage with 15:38 remaining.. The lead eventually grew to 35 before the Jackrabbits cleared the bench.
After 11 first-half turnovers, SDSU turned the ball over only five times in the second half, while forcing 10 second-half turnovers and 24 for the game by the Westerwinds.
For the game, SDSU made 14-of-23 three-point attempts, 61 percent. Six different Jackrabbits made a three-pointer, led by Verdegan, who tied a career high with a 5-for-5 shooting performance from three-point range en route to sharing game-high honors. Maria Boever added 17 points for the Jackrabbits on 7-of-8 shooting from the field.
Michelson finished with a career-high 14 points on 4-of-6 shooting from long range. Fellow freshman Kristin Rotert contributed 10 points, including a pair of three-pointers.
Overall from the field, SDSU made 29-of-59 shots, 49 percent. The Jackrabbits converted 13-of-20 free throw attempts, 65 percent.
The Westerwinds received 11 points each from Gina Hugelier and Katy Clark. Nicole Myers added 10 points.
WIU made 19-of-46 attempts from the field, 41 percent, including 3-of-10 from three-point range. At the line, the Westerwinds made 19-of-22 tries, 86 percent.
SDSU held a 33-28 rebounding advantage, led by six from Jennifer Warkenthien.
SDSU 68, IUPUI 44
Ketty Cornemann and Kristin Rotert combined for 36 points and nine three-pointers as the South Dakota State University women's basketball team continued its torrid long-range shooting in a 68-44 victory over IUPUI Feb. 11 at Frost Arena.
Cornemann, a sophomore from Yankton, scored 11 of the Jackrabbits' first 13 points, including three consecutive three-pointers, over the first 4 minutes and 40 seconds of the contest. SDSU led by 15, 23-8, with 9:20 remaining in the half before the Jaguars countered with a 9-0 run to get back to within six. However, the Jackrabbits put together a 9-4 spurt to close the first half leading 34-23.
SDSU maintained a double-digit lead for the final 18-plus minutes of the second half, thanks in large part to 12-of-22 shooting from the field. The Jackrabbits made 4-of-5 attempts from three-point range with Rotert and Cornemann each making a pair of treys.
Cornemann, who ended the night a perfect 5-for-5 from three-point range, tied a career high with 19 points. Rotert added 17 points on 4-of-7 shooting from behind the arc. Jennifer Warkenthien contributed 10 points and a team-high six rebounds as SDSU held a narrow 29-28 rebounding edge.
The Jackrabbits finished the game 22-of-42 from the field, 52.4 percent, including 10-of-16 on three-pointers. SDSU made 14-of-23 free throw attempts, 60.9 percent.
IUPUI received double-double performances from Jernisha Cann, who tallied 17 points and a game-high 14 rebounds, and Julia Whitted, who added 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Jaguars were 17-of-50 from the field, 34 percent, and did not make a three-pointer until the final three minutes, ending the night 1-of-10 from behind the arc. At the line, the Jaguars made 9-of-11 tries, 81.8 percent.
ANOTHER WINNING SEASON: With its victory at Oakland (Mich.) on Feb. 2, South Dakota State all but sealed its 22nd consecutive winning season. Eleven times over that span the Jackrabbits have won 20 games in a season.
SDSU's last losing season was an 11-16 campaign during the 1985-86 season.
700 WINS: The Jackrabbits' victory over Missouri on Nov. 18 was the 700th in the women's basketball program's history. Since the modern era of women's basketball at South Dakota State University began with a 6-0 mark during the 1966-67 season, the Jackrabbits have gone on to compile an overall record of 714-329 (.685 winning percentage).
WARKENTHIEN MAKING UP FOR LOST TIME: Junior forward Jennifer Warkenthien has taken on a leadership role for the Jackrabbits since returning to the lineup after missing the first seven games due to injury.
