Jacks hold off Hampton, 76-64

Monday, November 15

Frost Arena

7 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Hampton (Va.)

11/15/2010 11:58:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

The frontcourt tandem of Jennie Sunnarborg and Leah Dietel each recorded career highs for points, leading South Dakota State to a 76-64 victory over Hampton (Va.) in second-round action of the Preseason Women's NIT Monday night at Frost Arena.

The Jackrabbits improved to 2-0 and will travel to Purdue (Ind.) for a semifinal matchup on Thursday. Hampton evened its record at 1-1 and will play a consolation game Saturday.

Both teams were efficient offensively for much of the first half. Hampton jumped out to a quick 5-0 lead and made five of its first six shots from the field. The Jackrabbits, meanwhile, opened 7-of-9 from the field in taking a five-point lead of its own, 16-11, six and a half minutes into the game.

Neither team led by more than four points the remainder of the first half, which featured five ties and nine lead changes. Reserve guard Choicetta McMillian made four three-pointers en route to 15 first-half points for Hampton, while the Jackrabbits dominated the paint with a 20-4 advantage, including a 12-point first-half output by Sunnarborg.

SDSU's switch to a 2-3 zone late in the half paid dividends as the Lady Pirates missed five of their final six shots from the field. Kristin Rotert's jumper from the right elbow with 33 seconds remaining in the half gave the Jackrabbits a 35-33 halftime lead.

The Jackrabbits ended the first half shooting 60.9 percent (14-of-23), while Hampton was 12-of-26 for 46.2 percent.

Neither team was able to find much of an offensive rhythm in the second half. SDSU pushed out to a 43-36 lead after two Sunnarborg free throws at the 16:07 mark, but Hampton got back to within a point, 49-48, halfway through the final stanza.

The Jackrabbits continued to answer every Hampton run, building the lead to eight, 60-52, on a second-chance three-pointer by Jill Young with 6:40 to play. The Lady Pirates got back to within five, but the Jackrabbits iced the game at the charity stripe, converting their final 15 free throw attempts - 10 of which came in the final two minutes.

For the game, SDSU made 25-of-29 free-throw attempts, 86.2 percent. The Jackrabbits finished 24-of-50 from the field, 48 percent, including 3-of-14 on three-point attempts.

Sunnarborg led the way with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field and 6-of-6 shooting from the line. Dietel added 14 points, seven points and a career-high four assists. Young and Kristin Rotert each tallied 13 points.

Ashley Eide paced the Jackrabbits' 37-34 rebounding advantage with eight boards. Dietel and Jill Young each corralled seven caroms.

McMillian finished the night with 20 points on 5-of-10 shooting from long range. Melanie Warner tallied 15 and Quanneisha Perry added 10 points and shared team-high rebounding honors with Laura Lewis at eight.

The Lady Pirates made only 8-of-33 field goal attempts in the second half, ending the night 20-of-59 for 33.9 percent, including 7-of-17 on three-pointers. At the line, Hampton converted 17-of-24 attempts, 70.8 percent.

NOTES: Monday's game marked the first meeting between South Dakota State and Hampton in women's basketball and also the Jackrabbits' first game against an opponent from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference ... SDSU now has defeated 52 different opponents from 20 different conferences plus independents since joining the Division I ranks at the start of the 2004-05 season ... the win was career victory No. 249 for SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston, who is 249-76 (.766 winning percentage) in 11 seasons ... SDSU improved to 130-14 at Frost Arena under Johnston ... Sunnarborg's previous career high was 20 points against both Oakland (Mich.) and IPFW last season ... Dietel's previous career high was 12 points in her collegiate debut against Gonzaga (Wash.) during the 2009-10 campaign ... Hampton held a 30-7 advantage in bench points ... Rotert had her streak of games with a made three-pointer end at 26