Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 6 Washington on March 20, 2026 , Loss , 54, to, 72
/
FINAL
Women's Basketball
54
vs No. 6 Washington
72
South Dakota State University Athletics
Jacks head to Iowa for meeting with Hawkeyes
12/21/2009 4:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The South Dakota State University women's basketball team will close out a two-game road trip Tuesday night, traveling to Iowa in non-conference action.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.
The Jackrabbits enter their final road non-conference game with a 5-5 overall record following a 62-58 loss Saturday at Utah. SDSU has yet to register a true non-conference road win this season.
Iowa, meanwhile, is 6-5 overall after defeating in-state rival Drake, 73-61, Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, behind 22 points from Jaime Printy. Morgan Johnson tallied 16 points, while Kamille Wahlin added 12 points and six assists for the Hawkeyes, who improved to 4-3 on their home court.
THE SERIES: Tuesday's game marks only the second official meeting between Iowa and South Dakota State in women's basketball.
The Hawkeyes came away with a 73-63 victory in the initial meeting, which was played at the Jennies Classic in Warrensburg, Mo., during the 1977-78 season.
The Jackrabbits and Iowa also played an exhibition game on Nov. 13, 2003, with the Hawkeyes claiming an 86-72 victory on their home floor.
SDSU has has had success against Big Ten opponents in recent years, compiling a 6-2 record since moving to the Division I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season. The Jackrabbits won all three meetings against Big Ten opponents last season, defeating Wisconsin (64-44 at Frost Arena), Illinois (62-60 in Cancun, Mexico) and Minnesota (65-55 in Minneapolis).
JACKRABBITS ONLINE: Audio coverage of Tuesday's game is scheduled to be available via subscription service at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics. Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio and video streaming of most Jackrabbit basketball games, are available for $9.95 per month or $79.95 on a limited-time basis 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.
Local radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. Central Time on the Jackrabbit Radio Network, with Tyler Merriam calling the play-by-play. Brookings-based KJJQ 910 AM will serve as the flagship station of the network, with coverage of Tuesday's game also available on WNAX 570 AM in Yankton.
Video streaming will be available for $2.99 at BigTenNetwork.com.
LAST WEEK: Kalee Whipple scored 19 of her game-high 25 points the second half to lead Utah past South Dakota State, 62-58, Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City.
The Utes held off a late rally to improve to 6-4 overall, while the Jackrabbits dropped to 5-5 on the season.
Trailing 51-40 with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, Macie Michelson ignited a late Jackrabbit rally. The junior point guard scored all 10 of her points in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers — the last of which pulled SDSU to within 57-53 with 1 minute, 17 seconds remaining.
After a Utah turnover, Maria Boever made the first of two free throws with 47 seconds left to make the score 57-54. Boever missed the second attempt and Kristin Rotert grabbed the rebound. However, Jill Young's attempt at a game-tying three-pointer rimmed off and Utah came up with the loose ball.
The Utes made 5-of-6 free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds to seal the victory and remain perfect on the season at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
SDSU scored the first five points of the game and held the lead for much of the first half before the Utes grabbed a 26-25 halftime lead on a basket by Whipple with 31 seconds remaining.
The lead changed four times and was tied four more times in the second half before Utah took the lead for good with a 15-4 run.
Sasha McKinnon sparked the decisive spurt with a three-pointer — her only points of the game — that broke the ninth tie of the game, giving the Utes the lead for good at 39-36 with 12:51 to play.
Whipple finished the game 7-of-18 from the field and 9-of-11 at the free throw line for her 25 points. Taryn Wicijowski was the only other Utah player in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds to lead the Utes' narrow 31-30 rebounding advantage.
Rotert scored 11 of her team-high 13 points in the first half for SDSU. Boever and Michelson each finished with 10 points, while Ashley Eide continued her strong play off the bench with nine points.
Shooting statistics from the field were nearly identical. The Jackrabbits shot at a higher percentage, making 23-of-52 attempts, 44.2 percent, including 6-of-19 on three-pointers. Utah made 21-of-49 shots from the floor, 42.9 percent, including 4-for-14 from long range.
Utah held a 10-point advantage at the free throw line, making 16-of-21 tries for 76.2 percent. The Jackrabbits were 6-of-10 at the stripe, 60 percent.
UP AND DOWN: As the calendar turned to December, the Jackrabbit offense has heated up.
SDSU has shot 50 percent or better in three of its last four games, including a 62 percent (31-of-50) performance against Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 13 that stands as the best shooting effort in the Division I era. Combined, the Jackrabbits have gone 111-of-215, 51.6 percent, in the month of December, including 30-of-64, 46.9 percent, from three-point range. SDSU, which shot 51 percent at Western Illinois and 50 percent at IUPUI to start the streak, is averaging 76 points per game in posting a 3-1 record so far this month, despite scoring a season-low 58 points at Utah after tallying season highs of 85 and 87 points in back-to-back games.