After a four-point, five-rebound season debut at Oral Roberts (Okla.) on Dec. 8, Warkenthien has reached double figures for scoring in 12 of the last 16 games, including 22 points against UMKC on Jan. 21. Since rejoining the lineup, Warkenthien has posted team-best averages of 13.2 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
She tallied a career-best 29 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 11-of-16 from the free throw line in an overtime win IPFW on Feb. 4. It marked the third time this season she has tallied 20-plus points in a game.
In her first home action of the season, Dec. 29 versus Northern Iowa, she turned in a 19-point, eight-rebound and four-block performance.
ROTERT FOR THREE: South Dakota State freshman Kristin Rotert has begun her collegiate career with a strong start from the perimeter as she currently at the top of The Summit League in a pair of three-point shooting categories. The Salem native leads the league in three-point percentage, shooting at a 42.4 percent clip, while also leading with an average of 2.21 three-pointers per game.
In NCAA statistics released Feb. 11, Rotert would have ranked 31st among Division I players in three-point percentage if the Jackrabbits had completed their transition to full D-I status.
With a team-best 53 three-pointers, Rotert has set a new freshman record for three-pointers in a season. The previous record of 41 was set by Sherri Brende during the 1997-98 campaign.
Scoring 10.5 points per game this season, Rotert had her string of double-figure games end at seven in the Wisconsin game on Dec. 14, when she was held to 2-of-12 shooting from the field en route to six points. She made a three-point field goal in the first 11 games before having her streak stopped Dec. 29 versus Northern Iowa. Rotert has drained a three-pointer in 20 of the team's 24 games, while starting six times. She has reached double figures 14 times, including a career-best 21 points against Minnesota-Duluth on Jan. 1.
A 6-foot wing player from Salem, Rotert was honored by The Summit League with its player of the week award on Nov. 20 after helping lead the Jackrabbits to victories over Oregon and Missouri. Over the two games, she averaged 17.5 points per game, while shooting 7-of-19 (42 percent) from behind the arc and 8-of-8 at the free throw line.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: In its recent two-game homestand, SDSU made a combined 24-of-39 three-point attempts, 61.5 percent.
With 14 treys against Western Illinois and 10 more versus IUPUI, SDSU has notched double digits in three-pointers on three separate occasions. The Jackrabbits made 11 threes in a Jan. 7 home victory over Oakland (Mich.). The 14 three-pointers against WIU were the most by a Jackrabbit team since draining 15 versus North Dakota State on Feb. 4, 2006.
In NCAA statistics released Feb. 11, SDSU would have ranked 20th among Division I squads by averaging 7.04 made three-pointers per game.
For the season, the Jackrabbits have made 77 more three-pointers than their opponents, 172-95. Eleven different players have connected from behind the arc this season.
BOEVER STARTS: Sophomore Maria Boever drew her first career starting assignments during the season-opening weekend and responded with a pair of double-figure scoring performances.
Against Arkansas State, the Worthington, Minn., native narrowly missed a double-double with 13 points and nine rebounds. She followed that with 19 points and nine rebounds before fouling out against UC Riverside.
Boever posted her first career double-double with 15 points and a career-high 12 rebounds Jan. 5 versus IPFW. She has scored in double figures in 19 of 24 games, but had her string of 12 consecutive games snapped in her last outing versus IUPUI.
Boever has started all 24 games this season and currently ranks second on the team in both scoring and rebounding with respective averages of 12.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.
She also leads the team in field goal shooting at 53.7 percent (115-of-214). In league games, Boever is shooting 58.6 percent (65-of-111), including 50-of-84, 59.5 percent, over the last 10 games.
VERDEGAN MOVING ON UP: Senior guard Andrea Verdegan played in her 100th career collegiate game Jan. 5 versus IPFW.
A starter in 83 of 110 career games, Verdegan is moving up the career charts in several categories during her senior season. By tying a career high with three-pointers against Western Illinois on Feb. 9, Verdegan upped her career total to 142, moving into a tie with Rachel Halsrud (142 three-pointers from 1992-95) for eighth place.
