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
Jacks battle Bison in Pink Zone? game
2/11/2010 5:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball
The South Dakota State University women's basketball team opens the second half of a season-long four-game homestand with a rivalry weekend, hosting North Dakota State Saturday in Summit League action.
Tipoff for the annual Pink Zone® game is scheduled for 5:05 p.m. at Frost Arena, with the men's game to follow at 7:30 p.m. The women's game will be televised on Midcontinent Communications (Ch. 23) and Mediacom (Ch. 10) throughout South Dakota and on digital channel 322 in North Dakota. Tom Nieman will call the play-by-play, with Al Bahe providing color commentary. Tyler Merriam will handle sideline reports.
The Jackrabbits will be in search of a season-best four-game winning streak, entering today's matchup 14-9 overall and tied atop the Summit League standings with a 10-3 record.
NDSU, meanwhile, is currently sixth in the league standings with an 8-5 mark against Summit League foes. Overall, the Bison are 13-10.
THE SERIES: Saturday's game marks the 70th meeting in women's basketball between South Dakota State and North Dakota State, making it the Jackrabbits' most-played series.
Since the series started during the 1976-77 season with a 77-61 Jackrabbit victory, NDSU holds a 37-32 series advantage. The Jackrabbits have held the upper hand recently, winning the last nine meetings and compiling a 15-6 mark during Aaron Johnston's tenure as head coach. SDSU's current nine-game winning streak against the Bison matches the longest winning streak in the series, tying the powerhouse NDSU teams from 1989-90 through 1993-94 seasons.
The Jackrabbits extended their winning streak to nine with a 67-49 victory in Fargo on Jan. 16. SDSU led by only two, 23-21, at halftime, but shot 52 percent in the second half to pull away for the victory.
Ketty Cornemann paced the Jackrabbits with a game-high 16 points, followed by 13 points from Maria Boever, 11 from Macie Michelson and 10 off the bench from freshman Leah Dietel.
Jennie Sunnarborg added a career-high six blocked shots as the Jackrabbits recorded a season-best 12 blocks.
Backcourt mates Katie Birkel and Inger Hodgson each scored 12 points to lead the Bison.
NDSU's last win in the series came on a buzzer-beating shot by Katie Lorenz during the 2004-05 season.
JACKRABBITS ONLINE: Audio and video coverage of Saturday'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 4:30 p.m. Central Time on the Jackrabbit Radio Network, with Scotty Kwas calling the play-by-play and former assistant coach Laurie Melum providing color commentary. Brookings-based KJJQ 910 AM will serve as the flagship station of the network, with coverage of Saturday's game also available on WNAX 570 AM in Yankton and KRKI 99.5 FM in Rapid City.
JACKRABBIT INSIDER: Throughout the 2009-10 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 highlights of SDSU athletic events, as well as interviews with Jackrabbit coaches and student-athletes. The show airs at 10:35 p.m. Sunday nights on KSFY-TV in Sioux Falls. The “Jackrabbit Insider” also can be viewed online at GoJacks.com.
PINK ZONE: The Jackrabbit women's basketball team will join the fight against breast cancer Saturday by wearing pink uniforms as it hosts its annual Pink Zone® game.
More than 1,600 teams at the high school and collegiate levels participated in the Pink Zone initiative last year, which is administered by the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. The 2009 campaign raised more than $1.3 million and reached more than 900,000 fans.
The WBCA's charity of choice is the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund®, in partnership with the V Foundation. Donations can be made at: http://www.wbca.org/kayyowwbcacancerfund.asp
The Jackrabbits also are expected to play in their pink uniforms next Saturday (Feb. 20) at IPFW.
FIRST MEETING: South Dakota State shot better than 50 percent in the second half and displayed stout defense throughout to defeat North Dakota State, 67-49, in Summit League women's basketball action Jan. 16 before a crowd of 2,743 at the Bison Sports Arena in Fargo, N.D.
SDSU strung together a 12-4 run in the first five minutes of the second half to take their first double-digit lead of the night at 35-25. The Bison trimmed the lead back to seven with just under 14 minutes to play, only to see the Jackrabbits build the lead back to double digits by scoring the next seven points. SDSU maintained a double-digit lead the rest of way, pulling away by shooting 52.4 percent (11-for-21) from the field and 17-of-21 at the free throw line in the final 20 minutes.