SUMMIT LEAGUE DOMINANCE: South Dakota State has built an impressive Summit League résumé as it plays its third season in the 10-team conference.
In its two-plus seasons as a league member, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 35-3 record in Summit League regular season games en route to consecutive outright league titles with records of 16-2 in 2007-08 and 17-1 during the 2008-09 season. SDSU has gone a perfect 18-0 at home and has won at least one game on every other Summit League member's home court.
SDSU also is 3-0 in Summit League postseason tournament games after winning the 2009 championship in its first year of eligibility. The Summit League Championship returns to Sioux Falls March 6-9, 2010.
PRESEASON FAVORITES: The South Dakota State University women's basketball team is a near-unanimous pick to repeat as Summit League champions, as selected by the annual preseason poll of league coaches, sports information directors and media, which was released in October.
The Jackrabbits, who return four starters, received 25 of the 27 first-place votes to tally 419 points. Oakland University (Mich.), which lost to SDSU in the Summit League Championship last season, earned one first-place vote and finished second in the poll with 365 points. North Dakota State was third with 318 points, while Oral Roberts (Okla.) picked up the other first-place vote to finish fourth with 289 points.
The Summit League opens its 18-game, double round-robin schedule Dec. 5. The Summit League Championship returns to the Sioux Falls Arena March 6-9.
PRESEASON HONORS: Although South Dakota State does not have a player on the preseason all-Summit League First Team, four Jackrabbit players received preseason accolades by being named to the all-league second team: senior forwards Maria Boever and Ketty Cornemann, junior guard/forward Kristin Rotert and sophomore guard Jill Young.
Boever, a 6-foot-1 senior forward from Worthington, Minn., earned honorable mention all-Summit League honors last season after averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures 14 times and added a pair of double-digit rebounding performances.
A 5-11 senior forward, Cornemann earned all-Summit League second-team recognition during the 2008-09 season. One of only two Jackrabbits to start all 35 games, she reached double figures 13 times en route to averaging 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Rotert, a 6-foot junior wing, was another honorable mention all-league performer after averaging 10.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She ranked second on the team with 60 three-pointers and had the tendency to rise to the occasion in big games, posting double figures for scoring 17 times.
Young, a 5-7 sophomore guard, earned Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year honors and a spot on the Summit League All-Newcomer Team after ranking second on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game. The Mitchell native established a Jackrabbit freshman record with 82 three-pointers.
UMKC guard Chazny Morris was named the Preseason Player of the Year. She was joined on the first team by North Dakota State guard Inger Hodgson, IPFW guard Chelsey Jackson, Oakland guard Melissa Jeltema, Oral Roberts guard/forward Janae Voelker and IUPUI center Julia Whitted.
DIFFICULT SCHEDULE: The Jackrabbit women's basketball team is playing a difficult slate of non-conference games this season.
Of SDSU's first nine non-conference games, eight are against an opponent that played in the postseason a year ago. Seven of those games are against fellow NCAA Tournament teams as the Jackrabbits met Virginia in the second round of the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.
Two of SDSU's opponents are currently ranked in the top 25 of this week's Associated Press poll: Arizona State (18th) and Virginia (23rd).
YOUTHFUL BENCH: While the Jackrabbits return four of their five regular starters from a year ago, SDSU will rely on a number of underclassmen to fill reserve roles this season.
Of the 15 players on the roster, five are true freshmen, one is a redshirt freshman, threeare sophomores, three are juniors and three are seniors.
With reigning Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year Jill Young settling into a starting role, the next top returning scorer off the bench is sophomore Jennie Sunnarborg, who
averaged 3.3 points per game during the 2008-09 campaign, but has doubled her scoring output to 6.6 points per game so far this season.
The Jackrabbits will look for an expanded role for sophomore guard Vanessa Johnson, who missed nearly half the 2008-09 season due to injury. Johnson averaged only 0.6 points per game during the 2008-09 season, but provides the Jackrabbits with another perimeter shooting threat.
Other returning bench players include senior point guard Alison Anderson and junior forward Jennifer Schuttloffel.
Of the six players in the freshman class, four are from the state of South Dakota. Ashley Eide (Sioux Falls), Tara Heiser (Watertown) and Steph Paluch (Pierre) will fill guard slots, while Katie Lingle (Pierre) will back up in the post. Heiser is expected to redshirt this season.
Rounding out the freshman class are Jordan, Minn., native Leah Dietel at forward and redshirt freshman post player Cala Westergard. A native of Charles City, Iowa, Westergard played in her first official game since her junior year of high school in the Nov. 15 matchup at Arizona State. Westergard missed her senior year of high school due to injury.
Despite its youth, the Jackrabbit reserves have outscored their counterparts in seven of the 10 games this season.
DEPTH AND BALANCE: The Jackrabbits have had at least two players score in double figures in all 10 games so far this season, and nine different players have tallied double digits for scoring.
Senior forward Maria Boever has led or shared top-scoring honors five times this season, including a season-high 21 points in the season opener against Gonzaga.