Verdegan became the 14th player in Jackrabbit history to record 300 career assists, reaching the milestone Jan. 12 at IUPUI with a five-assist effort. Her career total now stands at 330, putting her in 12th place. Verdegan also has moved into 13th place in career steals, entering the week with 177. She needs six steals to pass former teammate and current graduate assistant Megan Vogel (182 steals from 2004-07) for 12th place.
WINNING RECORD: Since moving up to the NCAA Division I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season, the Jackrabbits have posted a winning record against D-I opponents. Now in its fourth season competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a 65-28 mark (.699 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 42 different Division I teams representing 16 conferences plus independents.
FRONT RUNNERS: The Jackrabbits have put together a streak of 49 consecutive wins in games in which they have held a halftime lead.
The streak began Jan. 2, 2006, when SDSU won at Idaho State, 82-70, a game it led 44-28 at the break. Starting then, the Jackrabbits won the final 11 games of the 2005-06 season it led at halftime, all 21 games during the 2006-07 season, and 16 of 17 victories so far this season have come with SDSU holding the lead after the first 20 minutes of play.
The last time SDSU lost a game it led at halftime was on Dec. 21, 2005, at Marquette (Wis.). The Golden Eagles turned a 32-29 deficit into a 67-55 victory in Milwaukee.
SDSU has led at the half in 16 of its 17 victories this season. When trailing or tied at the half, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 1-6 record, with the lone victory coming Feb. 4 at IPFW.
TOPS IN GPA: For the second year in a row, South Dakota State posted the highest team grade-point average in all levels of women's college basketball, officials from the Women's Basketball Coaches Association announced in July 2007.
“This is another great accomplishment for our team,” Jackrabbit head coach Aaron Johnston said. “Our players have always taken the award seriously, and it is great to see they have been honored two years in a row.”
In making the Academic Top 25 Honor Roll for the fourth consecutive year and fifth time overall, the Jackrabbits led the nation during the 2006-07 academic year with a 3.693 team GPA. That mark was a slight dropoff from their 3.73 team GPA during the 2005-06 season.
In three seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has placed no worse than second among its D-I counterparts in team GPA. The Jackrabbits placed second in 2004-05 with a 3.567 team GPA, after closing out their tenure as an NCAA Division II institution during the 2003-04 season with a 3.407 team GPA to rank 13th within the division.
The Jackrabbits received the team academic award for the first time during the 1999-2000 season with a 3.469 team GPA.
During the 2006-07 season, seven Jackrabbit players ? more than any other team ? were honored on the Division I Independent All-Academic Team: senior Megan Vogel, juniors Courtney Grimsrud and Andrea Verdegan, and sophomores Morgan Meier, Ashlea Muckenhirn, Stacie Oistad and Jennifer Warkenthien.
ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT: For the second consecutive year, South Dakota State University women's basketball player Courtney Grimsrud has been named to the ESPN The Magazine University Division Academic All-District VII Second Team.
A senior from Sisseton, Grimsrud has compiled a 3.96 grade-point average during her collegiate career while majoring in biology. She was honored on the Division I Independent All-Academic team each of the past two seasons and has been a member of Jackrabbit teams that have led all divisions of women's basketball in team GPA each of the past two seasons.
The 2007 Division I Independent Defensive Player of the Year, Grimsrud currently ranks fifth on the Jackrabbit career charts with 103 blocked shots in 96 games. This season, she is averaging 3.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.
Selections to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Team are based on votes by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America from South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore in athletic standing, maintain a minimum grade-point average of 3.2 and be a starter or key reserve.
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/ Women's BasketballWomen's Basketball Postgame Press Conference (03.20.2026)
Saturday, March 21
Women's Basketball Pregame Press Conference (03.19.2026)
Friday, March 20
Women's Basketball Postgame Press Conference vs North Dakota State (03.08.2026)
Monday, March 09
North Dakota State Women's Basketball Press Conference (03.08.2026)
Monday, March 09