Neither team was able to get into much of a rhythm offensively in the first half as it took more than eight minutes before either team reached double figures on the scoreboard. Trailing 13-12, the Jackrabbits scored six consecutive points and held NDSU scoreless for a six-minute span to build their largest lead of the first half at 18-13. NDSU inched back to within one, 20-19, on a basket by Katie Birkel late in the half, but Ketty Cornemann buried a three-pointer from the left wing on the next trip down the floor to keep SDSU in the lead — one it would not relinquish. The Jackrabbits led 23-21 at the half as each team's shooting percentage hovered around the 30 percent mark.
Ketty Cornemann paced a balanced offensive attack for SDSU with 16 points. Maria Boever tallied 13 points and a game-high nine rebounds to lead the Jackrabbits 44-36 advantage on the boards. Macie Michelson added 11 points and freshman Leah Dietel chipped in with 10 points, going 8-for-8 from the free throw line.
SDSU finished the game 20-of-50 from the field, 40 percent, including 8-for-22 from three-point range. The Jackrabbits finished the game 19-of-24 from the line, 79.2 percent.
Turnovers continued to plague the Jackrabbits, however, as they committed 24 miscues compared to 16 by the Bison.
Defensively, SDSU held the Bison to 25.8 percent shooting from the field, 16-of-62, including 2-for-16 from three-point range. The Jackrabbits contested nearly every NDSU shot in the final 30 minutes, recording a season-high 12 blocked shots. Jennie Sunnarborg posted a career-high six blocks, with Boever adding four.
NDSU, which was led by 12 points from guards Katie Birkel and Inger Hodgson, was an efficient 15-for-16 at the line, 93.8 percent.
LAST WEEK: The Jackrabbits opened their homestand with a pair of convincing victories over Summit League opponents.
SDSU 76, UMKC 47
Five South Dakota State players scored in double figures as the Jackrabbit women's basketball moved into sole possession of second place in the Summit League standings with a 76-47 victory over UMKC Feb. 6 at Frost Arena.
After setting a single-game school record for shooting percentage in their last outing, the Jackrabbits struggled offensively in the early going on Saturday, making only one of their first 11 shots from the field.
Trailing 8-4, the Jackrabbits put together a 7-0 run to take their first lead on a Macie Michelson three-pointer with 10 minutes and 25 seconds remaining in the half. SDSU held a lead through most of the remainder of the opening stanza although neither team was able to establish much of an offensive rhythm until the closing minutes of the half.
The Jackrabbits ended the opening half with a 16-7 run to take a 31-23 lead at the half. Jill Young hit three three-pointers in the final four minutes of the half and Michelson added another triple in the outburst.
SDSU added to its cushion with a 15-4 run to open the second half. Kristin Rotert capped the spurt with a three-pointer from the left corner to give SDSU a 46-27 edge.
The Kangaroos countered with an 11-1 run of their own to get back to within nine, 47-38 with 11:37 to play, but could get no closer the rest of the way.
Rotert, who scored all 10 of her points in the second half, scored four consecutive points to stem the tide before the Jackrabbits put the game away with another 12-0 run in a little more than two minutes later in the half.
Young led the Jackrabbits with 14 points, making 4-of-6 three-point attempts. Maria Boever added 13 and Michelson finished with 12. Jennie Sunnarborg contributed 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds, to go along with the 10 points from Rotert.
SDSU also received nine points from Ashley Eide and eight from Ketty Cornemann.
The Jackrabbits finished strong from the field, ending the game 24-for-53, 45.3 percent, including 10-of-21 from three-point range. SDSU also was efficient at the free throw line, making 18-of-22 attempts, 81.8 percent.
UMKC was held to 26 percent shooting in the second half and ended the night 17-for-55, 30.9 percent. The Kangaroos struggled from behind the arc, connecting on only 1-of-12 three-point attempts, and didn't fare much better at the free throw line, where they made 12-of-25 tries, 48 percent.
Rebounding was even at 39 as the Kangaroos were led by Kim Nezianya's game highs of 16 points and 13 rebounds off the bench. Chazny Morris also posted a double-double with 15 points and 10 rebounds.
