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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jacks travel to Purdue for WNIT semis
11/17/2010 6:18:00 PM | Women's Basketball
After opening the 2010-11 season with a pair of home wins in the Preseason Women's NIT, the South Dakota State University women's basketball team travels to Purdue (Ind.) for semifinal action Thursday night.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Eastern Time (6 p.m. Central) at Mackey Arena on the Purdue campus in West Lafayette, Ind.
Both teams enter the matchup with 2-0 records. The Jackrabbits routed Utah Valley, 87-38, in first-round action Nov. 12 at Frost Arena, then posted a 76-64 victory Monday against Hampton (Va.).
Purdue also earned a pair of home victories, soundly defeating Austin Peay (Tenn.), 93-53, on Nov. 12 and rallying past Toledo (Ohio), 79-66, on Monday.
The winner of Thursday's game will advance to the Preseason WNIT championship game on Sunday against either DePaul (Ill.) or Florida. Time and location will be announced following play on Thursday.
Following is a complete schedule for the Preseason WNIT (all times Central):
First Round - Friday, Nov. 12
• Purdue (Ind.) 93, Austin Peay (Tenn.) 53
• Missouri 83, Lamar (Texas) 60
• Toledo (Ohio) 71, Saint Francis (Pa.) 66
• Hampton (Va.) 69, James Madison (Va.) 64
• DePaul (Ill.) 84, Valparaiso (Ind.) 53
• South Dakota State 87, Utah Valley 38
First Round - Saturday, Nov. 13
• Florida 77, Central Florida 67
• Charlotte (N.C.) 72, Iona (N.Y.) 40
Second Round - Monday, Nov. 15
• Purdue 79, Toledo 66
• Florida 76, Charlotte 70
• South Dakota State 76, Hampton 64
• DePaul 82, Missouri State 66
Semifinals -Â Thursday, Nov. 18 (at campus sites)
• South Dakota State at Purdue, 6 p.m.
• Florida at DePaul, 7 p.m.
Championship - Sunday, Nov. 21 (at campus site)
• Location and time to be determined
THE SERIES: Thursday's game will mark the second meeting between South Dakota State and Purdue in women's basketball.
The Boilermakers claimed the initial meeting, 57-50, on Dec. 28, 2004, during the Jackrabbits' inaugural season in Division I. Sarita DeBoer led the Jackrabbits with 13 points, followed by 12 from Shannon Schlagel. Katie Gearlds led Purdue with a game-high 24 points.
Since moving to the Division I ranks, SDSU has compiled a 6-3 record against Big Ten Conference opponents. The Jackrabbits had a three-game winning streak against Big Ten foes snapped last season in a loss at Iowa.
JACKRABBITS ONLINE: Audio coverage of Thursday's game is scheduled to be available free of charge at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics. Free streaming will be available for all WNIT games.
Radio coverage begins at 6:30 p.m. Central Time on the Jackrabbit Sports Network, with Tyler Merriam calling the play-by-play and former assistant coach Laurie Melum providing color commmentary. Network stations carrying Thursday's game include WNAX 104.1 FM in Yankton and KJJQ?910 AM in Brookings.
JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2010-11 women's basketball season, head coach Aaron Johnston will be a guest on the "Jackrabbit Insider," a weekly behind-the-scenes look at South Dakota State University athletics.
The half-hour television show which features interviews with Jackrabbit coaches and student-athletes, airs Sundays at 10:30 p.m. on Sioux Falls-based KTTW?FOX?7. The show is also broadcast on FOX Sports North at 6 p.m. Tuesdays and on FOX?College Sports Central at 9:30 p.m. Tuesdays. Online, the show can be viewed at GoJacks.com.
WNIT?RECAPS: The Jackrabbits ran their home winning streak to 10 games with two victories in the opening rounds of the Preseason WNIT.
SDSU 87, Utah Valley 38
Seven South Dakota State players scored in double figures, leading the Jackrabbits to an 87-38 victory over Utah Valley in the first round of the Preseason Women's NIT on Nov. 12 at Frost Arena.
