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South Dakota State University Athletics
Jackrabbits look to rebound out west
12/6/2010 4:16:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The South Dakota State University women's basketball team will attempt to end a rare three-game losing streak Tuesday night, when it travels to Washington State for a non-conference matchup.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Pacific Time (9 p.m. Central) at Friel Court inside the Beasley Coliseum on the WSU campus in Pullman, Wash.
The Jackrabbits enter Tuesday's game with a 3-4 overall record following a 78-71 home defeat at the hands of rival North Dakota State in the Summit League opener on Dec. 4. Only four other times in Aaron Johnston's 11 years as head coach has SDSU had a three-game losing streak: twice in Johnston's first full season (2000-01), once during the 2005-06 season and early in the 2009-10 campaign. The Jackrabbits' last four-game
losing streak occurred during the 1994-95 season, but SDSU regrouped to finish with a 24-6 overall record.
Washington State, meanwhile, is 2-6 on the young season. The Cougars dropped their first five games of the season but have recovered to win two of their last three, including a 67-54 home victory over Nevada on Dec. 5. Ireti Amojo and Katie Madison each scored 11 points to lead a balanced WSU offense.
Last season, the Cougars continued their rebuilding process under head coach June Daugherty, compiling an 8-22 overall mark, including a ninth-place finish in the Pac-10 Conference with a 3-15 record.
Tipoff is slated for 7 p.m. Pacific Time (9 p.m. Central) at Friel Court inside the Beasley Coliseum on the WSU campus in Pullman, Wash.
The Jackrabbits enter Tuesday's game with a 3-4 overall record following a 78-71 home defeat at the hands of rival North Dakota State in the Summit League opener on Dec. 4. Only four other times in Aaron Johnston's 11 years as head coach has SDSU had a three-game losing streak: twice in Johnston's first full season (2000-01), once during the 2005-06 season and early in the 2009-10 campaign. The Jackrabbits' last four-game
losing streak occurred during the 1994-95 season, but SDSU regrouped to finish with a 24-6 overall record.
Washington State, meanwhile, is 2-6 on the young season. The Cougars dropped their first five games of the season but have recovered to win two of their last three, including a 67-54 home victory over Nevada on Dec. 5. Ireti Amojo and Katie Madison each scored 11 points to lead a balanced WSU offense.
Last season, the Cougars continued their rebuilding process under head coach June Daugherty, compiling an 8-22 overall mark, including a ninth-place finish in the Pac-10 Conference with a 3-15 record.
THE SERIES: Tuesday's matchup marks the first-ever meeting in women's basketball between Washington State and South Dakota State.
Since moving to Division I at the start of the 2004-05 season, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 3-3 record against Pac-10 opponents. SDSU recorded a pair of victories against Oregon during the 2007-08 and 2008-09 seasons, as well as a victory against Southern California during the 2006-07 campaign. Jackrabbit losses have come against USC?(2004-05), Oregon State (2004-05) and Arizona State (2009-10).
JACKRABBITS ONLINE: Audio coverage of Tuesday's game is scheduled to be available through the Jackrabbit Extra subscription service at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics.
Radio coverage begins at 8:30 p.m. Central Time on the Jackrabbit Sports Network, with Tyler Merriam calling the play-by-play. Network stations carrying Tuesday's game include WNAX 570 AM in Yankton, KJJQ?910 AM in Brookings, KGFX 1060 AM?in Pierre, KRKI 99.5 FM in Rapid City and KWAT?950 AM in Watertown.
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.
MID-MAJOR POLL: The Jackrabbits also are receiving national attention as they are ranked 14th in the latest Women's Mid-Major Top 25 poll sponsored by CollegeInsider.com. SDSU dropped two spots after its loss to Purdue.
Wisconsin-Green Bay earned all 31 first-place votes and 775 points to remain in the top spot in the balloting conducted among mid-major women's basketball head coaches.
Three SDSU opponents are currently ranked in the mid-major top 25: Arkansas-Little Rock is seventh, Middle Tennessee is ranked eighth and Illinois State checks in at No. 11. The Jackrabbits will travel to UALR?on Jan. 4.
The Jackrabbits' second-round WNIT?opponent, Hampton (Va.), is receiving votes in this week's poll, as is Summit League rival Oral Roberts.
776 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 776-347 (.691 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 127-47 mark (.730 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 52 different Division I teams representing 20 conferences plus independents.
MICHELSON RETURNS: Senior point guard Macie Michelson made her season debut in the Jackrabbits' victory over Illinois State on Nov. 24.
Michelson, who had not played this season after undergoing off-season foot surgery, logged 16 minutes off the bench, tallying four points and one assist. She returned to the starting lineup Nov. 28 at Middle Tennessee and reached double figures in scoring for the first time this season with 13 points in a losing effort against North Dakota State on Dec. 4.
During the 2009-10 season, Michelson recorded a team-best 124 assists (3.76 apg) and ranked fourth on the team in scoring with an average of 8.6 points per game. She has started 61 career games, including all 33 a season ago.
ROTERT ON CAREER LISTS: Senior wing Kristin Rotert continues to move up the SDSU career lists for points and three-pointers.
With a season-high three three-pointers in a Nov. 30 loss at Kansas State, the Salem native moved into third place on the three-point chart with 196, passing Megan Vogel (194 three-pointers from 2004-07). Next on the list is Sherri Brende, who made 213 treys from 1998-2001.
Rotert had her streak of games with at least one made three-pointer end at 26 in the Nov. 15 victory over Hampton (Va.). 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 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 Tuesday's game ranked 24th on the all-time scoring list with 1,140 points after passing Lori Fish (1,133 points from 1987-90) in the Dec. 4 game against North Dakota State. Next on the list is Rachel Halsrud, who scored 1,154 points from 1991-94.
YOUNG FOR 3: Junior guard Jill Young has been a top-notch long range shooter for the Jackrabbits, entering Tuesday's game ranked seventh on the all-time SDSU three-point chart with 161. With three trifectas against Illinois State on Nov. 24, Young moved past both Heather Sieler (154 three-pointers from 2003-06) and Stacie Cizek (155 three-pointers from 2001-04).
SDSU's representative on the Preseason WNIT All-Tournament Team, Young was the lone Jackrabbit to score double figures in all three games, tallying 15 against Utah Valley, 13
versus Hampton and 12 at Purdue. For the tournament, she shot 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field, including 9-for-17 from three-point range. She finished with 13.3 points and 2.3 assists per game.
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 41.6 percent from three-point range, 161-of-387. She enters Tuesday's game with 684 career points.
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 15.4 points per game, while shooting a Summit League-best 61.6 percent (45-of-73) from the field — a figure that also ranks sixth among all Division I players. She also leads the team with 17 blocked shots (2.4 bpg) and is second on the team with an average of 4.1 rebounds per game.
Sunnarborg set a career high with 24 points on 9-of-12 shooting from the field in the win over Hampton on Nov. 15. She has reached the 20-point mark two other times, scoring 21 in a Nov. 25 win over Illinois State and 20 versus North Dakota State on Dec. 4.
In a season-opening win over Utah Valley on Nov. 12, Sunnarborg tallied 12 points and tied a career-high with six blocked shots in the win over Utah Valley. Her 72 career blocked shots are tied with Jennifer Johnson (1982-85) for 10th in school history.
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 Tuesday's matchup against Washington State with a career record of 250-80 (.758 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.) and No. 250 on Nov. 24, 2010, versus Illinois State. His career totals have included a 47-8 record (.855 winning percentage) in Summit League regular season games and a 16-6 mark (.727 winning percentage) in postseason games.
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