SDSU 93, Southern Utah 59
South Dakota State went on runs of 10-2 and 20-0 in the second half, breaking open a close game to surge past Southern Utah, 93-59, Monday night at Frost Arena.
Coupled with an Oral Roberts loss at IPFW on Monday, the Jackrabbits moved into a tie for the Summit League lead with a 10-3 mark in league play. Overall, SDSU upped its record to 14-9.
SUU dropped to 6-17 overall, 4-8 in The Summit League.
Senior Ketty Cornemann ignited the Jackrabbits' 10-2 run to start the second half, scoring the team's first seven points of the stanza as SDSU turned a three-point halftime advantage into a 46-35 lead in less than three minutes. Cornemann went on to tally 18 of her game-high 21 minutes in the second half as the Jackrabbits shot 62 percent (18-of-29) over the final 20 minutes.
After the Thunderbirds climbed back to within seven, 50-43, with 13 minutes and 36 seconds remaining in the game, the SDSU onslaught reached full gear. The Jackrabbits scored the next 20 points over a five-minute span, going 7-for-8 from the field with four three-pointers. Reserve guard Jill Young hit back-to-back three-pointers to start the run, while Cornemann and Kristin Rotert each added a triple.
Young tallied 15 points, sinking a pair of three-pointers in each half. Rotert and Jennie Sunnarborg each tallied 10 points, while Maria Boever and Macie Michelson each chipped in with nine. All 11 Jackrabbits to see action scored.
Southern Utah was the more aggressive team offensively in the first half. The Thunderbirds matched SDSU basket for basket in the opening half, which featured eight ties and 12 lead changes. SUU, which shot 54 percent (15-of-28) from the field in the opening 20 minutes, led by as many as five points early in the game and held a one-point lead in the final minute before the Jackrabbits scored the last four points of the frame to take a 36-33 halftime lead
But in the second half, the Jackrabbit defense held SUU to 35 percent shooting and forced 12 turnovers, many of which led to transition baskets. SDSU recorded a season-high 22 steals.
Overall, SDSU finished the night 31-of-59 from the field , 52.5 percent, including 10-of-19 from three-point range in setting a season high for points. At the free throw line, the Jackrabbits converted 21-of-32 attempts, 65.6 percent.
The Thunderbirds ended up 25-of-57 from the floor, 43.9 percent, and 2-for-9 on three-point attempts. SUU made 7-of-8 free throw tries for 87.5 percent.
Caitlyn Sears scored 12 points to lead SUU, with Challis Pascucci posting a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds to pace the Thunderbirds' 36-30 rebounding advantage. Tayler Anderson added 10 points.
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 their two-plus seasons as a league member, the Jackrabbits have compiled a 43-6 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 21-1 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 was 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.
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 wrapped up a difficult slate of non-conference games with the Dec. 28 victory over Northern Iowa.
Of SDSU's 10 non-conference games, eight were against an opponent that played in the postseason a year ago. Seven of those games were against fellow NCAA Tournament teams as the Jackrabbits met Virginia in the second round of the Junkanoo Jam in The Bahamas.
Virginia is currently ranked 21st in the ESPN/USA Today coaches' poll, while Gonzaga (Wash.) is 22nd in this week's Associated Press poll and 23rd in the coaches' poll. Middle Tennessee State is receiving votes in the AP poll, while Arizona State, which was ranked earlier in the season, has dropped out of consideration.
FEASTING IN FEBRUARY: The Jackrabbits have made a habit of ending the regular season strong throughout their time in Division I. SDSU enters Satuday's game having won 23 consecutive February games and 34 of 36 games during the month in its five-year history of competing at the D-I level.
SDSU's last loss in a February game came on Feb. 28, 2006, when the Jackrabbits dropped an 83-71 decision at UC Riverside.
DEPTH AND BALANCE: The Jackrabbits have had at least two players score in
double figures in all 23 games so far this season, and nine different players have tallied double digits for scoring.
In each of their last eight games, at least four Jackrabbit players have reached double figures.
Senior forward Maria Boever has led or shared top-scoring honors eight times this season, while Ketty Cornemann has paced the Jackrabbits five times. Cornemann set an SDSU season high and career high with 25 points at Centenary on Feb. 1.