SDSU opened the game firing on all cylinders, hitting its first seven shots from the field in building a 17-4 lead in the first four and a half minutes. Jill Young connected on a three-pointer on the Jackrabbits' first possession of the game and SDSU created a number of easy baskets in transition, including three baskets in the paint by Leah Dietel, during the opening run.
The Wolverines were able to trim the deficit to single digits - at 19-10 - only once the rest of the way.
After a three-pointer by UVU's Sammie Jensen made the score 31-19 with 5 minutes and 37 seconds remaining in the front half, SDSU closed the opening stanza with a 14-0 run. Redshirt freshman Tara Heiser hit a pair of three-pointers and Young closed the half with her third trey of the half seconds before the buzzer.
SDSU finished the first half 16-of-24 from the field, 66.7 percent, including 6-of-10 from long range.
It was more of the same in the second half as the Jackrabbits put together spurts of 13-0 and 14-0 to lead by as many as 52 in the final minute.
All five starters scored in double figures, led by Young with 15 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range. Jennie Sunnarborg tallied 12 points, eight rebounds and tied a career high with six blocked shots. Dietel and Ashley Eide each tallied 11 points, with Kristin Rotert adding 10.
Heiser, playing in her collegiate debut, went 4-for-4 from long range en route to 14 points in only nine minutes of action to lead the Jackrabbit reserves. Katie Lingle added a career-high 10 points.
The Jackrabbits cooled slightly in the second half, finishing the game 32-of-54 from the field, 59.3 percent. SDSU was 11-of-19 on three-pointers and 12 of-14 at the line, 85.7 percent.
Utah Valley finished the night 15-of-56 from the field, 26.8 percent, including 7-of-20 from three-point range. The Wolverines, who committed 25 turnovers, were only 1-of-5 at the free throw line.
Jensen led the Wolverines with 11 points and seven rebounds. SDSU held a 42-26 advantage on the boards.
SDSU 76, Hampton (Va.) 64
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.
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.
OPENING SUCCESS: The Jackrabbits' 87-38 victory over Utah Valley in the 2010-11 season opener at Frost Arena marked the 18th 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.).
COUNTDOWN TO 100: The Jackrabbit senior class of Macie Michelson, Kristin Rotert and Jennifer Schuttloffel entered the 2010-11 season with a chance to join an exclusive group of SDSU players to earn 100 victories during their careers. The trio have been a part of Jackrabbit teams that have combined for a 79-21 record.
Only two other senior classes have won 100 games during their careers:
• 2009-10 senior class of Alison Anderson, Maria Boever and Ketty Cornemann -combined 102-27 in their four-year careers;
• 2004-05 senior class of Stephanie Bolden, Sarita DeBoer, Brooke Dickmeyer and Shannon Schlagel - 107-26 overall record.
SUMMIT LEAGUE DOMINANCE: South Dakota State has built an impressive Summit League résumé through its first three seasons in the 10-team conference.
Since joining the league at the start of the 2007-08 season, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 47-7 record in Summit League regular season games en route to outright league titles with records of 16-2 in 2007-08 and 17-1 during the 2008-09 season. SDSU also is a perfect 6-0 in Summit League postseason tournament games, winning back-to-back titles in 2009 and 2010. Note: the Jackrabbits were not eligible for the conference tournament in 2008 as it was completing its final season of transition to Division I status).
In additions, SDSU has gone 26-1 at home against league foes and has won at least one game on every other Summit League member's home court.
SUMMIT?LEAGUE POLL: The South Dakota State University women's basketball team has been picked to finish second in the Summit League preseason poll, which was released in October.
Defending league regular season champion Oral Roberts (Okla.) received 26 of 30 first-place votes to take the top spot with 438 points in the poll conducted by league coaches, sports information directors and select media. SDSU tallied the other four first-place votes to place second with 393 points. Oakland (Mich.) was third with 336 points, followed by IPFW in fourth with 285 points and North Dakota State fifth with 274.