A list of double-figure scoring games follows:
Gonzaga • Maria Boever (21), Jill Young (15), Leah Dietel (12), Ketty Cornemann (10)
Arizona State • Kristin Rotert (14), Jennie Sunnarborg (11)
Illinois State • Boever (17), Rotert (15), Sunnarborg (12), Macie Michelson (10)
Western Kentucky • Rotert (16), Michelson (13), Boever (11), Cornemann (10)
Charlotte • Boever (18), Rotert (13), Young (10)
Virginia • Boever (14), Steph Paluch (14), Rotert (14)
Western Illinois • Boever (14), Cornemann (14), Rotert (13)
IUPUI • Cornemann (18), Boever (14), Sunnarborg (13), Young (11)
Middle Tennesee State • Ashley Eide (17), Boever (13), Rotert (13), Sunnarborg (12), Young (11)
Utah • Rotert (13), Boever (10), Michelson (10)
100 D-I WINS: 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. In its five-plus seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a 107-37 mark (.743 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 50 different Division I teams representing 18 conferences plus independents.
750 WINS: The Jackrabbits' victory over Oakland in the 2009 Summit League championship game was the 750th 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 Jacks have gone on to compile an overall record of 756-335 (.693 winning percentage).
SDSU has a streak of 23 consecutive winning seasons.The Jackrabbits' last losing season was an 11-16 campaign during the 1985-86 season.
OPENING SUCCESS: The Jackrabbits' 75-71 overtime victory against Gonzaga in the 2009-10 season opener on Nov. 13 marked the 17th consecutive season SDSU opened with a win.
The last time the Jackrabbits lost a season opener was during the 1992-93 season, when they fell 74-72 to Moorhead State (Minn.).
TOUGH AT HOME: SDSU's loss to Western Kentucky on Nov. 22, was a rarity during the Aaron Johnston era. In his tenure as Jackrabbit head coach, Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to a 118-13 record (.901 winning percentage) at Frost Arena, including a 63-5 mark at home during the Division I era. The Jackrabbits have put together winning streaks of 15, 15 and 22 in the process.
Since the start of the 2001-02 season, SDSU has a 108-8 home record, losing just one game at Frost Arena each full season before capping the 2008-09 regular season with a 14-0 record — a mark that stands as the first undefeated home season in school history. The loss to Western Kentucky snapped a 35-game regular season home winning streak, as well as a 15-game overall winning streak that began after the Jackrabbits lost to Creighton (Neb.) in the opening round of the 2008 Women's NIT.
SDSU is undefeated at home in Summit League play, posting an 18-0 record at Frost Arena since joining the league in 2007-08. The Jackrabbits have won their home conference games by an average of 26.7 points.
FINDING THE RIGHT COMBINATION: Despite returning four regular starters from last year's squad, the Jackrabbit women's basketball team has shaken up the starting lineup this season. Through the first 10 games, SDSU has used three different starting lineups, with seven players cracking the starting five. Maria Boever, Macie Michelson and Kristin Rotert have started all 10 games so far this season
• Gonzaga: Cornemann, Sunnarborg, Boever, Michelson, Rotert
• at Arizona State: Cornemann, Sunnarborg, Boever, Michelson, Rotert
• at Illinois State: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• Western Kentucky: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• vs. Charlotte: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• vs. Virginia: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• at Western Illinois: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• at IUPUI: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• Middle Tennessee: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• Utah: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
BOEVER TOPS 1,000: South Dakota State senior forward Maria Boever became the 27th member of the Jackrabbit 1,000-Point Club, accomplishing the feat Dec. 7 at IUPUI.
With 14 points in the game, Boever upped her career total to 1,010 points. She has since gone on to tally 1,033 career points in 101 career games as she moved past Sarita DeBoer (1,003 points from 2002-05) for 26th place. Next on the career scoring list is Dawn Hull, who scored 1,125 points from 1993-96.
A senior from Worthington, Minn., Boever finished as the team's second-leading scorer during her sophomore season in 2007-08 with an average of 12.2 points per game, then ranked fourth last year on a balanced Jackrabbit team with 10 points per game.
Two other Jackrabbit players could reach the 1,000-point plateau later this season: senior Ketty Cornemann and junior Kristin Rotert. Cornemann has tallied 772 career points, while Rotert has 762 career points.
100 GAMES: Jackrabbit seniors and three-year starters Maria Boever and Ketty Cornemann each played in their 100th career game Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State.
During their three-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, SDSU has posted a combined record of 85-21.
SDSU's third member of the senior class, Alison Anderson, has played in 94 games in a Jackrabbit uniform.
CORNEMANN RESPONDS: After coming off the bench in the four previous games, Ketty Cornmenann marked her return to the starting lineup with back-to-back strong performances to kick off Summit League action.
A senior from Yankton, Cornemann averaged 16 points and five rebounds in games at Western Illinois and IUPUI, shooting 66.7 percent (4-of-6) from three-point range. She posted season highs of 18 points and nine rebounds in the win at IUPUI on Dec. 7, then scored eight points in the Dec. 13 victory over Middle Tennessee State.