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)
Iowa • Young (16), Cornemann (14), Boever (13)
Northern Iowa • Rotert (24), Young (10)
Centenary • Rotert (15), Boever (12), Eide (12), Cornemann (11)
Oral Roberts • Boever (21), Cornemann (14), Young (12)
Southern Utah • Cornemann (15), Rotert (14)
UMKC • Boever (15), Cornemann (13), Rotert (11), Sunnarborg (11)
North Dakota State • Cornemann (16), Boever (13), Michelson (11), Dietel (10)
Oakland • Sunnarborg (20), Rotert (12), Boever (10), Cornemann (10), Michelson (10)
IPFW • Sunnarborg (20), Cornemann (16), Boever (12), Dietel (10)
Oral Roberts • Boever (15), Cornemann (13), Michelson (12), Young (11)
Centenary • Cornemann (25), Boever (14), Eide (14), Sunnarborg (11)
UMKC • Young (14), Boever (13), Michelson (12), Rotert (10), Sunnarborg (10)
Southern Utah • Cornemann (21), Young (15), Rotert (10), Sunnarborg (10)
YOUTHFUL BENCH: While the Jackrabbits return four of their five regular starters from a year ago, SDSU has relied on a number of underclassmen to fill reserve roles this season.
Of the 14 players on the roster, five are true freshmen, three are sophomores, three are juniors and three are seniors.
Reigning Summit League Sixth Woman of the Year Jill Young returned to a reserve role Jan. 16 at North Dakota State after starting the previous14 games. Young averaged 10.2 points per game during the 2008-09 season as she played off the bench in 32 of the team's 34 games. She was replaced in the starting lineup by sophomore forward Jennie Sunnarborg.
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 SDSU with another perimeter shooter.
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 is Jordan, Minn., native Leah Dietel at forward.
Despite its youth, the Jackrabbit reserves have outscored their counterparts in 16 of the 23 games this season. The Jackrabbit bench failed to score double digits as a unit for the only time all season Jan. 23 against Oakland, but outscored IPFW's reserves 18-0 on Jan. 25.
FOR STARTERS: 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 23 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 23 games so far this season. The Jackrabbits returned to their original starting lineup in the Jan. 16 game at North Dakota State as Jennie Sunnarborg replaced Jill Young in the starting five. Since then, SDSU has compiled a 6-1 record.
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 116-41 mark (.739 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 50 different Division I teams representing 18 conferences plus independents.
750 WINS: 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 765-339 (.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: For the first time since Aaron Johnston's first full season as head coach — 2000-01 — the Jackrabbit women's basketball team has lost more than one home game.
In his tenure as Jackrabbit head coach, Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to a 124-14 record (.899 winning percentage) at Frost Arena, including a 68-6 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 113-9 home record, 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 earlier this season 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 marked its first home loss to a Summit League opponent. The Jackrabbits are 22-1 at Frost Arena against Summit League foes since joining the league in 2007-08.
BOEVER MOVES UP: South Dakota State senior forward Maria Boever is making her move up the Jackrabbit career scoring chart this season.
Heading into Saturday's game, Boever has tallied 1,195 career points in 114 career games, good for 21st on SDSU's all-time scoring list. In the Feb. 6 game against UMKC, Boever moved up one more spot as she passed Lisa Kurtenbach (1,174 points from 1986-89). Standing in 20th place is Ann Just, who tallied 1,227 points from 1993-96.
A senior from Worthington, Minn., Boever became the 27th member of the Jackrabbit 1,000-Point Club, accomplishing the feat Dec. 7 at IUPUI.
Two other Jackrabbit players could reach the 1,000-point plateau later this season: senior Ketty Cornemann and junior Kristin Rotert. Cornemann has tallied 954 career points, while Rotert has 896 career points.
100 GAMES: All three Jackrabbit seniors have reached the 100 games-played milestone during the 2009-10 season. Three-year starters Maria Boever and Ketty Cornemann each played in their 100th career game Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State, while reserve guard Alison Anderson joined the group Jan. 11 at UMKC.
During their careers with the Jackrabbits, SDSU has posted a combined record of 94-25.
DOUBLE DUTY: For the first time in the Division I era, two Jackrabbit players turned in double-double performances in the same game.