The bottom half of the conference consists of UMKC (253), Southern Utah and Western Illinois tied for seventh (162), IUPUI (99) and Centenary (La.) 48.
During the 2009-10 season, the Jackrabbits finished the regular season tied with Oakland for second place with a 14-4 mark. SDSU later knocked off top-seeded Oral Roberts in the finals of the Summit League Championship, 79-75 in overtime, to earn its second consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament.
SDSU guard Kristin Rotert was the lone Jackrabbit player on the preseason all-league team. A senior from Salem, Rotert is the Jackrabbits' top returning scorer after averaging 12.6 points per game during the 209-10 season. She enters her senior campaign with 1,051 points and ranks fourth in career three-pointers with 190.
MID-MAJOR POLL: The Jackrabbits also are receiving national attention as they are ranked 11th in this Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll sponsored by CollegeInsider.com. SDSU, which received one first-place vote, moved up from 15th in the preseason poll.
Wisconsin-Green Bay earned 22 first-place votes and 764 points to take over the top spot in the balloting conducted among 31 mid-major women's basketball head coaches.
SDSU is scheduled to play at least four teams ranked in the mid-major top 25 during the upcoming 2010-11 season: Nov. 24 vs. eighth-ranked Illinois State, Nov. 28 at sixtth-ranked Middle Tennessee State, Jan. 4 at second-ranked Arkansas-Little Rock, and a pair of matchups against Summit League rival and 13th-ranked Oral Roberts (Okla.). The Jackrabbits will host Oral Roberts on Jan. 8, and will travel to Tulsa, Okla., on Feb. 7.
The Jackrabbits' second-round WNIT?opponent, Hampton (Va.), is receiving votes in this week's poll.
775 AND?COUNTING: SDSU's 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 775-344 (.693 winning percentage).
SDSU has posted 24 consecutive winning seasons between the NCAA Division II and Divsion I levels.The Jackrabbits' last losing season was an 11-16 campaign during the 1985-86 season.
125 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 six-plus seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a 126-43 mark (.746 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 52 different Division I teams representing 20 conferences plus independents.
TOUGH AT HOME: For the first time since Aaron Johnston's first full season as head coach - 2000-01 - the Jackrabbit women's basketball team during the 2009-10 season lost more than one home game.
In his tenure as Jackrabbit head coach, Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to a 130-14 record (.902 winning percentage) at Frost Arena, including a 74-6 mark (.925 winning pct.) at home during the Division I era. The Jackrabbits have put together winning streaks of 15, 15 and 22 in the process. SDSU's current home winning streak is 10 games.
Since the start of the 2001-02 season, SDSU has a 119-9 home record (.930 winning percentage), losing an average of just one game at Frost Arena each full season. The Jackrabbits capped the 2008-09 regular season with a 14-0 record - a mark that stands as the first undefeated home season in school history.
A loss to Western Kentucky early in the 2009-10 campaign 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's loss to Oral Roberts on Jan. 4, 2010, marked its first home loss to a Summit League opponent. The Jackrabbits are 26-1 at Frost Arena against Summit League foes since joining the league in 2007-08.
ROTERT ON CAREER LISTS: Senior wing Kristin Rotert continues to move up the SDSU career lists for points and three-pointers.
The Salem native ranks fourth all-time at SDSU with 191 three-pointers. Rotert had her streak of games with at least one made three-pointer end at 26 in Monday's victory over Hampton. She sank a trey in 32 of the team's 33 games last season, ending the 2009-10 campaign with a team-high 72 three-pointers, including 14 in three Summit League tournament games. She stands four three away from tying Megan Vogel (194 three-pointers from 2004-07) for third place.
Rotert set a then-freshman record with 58 three-pointers during the 2007-08 season and ranked second on the team with 60 treys as a sophomore.