DOUBLE DUTY: Maria Boever has posted a pair of double-doubles for points and rebounds while leading the team in both categories — 14.2 ppg and 7.1 rpg — through the first 10 games.
Boever began the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the season-opening overtime victory over Gonzaga, then added 11 points and 10 boards in a home loss to Western Kentucky.
YOUNG FOR 3: Sophomore guard Jill Young will attempt to build on a strong showing from behind the three-point arc during her first season in a Jackrabbit uniform.
The Mitchell native ranked third among NCAA Division I players during the 2008-09 season by shooting at a 46.1 percent (82-of-178) clip from three-point range. Young's 82 made three-pointers also set a Jackrabbit freshman record, eclipsing the mark of 58 set by Kristin Rotert during the 2007-08 campaign.
Young comes into Tuesday's matchup at Iowa with 102 career three-pointers, topping the 100 mark with three triples Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State. She has made at least one three-pointer in nine of the 10 games this season and is currently shooting 38.5 percent from behind the arc, making 20-of-52 attempts.
ROTERT CRACKS TOP 10: Junior wing Kristin Rotert joined the Jackrabbit career top 10 for three-pointers made last month at the Junkanoo Jam.
The Salem leads the team with 23 three-pointers so far this season and upped her career total to 141 with three three-pointers in the Dec. 19 game at Utah. Rotert stands one three-pointers behind Rachel Halsrud (142 three-pointers form 1991-94) for ninth place. She has made three three-pointers in a game six different times this season.
Rotert set a then-freshman record with 58 three-pointers during the 2007-08 season and ranked second on the team with 60 treys last season.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: As a team, the Jackrabbits ranked fifth among Division I women's basketball teams by making an average of 8.5 three-pointers per game last season.
SDSU tied school and NCAA Tournament single-game records with 16 trifectas in its opening-round win over Texas Christian. The Jackrabbits made 10 or more three-pointers in a game nine times.
The Jackrabbits' 291 three-pointers as a team set a new single-season school record, breaking the mark of 288 set by the 2001-02 squad, which was the first Jackrabbit team to qualify for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Through 10 games this season, the Jackrabbits have made 76 three-pointers, an average of 7.6 per game, while shooting a Summit League-best 39.2 percent (76-of-194) from beyond the arc. SDSU's opponents are 39-of-129 from behind the arc, 30.2 percent.
EIDE STEPS UP: Freshman guard/forward Ashley Eide has been the top reserve for the Jackrabbits in the last two ball games. After playing sparingly the first month of the season, Eide scored a career-high 17 points in 22 minutes of action in the Dec. 13 win over Middle Tennessee State, then tallied nine points in the loss to Utah on Dec. 19.
In the last two games combined, Eide is shooting 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from the field, making her only three-point attempt.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS: The Jackrabbit women's basketball team had its streak of winning 36 consecutive games in which it has held a rebounding advantage end in the 81-74 loss Nov. 22 to Western Kentucky. SDSU won the last 10 games of the 2007-08 season, all 25 during the 2008-09 season and the first game of the 2009-10 season in which it held an edge on the boards.
Previously, the last time SDSU lost a game it won the battle of the boards was a 67-60 defeat at Western Illinois on Jan. 14, 2008.
COACH AARON JOHNSTON: Now in his 10th season as head coach of the South Dakota State University women's basketball team, Aaron Johnston has taken the Jackrabbit program to the top of NCAA Division II and is leading SDSU to national prominence at the Division I level.
Johnston, who coached his 300th game Dec. 19 at Utah, has compiled a career record of 230-70 (.767 winning percentage), ranking second on the SDSU career victories list behind his predecessor, Nancy Neiber, who compiled a 301-140 record in 16 seasons from 1985-2000. Johnston posted his 200th career victory on Dec. 4, 2008, when the Jackrabbits defeated Centenary (La.) His career totals have included a 35-3 record (.921 winning percentage) in Summit League regular season games and a 16-5 mark (.762 winning percentage) in postseason games.
THE ROSTER: The 2009-10 SDSU women's basketball roster features 15 players from three different states. Of the 15 players, nine are from South Dakota, five are from Minnesota and one is from Iowa. By class, three are seniors, three are juniors, three are sophomores, one is a redshirt freshman and five are incoming freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: After a brief holiday break, the Jackrabbits return to action Dec. 28 by opening a three-game homestand against Northern Iowa.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Frost Arena.
SDSU closes out the homestand with its first two Summit League home games of the season. The Jackrabbits take on Centenary (La.) in the annual Lamb Bonanza game on Saturday, Jan. 2, tipping off the doubleheader at 5 p.m.
SDSU will host Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, to end the homestand.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Carver-Hawkeye Arena on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City.
The Jackrabbits enter their final road non-conference game with a 5-5 overall record following a 62-58 loss Saturday at Utah. SDSU has yet to register a true non-conference road win this season.