Jennie Sunnarborg and Maria Boever accomplished the feat Jan. 23 in a victory over Oakland, collecting respective totals of 20 points and 11 rebounds and 10 points and 13 rebounds. Boever's 13 boards were a career high as she recorded her team-leading third double-double of the season and fifth of her career.
Sunnarborg went on to post her second consecutive double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds in a Jan. 25 victory over IPFW.
It had been nearly six years since the Jackrabbits had two players post a double-double in the same game. Shannon Schlagel (21 points, 13 rebounds) and Megan Vogel (16 points, 13 rebounds) each tallied double-doubles as SDSU defeated North Dakota, 72-70, in overtime in the NCAA Division II North Central Regional championship game on March 15, 2004.
Boever posted a pair of double-doubles in November, opening the season with 21 points and 11 rebounds in the season-opening overtime victory over Gonzaga (Wash.) on Nov. 13. She then added 11 points and 10 boards in a Nov. 22 home loss to Western Kentucky. Boever currently leads the team in both scoring and rebounding, averaging 13.4 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Kristin Rotert turned in her first career double-double with 14 points and a career-high 11 rebounds Jan. 9 at Southern Utah. It was the third double-double by a Jackrabbit player this season.
SUNNY DAYS: Sophomore forward Jennie Sunnarborg has been a force on both ends of the floor since being reinserted into the Jackrabbit starting lineup Jan. 16 at North Dakota State.
Named the Summit League Player of the Week on Jan. 26, Sunnarborg has averaged 11.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.6 blocked shots per game, while shooting 50.9 percent (28-of-55) from the field and 78.6 percent (22-of-28) at the free throw line over the last seven games. She set career highs for scoring with 20 points in back-to-back games against Oakland on Jan. 23 and IPFW on Jan. 25 and added a career high with 11 rebounds versus Oakland.
Sunnarborg also established a career best with six blocked shots in the Jan. 16 game at North Dakota State, and added five blocks Feb. 8 against Southern Utah.
HOT-SHOOTING JACKS: South Dakota State has led The Summit League in team field goal shooting for much of the 2009-10 season. The Jackrabbits enter Saturday's game ranked 19th among NCAA Division I teams by shooting 45.7 percent from the field, with Maria Boever (56.1) and Ashley Eide (61.4) shooting better than 50 percent individually.
Eight times the Jackrabbits have shot 50 percent or better in a game, including setting a single-game school record by shooting 64.7 percent (33-of-51) Feb. 1 at Centenary (La.). That eclipsed the 64.4 percent mark SDSU set against Concordia-Moorhead (Minn.) in 1990.
Two times earlier this season the Jackrabbits had flirted with the school record, recording identical outings of 62 percent (31-for-50) in home games Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State and Jan. 25 against IPFW.
With three consecutive games of 10 three-pointers, the Jackrabbits have made 164 three-pointers — an average of 7.1 per game — while shooting a Summit League-best 37.5 percent (164-of-437) from beyond the arc. SDSU's opponents are 85-of-315 from behind the arc, 27.0 percent.
YOUNG FOR 3: Sophomore guard Jill Young is building 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 Saturday's matchup against North Dakota State with 125 career three-pointers, topping the 100 mark with three triples Dec. 13 against Middle Tennessee State. After struggling earlier in the season, Young has heated up of late, going 11-for-24 from long range over the last four games to take over the team lead with 43 trifectas.
For her career, Young is shooting 42.4 percent from three-point range, 125-of-295.
ROTERT CRACKS TOP 10: Junior wing Kristin Rotert joined the Jackrabbit career top 10 for three-pointers this season.
The Salem native ranks second on the squad with 41 three-pointers after making three three-pointers in a game seven different times this season. Rotert, who has made at least one three-pointer in 22 of the team's 23 games this season, upped her career total to 159 — good for sixth place on the SDSU career chart — with a three-pointers Feb. 8 against Southern Utah. In fifth place is Lisa Kurtenbach, who sank 179 three-pointers from 1986-89.
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.
100 3's TIMES THREE: Senior forward Ketty Cornemann became the third current Jackrabbit player to sink 100 career three-pointers, when she sank a trifecta in the first half of the Jan. 16 game at North Dakota State. By going a perfect 6-for-6 from long range at Centenary (La.) on Feb. 1, Cornemann holds the lead in The Summit League for three-point percentage by connecting at a 45.2 percent (33-of-73) clip.