Also last season, Rotert became the 29th player in Jackrabbit women's basketball history to score 1,000 points, reaching the milestone in the Summit League tournament semifinal against Western Illinois. She enters Thursday's game ranked 27th on the all-time scoring list with 1,074 points.
YOUNG FOR 3: Junior guard Jill Young has been another top-notch long range shooter for the Jackrabbits, entering Thurday's game ranked 10th on the all-time three-point chart with 151. After making 5-of-7 three-point attempts in the season opener against Utah Valley, Young made 2-of-5 long-range tries against Hampton. She stands one trifecta behind Andrea Verdegan (152 three-pointers from 2005-08) for ninth place and could vault all the way into seventh as she trails Heather Sieler (eighth with 154 three-pointers from 2003-06) and Stacie Cizek (seventh with 155 three-pointers from 2001-04) by three and four treys, respectively.
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.
For her career, Young is shooting 42.1 percent from three-point range, 151-of-359.
SUNNARBORG RISES UP: Junior forward Jennie Sunnarborg has performed well on both ends of the floor in the early part of the 2010-11 season.
A native of Osseo, Minn., Sunnarborg leads the Jackrabbits in scoring with an average of 18 points per game, while shooting 70 percent (14-of-20) from the field. She also is a perfect 8-for-8 at the free throw line. Sunnarborg set a career high with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field in the win over Hampton. She opened the season with 12 points and tied a career-high with six blocked shots in the win over Utah Valley.
AUSPICIOUS DEBUT: Redshirt freshman Tara Heiser made a splash in her collegiate debut, making all four of her three-point attempts in a Nov. 12 victory over Utah Valley. Overall, Heiser was 5-for-6 from the field for 14 points, grabbed four rebounds and recorded a steal in only nine minutes of action.
Heiser did not play in the second-round Preseason WNIT win over Hampton.
COACH AARON JOHNSTON: Now in his 11th 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 enters Thursday's matchup against Purdue with a career record of 249-76 (.766 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, against Centenary (La.) His career totals have included a 47-7 record (.870 winning percentage) in Summit League regular season games and a 16-6 mark (.727 winning percentage) in postseason games.
The Summit League Coach of the Year in each of the Jackrabbits' first two seasons in the 10-team league, Johnston was named a finalist for the 2009 Naismith Award as the nation's top coach. SDSU tied a school record for victories in a season with 32 during the 2008-09 campaign and gained national attention by vaulting into the top 25 in December after non-conference victories over the likes of Wisconsin, Utah, Minnesota and Gonzaga (Wash.). The Jackrabbits were ranked in the final 13 USA Today/ESPN regular season coaches' polls, climbing as high as 14th in the coaches' poll and 16th in the Associated Press poll. SDSU finished the 2008-09 season ranked 19th in the coaches' poll.
Along the way to a 32-3 overall record, the Jackrabbits received national media coverage from CBS Sports, USA Today, ESPN.com and The New York Times.
Although the Jackrabbits came up short in their bid win a third consecutive Summit League regular season title during the 2009-10 season, third-seeded SDSU repeated as conference tournament champions by defeating top-seeded Oral Roberts, 79-75, in overtime. SDSU's second consecutive NCAA?Tournament bid marked its fourth consecutive postseason appearance at the Division I level.
SIGNEES: Head coach Aaron Johnston announced Nov. 10 that three high school standouts have signed a National Letter of Intent, indicating they will enroll at South Dakota State University next fall and compete for the Jackrabbit women's basketball program.
Signing Wednesday, the first day of the November signing period, were:
• Mariah Clarin, 6-foot-1, post, Princeton, Minn.;
• Megan Stuart, 6-2, wing/forward, Roseville, Minn., and
• Rachel Walters, 6-1, wing/forward, Sioux Falls, S.D
"We are very pleased to be adding three new Jackrabbits to our family," Johnston said. "Rachel, Mariah and Megan are great fits for our University, community, and basketball program.Our fans will love watching them compete in the yellow and blue."