Iowa, meanwhile, is 6-5 overall after defeating in-state rival Drake, 73-61, Sunday at Carver-Hawkeye Arena, behind 22 points from Jaime Printy. Morgan Johnson tallied 16 points, while Kamille Wahlin added 12 points and six assists for the Hawkeyes, who improved to 4-3 on their home court.
THE SERIES: Tuesday's game marks only the second official meeting between Iowa and South Dakota State in women's basketball.
The Hawkeyes came away with a 73-63 victory in the initial meeting, which was played at the Jennies Classic in Warrensburg, Mo., during the 1977-78 season.
The Jackrabbits and Iowa also played an exhibition game on Nov. 13, 2003, with the Hawkeyes claiming an 86-72 victory on their home floor.
SDSU has has had success against Big Ten opponents in recent years, compiling a 6-2 record since moving to the Division I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season. The Jackrabbits won all three meetings against Big Ten opponents last season, defeating Wisconsin (64-44 at Frost Arena), Illinois (62-60 in Cancun, Mexico) and Minnesota (65-55 in Minneapolis).
JACKRABBITS ONLINE: Audio coverage of Tuesday's game is scheduled to be available via subscription service at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics. Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio and video streaming of most Jackrabbit basketball games, are available for $9.95 per month or $79.95 on a limited-time basis 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.
Local radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. Central Time on the Jackrabbit Radio Network, with Tyler Merriam calling the play-by-play. Brookings-based KJJQ 910 AM will serve as the flagship station of the network, with coverage of Tuesday's game also available on WNAX 570 AM in Yankton.
Video streaming will be available for $2.99 at BigTenNetwork.com.
LAST WEEK: Kalee Whipple scored 19 of her game-high 25 points the second half to lead Utah past South Dakota State, 62-58, Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City.
The Utes held off a late rally to improve to 6-4 overall, while the Jackrabbits dropped to 5-5 on the season.
Trailing 51-40 with just under seven minutes remaining in the game, Macie Michelson ignited a late Jackrabbit rally. The junior point guard scored all 10 of her points in the second half, including a pair of three-pointers — the last of which pulled SDSU to within 57-53 with 1 minute, 17 seconds remaining.
After a Utah turnover, Maria Boever made the first of two free throws with 47 seconds left to make the score 57-54. Boever missed the second attempt and Kristin Rotert grabbed the rebound. However, Jill Young's attempt at a game-tying three-pointer rimmed off and Utah came up with the loose ball.
The Utes made 5-of-6 free throw attempts in the final 30 seconds to seal the victory and remain perfect on the season at the Jon M. Huntsman Center.
SDSU scored the first five points of the game and held the lead for much of the first half before the Utes grabbed a 26-25 halftime lead on a basket by Whipple with 31 seconds remaining.
The lead changed four times and was tied four more times in the second half before Utah took the lead for good with a 15-4 run.
Sasha McKinnon sparked the decisive spurt with a three-pointer — her only points of the game — that broke the ninth tie of the game, giving the Utes the lead for good at 39-36 with 12:51 to play.
Whipple finished the game 7-of-18 from the field and 9-of-11 at the free throw line for her 25 points. Taryn Wicijowski was the only other Utah player in double figures with 10 points and seven rebounds to lead the Utes' narrow 31-30 rebounding advantage.
Rotert scored 11 of her team-high 13 points in the first half for SDSU. Boever and Michelson each finished with 10 points, while Ashley Eide continued her strong play off the bench with nine points.
Shooting statistics from the field were nearly identical. The Jackrabbits shot at a higher percentage, making 23-of-52 attempts, 44.2 percent, including 6-of-19 on three-pointers. Utah made 21-of-49 shots from the floor, 42.9 percent, including 4-for-14 from long range.
Utah held a 10-point advantage at the free throw line, making 16-of-21 tries for 76.2 percent. The Jackrabbits were 6-of-10 at the stripe, 60 percent.
UP AND DOWN: As the calendar turned to December, the Jackrabbit offense has heated up.
SDSU has shot 50 percent or better in three of its last four games, including a 62 percent (31-of-50) performance against Middle Tennessee State on Dec. 13 that stands as the best shooting effort in the Division I era. Combined, the Jackrabbits have gone 111-of-215, 51.6 percent, in the month of December, including 30-of-64, 46.9 percent, from three-point range. SDSU, which shot 51 percent at Western Illinois and 50 percent at IUPUI to start the streak, is averaging 76 points per game in posting a 3-1 record so far this month, despite scoring a season-low 58 points at Utah after tallying season highs of 85 and 87 points in back-to-back games.
SUMMIT LEAGUE DOMINANCE: South Dakota State has built an impressive Summit League résumé as it plays its third season in the 10-team conference.
In its two-plus seasons as a league member, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 35-3 record in Summit League regular season games en route to consecutive outright league titles with records of 16-2 in 2007-08 and 17-1 during the 2008-09 season. SDSU has gone a perfect 18-0 at home and has won at least one game on every other Summit League member's home court.