Besides Cornemann at 113 career three-pointers, Kristin Rotert (159 three-pointers) and Jill Young (125) are the other active Jackrabbits to reach the milestone.
JOHNSON JOINS THE CROWD: Sophomore guard Vanessa Johnson became the 12th Jackrabbit player this season to make a three-pointer, when she canned a trifecta from the right wing in the first half of the Jan. 2 game against Centenary. Johnson finished the game with a career-high five points.
SENIOR LEADERS: Through the first 13 conference games, Ketty Cornemann and Maria Boever have been consistent performers for the Jackrabbits.
A senior from Yankton, Cornemann leads the team with a 14.9 points-per-game
average in league games. She has scored double figures in 12 league games, including 21 points her last time out against Southern Utah on Feb. 8.
Boever is averaging 13.2 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in league play, while also reaching double figures for scoring in 11 Summit League contests. Boever is shooting 56.4 percent (66-of-117) from the field and 73.1 percent (38-for-52) from the free throw line in league games.
RUNNING THE POINT: Junior point guard Macie Michelson has added to her team-leading assist total with a combined 49 assists and only 28 turnovers in the last 12 games.
Michelson leads the team with 87 assists and also tops The Summit League for assist-turnover ratio.
EFFICIENT EIDE: Freshman Ashley Eide has been an efficient performer off the bench.
The Sioux Falls native is averaging one point for every two minutes played and leads the team in field goal percentage at 61.4 percent (35-of-57).
In a three-game stretch against Oral Roberts, Centenary (La.) and UMKC, Eide made nine field consecutive field goal attempts, including 5-for-5 at Centenary on Feb. 1 and 3-for-3 versus UMKC on Feb. 6. She is shooting a combined 14-of-19 (73.7 percent) over the last five games.
Eide also was 5-for-5 from the field against Centenary when the two teams met Jan. 2 at Frost Arena.
SCHUTT STEPS UP: Junior Jennifer Schuttloffel filled a valuable role off the bench in the Jackrabbits' victory over Southern Utah on Feb. 8, filling in for an injured Leah Dietel.
A junior from Sioux Falls, Schuttloffel played a career-high 18 minutes, setting season highs with seven points and three rebounds. She was a perfect 3-for-3 from the field.
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.
The Jackrabbits' victory over Northern Iowa on Dec. 28 marked the first time this season SDSU won a game in which it was out-rebounded.
Over their nine games, the Jackrabbits have held a combined plus-44 rebounding advantage. In Summit League games, SDSU holds a plus-5.7 rebounding edge per contest.
SECOND-HALF SUCCESS: During their current three-game winning streak, the Jackrabbits have owned the second half.
In victories over Centenary (La.), UMKC and Southern Utah, SDSU outscored the opposition by a combined 155-75 margin. The Jackrabbits shot a combined 60.5 percent (49-for-81) from the field in the second halves of the three games, including 59.4 percent (19-of-32) from three-point range.
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 239-74 (.764 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 43-6 record (.878 winning percentage) in Summit League regular season games and a 16-5 mark (.762 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 USAToday/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, Sports Illustrated and The New York Times.
NEW COACHES: The Jackrabbit coaching staff features three new faces this season with the hirings of Emilee Gusso and Chad Oletzke as full-time assistant coaches and Deb Remmerde as a graduate assistant.
In addition to her on-court duties, Gusso will fill the roles of recruiting coordinator and academic coordinator for the Jackrabbits. Gusso was an assistant coach at Drake (Iowa) the past three seasons, helping guide the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament in 2007 and a WNIT appearance a year later. A 2004 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Kearney, Gusso previously served as a graduate assistant at SDSU during the 2004-05 and 2005-06 seasons, helping guide the Jackrabbits through their first two years of transition to the Division I level.
Oletzke joins the Jackrabbit coaching staff after serving as head women's basketball coach at Northwest College in Powell, Wyo., the past five seasons. During his tenure with the junior college program, Oletzke earned coach of the year honors after lead the Trappers to a Wyoming Community College Athletic Conference championship and a North Sub-Region title. He began coaching at the collegiate level at Southwest Minnesota State University, serving as an assistant women's basketball coach for four years. While with the Mustangs, SMSU posted three 20-win seasons and made two NCAA Division II postseason appearances.