Clarin has been a starter since her freshman year at Princeton High School and reached the 1,000-point mark during her junior season. A two-time all-Mississippi 8 Conference selection, Clarin led the league in scoring at 19.9 points per game and averaged 13 rebounds and 3.7 blocks per game as a junior, when she was selected to the honorable mention Class 3A All-State Team by the Minnesota Basketball News. Clairn also has played at the AAU level for the Minnesota Stars and the North Tartan 15U and Elite squads - the latter of which won the state AAU championship this past season.
In addition, Clarin was a member of the school-record 4x400-meter relay in track and field and has been an academic all-conference honoree.
Stuart has lettered in three sports at Roseville Area High School, earning all-state honors in basketball and track and field. On the court, Stuart averaged 18.6 points per game as junior en route to earning honorable mention all-state recognition from the St. Paul Pioneer Press and Minnesota Coaches Association, as well as all-Suburban East Conference accolades. She enters her senior season with 912 points.
Her extensive AAU basketball experience with the Minnesota Starts Borowicz team includes winning back-to-back Adidas National Tournament titles and finishing in the top four of the Disney Showcase in July 2010. The Stars won the state title in 2009 and finished as runners-up in 2010.
In other athletic pursuits, Stuart has lettered twice in volleyball and placed in the top 10 at the state track and field meet in both the triple jump and 4x200-meter relay. Stuart also has excelled in the classroom, earning academic all-state honors in all three sports.
Walters played a key role on Washington High School teams that won Class AA state titles in 2008 and 2010. A first-team all-state selection and member of the Sioux Falls Argus Leader First Five during her junior season, Walters averaged 13 points and seven rebounds per game, making 46 three-pointers. She also has been named an all-city each of the past two seasons and earned three academic letters.
Walters also was honored on the Miss Basketball All-America Team in both 2009 and 2010, as well as earning a spot on the Dakota Showcase Miss Basketball All-Tournament Team each of the last two years.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS: The South Dakota State women's basketball team continued to make the grade during the 2009-10 season.
As it has throughout its Division I pursuits, the Jackrabbits posted another high finish in the Women's Basketball Coaches Asocciation's Academic Top 25 Honor Roll, placing second among D-I programs with a 3.622 team GPA. Overall, SDSU ranked seventh across all divisions of women's college basketball.
Individually, 12 Jackrabbit women's basketball players were honored on the all-Summit League Academic Team, tying with North Dakota State for the most selections.
To be honored on the Academic All-Summit League Team, student-athletes must have a 3.0 or better grade-point average in the semester of their championship event and must use a year of eligibility. Student-athletes are recognized as a Distinguished Scholar by compiling a 3.6 GPA or higher, with eight Jackrabbit players earning that distinction.
Overall, Jackrabbit student-athletes garnered a conference-best 154 Academic All-Summit League awards during the spring semester.
In addition, seven SDSU women's basketball players were honored on the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence by The Summit League.
In order for a student-athlete to be selected to the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence, he or she must carry at least a 3.0 cumulative grade-point average, achieve sophomore academic standing at the institution, have used a year of eligibility and be on the squad list in the sport in which he or she is nominated.
The Jackrabbit women's basketball team's seven awards helped SDSU claim the inaugural Summit League Institutional Academic Achievement Award. The Jackrabbits earned the award by placing 69 percent of eligible student-athletes on the Commissioner's List for Academic Excellence, edging North Dakota State with 68 percent.
THE ROSTER: The 2010-11 SDSU women's basketball roster features 13 players from two different states. Of the 13 players, seven are from South Dakota and six are from Minnesota. By class, three are seniors, two are juniors, four are sophomores, one is a redshirt freshman and three are incoming freshmen.
A LOOK AHEAD: Should the Jackrabbits win Thursday, they will play in the Preseason WNIT championship game Sunday at a campus site to be determined.
If SDSU loses Thursday, the Jackrabbits will return to action Nov. 23, hosting Illinois State in a 7 p.m. matchup at Frost Arena.
Players Mentioned
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