SDSU also is 3-0 in Summit League postseason tournament games after winning the 2009 championship in its first year of eligibility. The Summit League Championship returns to Sioux Falls March 6-9, 2010.
PRESEASON FAVORITES: The South Dakota State University women's basketball team is a near-unanimous pick to repeat as Summit League champions, as selected by the annual preseason poll of league coaches, sports information directors and media, which was released in October.
The Jackrabbits, who return four starters, received 25 of the 27 first-place votes to tally 419 points. Oakland University (Mich.), which lost to SDSU in the Summit League Championship last season, earned one first-place vote and finished second in the poll with 365 points. North Dakota State was third with 318 points, while Oral Roberts (Okla.) picked up the other first-place vote to finish fourth with 289 points.
The Summit League opens its 18-game, double round-robin schedule Dec. 5. The Summit League Championship returns to the Sioux Falls Arena March 6-9.
PRESEASON HONORS: Although South Dakota State does not have a player on the preseason all-Summit League First Team, four Jackrabbit players received preseason accolades by being named to the all-league second team: senior forwards Maria Boever and Ketty Cornemann, junior guard/forward Kristin Rotert and sophomore guard Jill Young.
Boever, a 6-foot-1 senior forward from Worthington, Minn., earned honorable mention all-Summit League honors last season after averaging 10.0 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures 14 times and added a pair of double-digit rebounding performances.
A 5-11 senior forward, Cornemann earned all-Summit League second-team recognition during the 2008-09 season. One of only two Jackrabbits to start all 35 games, she reached double figures 13 times en route to averaging 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game.
Rotert, a 6-foot junior wing, was another honorable mention all-league performer after averaging 10.1 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She ranked second on the team with 60 three-pointers and had the tendency to rise to the occasion in big games, posting double figures for scoring 17 times.
Young, a 5-7 sophomore guard, earned Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year honors and a spot on the Summit League All-Newcomer Team after ranking second on the team in scoring at 10.2 points per game. The Mitchell native established a Jackrabbit freshman record with 82 three-pointers.
UMKC guard Chazny Morris was named the Preseason Player of the Year. She was joined on the first team by North Dakota State guard Inger Hodgson, IPFW guard Chelsey Jackson, Oakland guard Melissa Jeltema, Oral Roberts guard/forward Janae Voelker and IUPUI center Julia Whitted.
DIFFICULT SCHEDULE: The Jackrabbit women's basketball team is playing a difficult slate of non-conference games this season.
Of SDSU's first nine non-conference games, eight are against an opponent that played in the postseason a year ago. Seven of those games are against fellow NCAA Tournament teams as the Jackrabbits met Virginia in the second round of the Junkanoo Jam in the Bahamas.
Two of SDSU's opponents are currently ranked in the top 25 of this week's Associated Press poll: Arizona State (18th) and Virginia (23rd).
YOUTHFUL BENCH: While the Jackrabbits return four of their five regular starters from a year ago, SDSU will rely on a number of underclassmen to fill reserve roles this season.
Of the 15 players on the roster, five are true freshmen, one is a redshirt freshman, threeare sophomores, three are juniors and three are seniors.
With reigning Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year Jill Young settling into a starting role, the next top returning scorer off the bench is sophomore Jennie Sunnarborg, who
averaged 3.3 points per game during the 2008-09 campaign, but has doubled her scoring output to 6.6 points per game so far this season.
The Jackrabbits will look for an expanded role for sophomore guard Vanessa Johnson, who missed nearly half the 2008-09 season due to injury. Johnson averaged only 0.6 points per game during the 2008-09 season, but provides the Jackrabbits with another perimeter shooting threat.
Other returning bench players include senior point guard Alison Anderson and junior forward Jennifer Schuttloffel.
Of the six players in the freshman class, four are from the state of South Dakota. Ashley Eide (Sioux Falls), Tara Heiser (Watertown) and Steph Paluch (Pierre) will fill guard slots, while Katie Lingle (Pierre) will back up in the post. Heiser is expected to redshirt this season.
Rounding out the freshman class are Jordan, Minn., native Leah Dietel at forward and redshirt freshman post player Cala Westergard. A native of Charles City, Iowa, Westergard played in her first official game since her junior year of high school in the Nov. 15 matchup at Arizona State. Westergard missed her senior year of high school due to injury.
Despite its youth, the Jackrabbit reserves have outscored their counterparts in seven of the 10 games this season.
DEPTH AND BALANCE: The Jackrabbits have had at least two players score in double figures in all 10 games so far this season, and nine different players have tallied double digits for scoring.
Senior forward Maria Boever has led or shared top-scoring honors five times this season, including a season-high 21 points in the season opener against Gonzaga.