Remmerde moves to the sidelines after a record-setting playing career at Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. A four-time first-team All-American and 2008 NAIA Division II Player of the Year, she finished her career as the division's all-time scoring leader with 3,854 points, an average of 28.8 points per game. She established a single-season scoring record with 1,122 points during the 2007-08 season and also set all-time NAIA records for career (95.77 percent) and single-season (97.24 percent) free throw percentage. Her 133 consecutive made free throws are the most in competition at any level — high school to professional, men's or women's). After completing her collegiate playing career in 2008, Remmerde earned a tryout with the WNBA's Houston Comets and briefly played professionally in Germany.
Rounding out the Jackrabbit women's basketball coaching staff is second-year assistant coach Katie Falco.
ACADEMIC SUCCESS: After leading all divisions in team grade-point average each of the three previous seasons, the South Dakota State University women's basketball team was overtaken for the top spot in the Women's Basketball Coaches Association Academic Top 25 Team Honor Roll during the 2008-09 season.
With a 3.571 team GPA, the Jackrabbits, coached by Aaron Johnston, still managed a third-place showing in the NCAA Division I rankings and 15th among all divisions, which includes NCAA Division I, Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior colleges. Indiana State took over the No. 1 spot in Division I with a 3.645 team GPA, earning the top ranking for the third time ( also in 2002-03 and 2004-05). The University of North Dakota ranked second at 3.580.
Dana College (Neb.) led all divisions with a 3.763 team grade-point average.
SDSU was one of seven Division I teams in the WBCA's honor roll to make an NCAA Tournament appearance during the 2008-09 campaign. Only the Jackrabbits, who finished the season with a 32-3 overall record, and Kansas State advanced past the first round.
The Jackrabbits began their run of three consecutive team GPA titles in 2005-06 with a 3.730 GPA. SDSU repeated with a mark of 3.693 in 2006-07 and claimed its third title with a 3.669 team GPA during the 2007-08 academic year. In addition, the Jackrabbits finished second among Division I programs during the 2004-05 season with a 3.567 GPA.
Also during the 2008-09 season, senior Ashlea Muckenhirn and Jennifer Warkenthien earned ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District honors, with Warkenthien also being named to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Second Team.
Warkenthien later added to her list of awards by being named The Summit League Women's Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
Additionally, 12 players on the Jackrabbit roster were recognized as members of the
Academic All-Summit League Team during the 2008-09 campaign, with nine also receiving recognition on the Commissioner's List of Academic Excellence.
CORNEMANN HONORED: South Dakota State University women's basketball player Ketty Cornemann has earned a spot on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Second Team.
A senior forward from Yankton, Cornemann has compiled a 3.83 grade-point average while majoring in health, physical education and recreation.
On the court, Cornemann has been a three-year starter for the Jackrabbits and ranks second on the squad this season with an average of 11.5 points per game. A second-team all-Summit League selection a year ago, she set a career high with 25 points in her last outing, Feb. 1 at Centenary (La.), a game in which she was a perfect 6-for-6 from three-point range.
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 3.3 and be a starter or key reserve.
THE ROSTER: The 2009-10 SDSU women's basketball roster features 14 players from three different states. Of the 14 players, nine are from South Dakota and five are from Minnesota. By class, three are seniors, three are juniors, three are sophomores, and five are incoming freshmen.
WESTERGARD LEAVES TEAM: Redshirt freshman center Cala Westergard has decided to leave the team, head coach Aaron Johnston announced in late January. A native of Charles City, Iowa, Westergard averaged 1.7 points and 1.4 rebounds in nine games. She recorded highs of seven points and four rebounds in the Jackrabbits' victory at IUPUI on Dec. 7.
Westergard intends to continue her education at South Dakota State.
A LOOK AHEAD: The Jackrabbits close their homestand on Presidents Day (Monday, Feb. 15) with a 7:05 p.m. matchup against the University of South Dakota.
Monday's game, which is SDSU's final non-conference contest of the season, will be televised by Sioux Falls-based Midcontinent Communications (Ch. 23) and also carried by Mediacom (Ch. 10).
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