A list of double-figure scoring games follows:
Gonzaga • Maria Boever (21), Jill Young (15), Leah Dietel (12), Ketty Cornemann (10)
Arizona State • Kristin Rotert (14), Jennie Sunnarborg (11)
Illinois State • Boever (17), Rotert (15), Sunnarborg (12), Macie Michelson (10)
Western Kentucky • Rotert (16), Michelson (13), Boever (11), Cornemann (10)
Charlotte • Boever (18), Rotert (13), Young (10)
Virginia • Boever (14), Steph Paluch (14), Rotert (14)
Western Illinois • Boever (14), Cornemann (14), Rotert (13)
IUPUI • Cornemann (18), Boever (14), Sunnarborg (13), Young (11)
Middle Tennesee State • Ashley Eide (17), Boever (13), Rotert (13), Sunnarborg (12), Young (11)
Utah • Rotert (13), Boever (10), Michelson (10)
100 D-I WINS: 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. In its five-plus seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a 107-37 mark (.743 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 50 different Division I teams representing 18 conferences plus independents.
750 WINS: The Jackrabbits' victory over Oakland in the 2009 Summit League championship game was the 750th 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 Jacks have gone on to compile an overall record of 756-335 (.693 winning percentage).
SDSU has a streak of 23 consecutive winning seasons.The Jackrabbits' last losing season was an 11-16 campaign during the 1985-86 season.
OPENING SUCCESS: The Jackrabbits' 75-71 overtime victory against Gonzaga in the 2009-10 season opener on Nov. 13 marked the 17th consecutive season SDSU opened with a win.
The last time the Jackrabbits lost a season opener was during the 1992-93 season, when they fell 74-72 to Moorhead State (Minn.).
TOUGH AT HOME: SDSU's loss to Western Kentucky on Nov. 22, was a rarity during the Aaron Johnston era. In his tenure as Jackrabbit head coach, Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to a 118-13 record (.901 winning percentage) at Frost Arena, including a 63-5 mark at home during the Division I era. The Jackrabbits have put together winning streaks of 15, 15 and 22 in the process.
Since the start of the 2001-02 season, SDSU has a 108-8 home record, losing just one game at Frost Arena each full season before capping the 2008-09 regular season with a 14-0 record — a mark that stands as the first undefeated home season in school history. The loss to Western Kentucky snapped a 35-game regular season home winning streak, as well as a 15-game overall winning streak that began after the Jackrabbits lost to Creighton (Neb.) in the opening round of the 2008 Women's NIT.
SDSU is undefeated at home in Summit League play, posting an 18-0 record at Frost Arena since joining the league in 2007-08. The Jackrabbits have won their home conference games by an average of 26.7 points.
FINDING THE RIGHT COMBINATION: Despite returning four regular starters from last year's squad, the Jackrabbit women's basketball team has shaken up the starting lineup this season. Through the first 10 games, SDSU has used three different starting lineups, with seven players cracking the starting five. Maria Boever, Macie Michelson and Kristin Rotert have started all 10 games so far this season
• Gonzaga: Cornemann, Sunnarborg, Boever, Michelson, Rotert
• at Arizona State: Cornemann, Sunnarborg, Boever, Michelson, Rotert
• at Illinois State: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• Western Kentucky: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• vs. Charlotte: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• vs. Virginia: Dietel, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• at Western Illinois: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• at IUPUI: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• Middle Tennessee: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
• Utah: Cornemann, Boever, Michelson, Young, Rotert
BOEVER TOPS 1,000: South Dakota State senior forward Maria Boever became the 27th member of the Jackrabbit 1,000-Point Club, accomplishing the feat Dec. 7 at IUPUI.
With 14 points in the game, Boever upped her career total to 1,010 points. She has since gone on to tally 1,033 career points in 101 career games as she moved past Sarita DeBoer (1,003 points from 2002-05) for 26th place. Next on the career scoring list is Dawn Hull, who scored 1,125 points from 1993-96.
A senior from Worthington, Minn., Boever finished as the team's second-leading scorer during her sophomore season in 2007-08 with an average of 12.2 points per game, then ranked fourth last year on a balanced Jackrabbit team with 10 points per game.
Two other Jackrabbit players could reach the 1,000-point plateau later this season: senior Ketty Cornemann and junior Kristin Rotert. Cornemann has tallied 772 career points, while Rotert has 762 career points.
100 GAMES: Jackrabbit seniors and three-year starters Maria Boever and Ketty Cornemann each played in their 100th career game Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State.
During their three-plus seasons with the Jackrabbits, SDSU has posted a combined record of 85-21.
SDSU's third member of the senior class, Alison Anderson, has played in 94 games in a Jackrabbit uniform.
CORNEMANN RESPONDS: After coming off the bench in the four previous games, Ketty Cornmenann marked her return to the starting lineup with back-to-back strong performances to kick off Summit League action.
A senior from Yankton, Cornemann averaged 16 points and five rebounds in games at Western Illinois and IUPUI, shooting 66.7 percent (4-of-6) from three-point range. She posted season highs of 18 points and nine rebounds in the win at IUPUI on Dec. 7, then scored eight points in the Dec. 13 victory over Middle Tennessee State.
DOUBLE DUTY: Maria Boever has posted a pair of double-doubles for points and rebounds while leading the team in both categories — 14.2 ppg and 7.1 rpg — through the first 10 games.
Boever began the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the season-opening overtime victory over Gonzaga, then added 11 points and 10 boards in a home loss to Western Kentucky.
YOUNG FOR 3: Sophomore guard Jill Young will attempt to build on a strong showing from behind the three-point arc during her first season in a Jackrabbit uniform.
The Mitchell native ranked third among NCAA Division I players during the 2008-09 season by shooting at a 46.1 percent (82-of-178) clip from three-point range. Young's 82 made three-pointers also set a Jackrabbit freshman record, eclipsing the mark of 58 set by Kristin Rotert during the 2007-08 campaign.
Young comes into Tuesday's matchup at Iowa with 102 career three-pointers, topping the 100 mark with three triples Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State. She has made at least one three-pointer in nine of the 10 games this season and is currently shooting 38.5 percent from behind the arc, making 20-of-52 attempts.
ROTERT CRACKS TOP 10: Junior wing Kristin Rotert joined the Jackrabbit career top 10 for three-pointers made last month at the Junkanoo Jam.
The Salem leads the team with 23 three-pointers so far this season and upped her career total to 141 with three three-pointers in the Dec. 19 game at Utah. Rotert stands one three-pointers behind Rachel Halsrud (142 three-pointers form 1991-94) for ninth place. She has made three three-pointers in a game six different times this season.
Rotert set a then-freshman record with 58 three-pointers during the 2007-08 season and ranked second on the team with 60 treys last season.
THREE-POINT BARRAGE: As a team, the Jackrabbits ranked fifth among Division I women's basketball teams by making an average of 8.5 three-pointers per game last season.
SDSU tied school and NCAA Tournament single-game records with 16 trifectas in its opening-round win over Texas Christian. The Jackrabbits made 10 or more three-pointers in a game nine times.
The Jackrabbits' 291 three-pointers as a team set a new single-season school record, breaking the mark of 288 set by the 2001-02 squad, which was the first Jackrabbit team to qualify for the NCAA Division II Elite Eight.
Through 10 games this season, the Jackrabbits have made 76 three-pointers, an average of 7.6 per game, while shooting a Summit League-best 39.2 percent (76-of-194) from beyond the arc. SDSU's opponents are 39-of-129 from behind the arc, 30.2 percent.
EIDE STEPS UP: Freshman guard/forward Ashley Eide has been the top reserve for the Jackrabbits in the last two ball games. After playing sparingly the first month of the season, Eide scored a career-high 17 points in 22 minutes of action in the Dec. 13 win over Middle Tennessee State, then tallied nine points in the loss to Utah on Dec. 19.
In the last two games combined, Eide is shooting 66.7 percent (10-for-15) from the field, making her only three-point attempt.
BATTLE OF THE BOARDS: The Jackrabbit women's basketball team had its streak of winning 36 consecutive games in which it has held a rebounding advantage end in the 81-74 loss Nov. 22 to Western Kentucky. SDSU won the last 10 games of the 2007-08 season, all 25 during the 2008-09 season and the first game of the 2009-10 season in which it held an edge on the boards.
Previously, the last time SDSU lost a game it won the battle of the boards was a 67-60 defeat at Western Illinois on Jan. 14, 2008.
COACH AARON JOHNSTON: Now in his 10th season as head coach of the South Dakota State University women's basketball team, Aaron Johnston has taken the Jackrabbit program to the top of NCAA Division II and is leading SDSU to national prominence at the Division I level.
Johnston, who coached his 300th game Dec. 19 at Utah, has compiled a career record of 230-70 (.767 winning percentage), ranking second on the SDSU career victories list behind his predecessor, Nancy Neiber, who compiled a 301-140 record in 16 seasons from 1985-2000. Johnston posted his 200th career victory on Dec. 4, 2008, when the Jackrabbits defeated Centenary (La.) His career totals have included a 35-3 record (.921 winning percentage) in Summit League regular season games and a 16-5 mark (.762 winning percentage) in postseason games.
THE ROSTER: The 2009-10 SDSU women's basketball roster features 15 players from three different states. Of the 15 players, nine are from South Dakota, five are from Minnesota and one is from Iowa. By class, three are seniors, three are juniors, three are sophomores, one is a redshirt freshman and five are incoming freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: After a brief holiday break, the Jackrabbits return to action Dec. 28 by opening a three-game homestand against Northern Iowa.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. at Frost Arena.
SDSU closes out the homestand with its first two Summit League home games of the season. The Jackrabbits take on Centenary (La.) in the annual Lamb Bonanza game on Saturday, Jan. 2, tipping off the doubleheader at 5 p.m.
SDSU will host Oral Roberts at 7 p.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, to end the homestand.
Players Mentioned
PLAYER
/ Women's Cross Country
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
C
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ Women's Basketball
G/F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
F
/ Women's Basketball
G
/ 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