Jackrabbits run past Bison

Friday, January 20

Fargo, N.D.

7:00 PM

South Dakota State University

North Dakota State

1/20/2012 10:29:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: SDSU Sports Info

FARGO, N.D. -- South Dakota State put together its most efficient offensive performance of the season , closing the first half of the Summit League women's basketball season with a dominating 88-52 victory over North Dakota State Friday night at the Bison Sports Arena.

In posting their season-best fourth consecutive victory, the Jackrabbits improved to 13-7 overall and 8-1 in league play. NDSU dropped to 7-14 overall, 4-5 in The Summit League.

The Jackrabbits trailed only once the entire night, at 3-2 in the first minute of the game. With the game tied at 8-all, the Jackrabbits reeled off a 15-5 run to build a double-digit lead. Steph Paluch started the spurt with a three-pointer and Jennie Sunnarborg added all six of her first-half points.

SDSU increased its advantage to 20 points on two occasions later in the first half, the last at 40-20 on an Ashley Eide basket. Eide scored 14 first-half points to pace the Jackrabbits to a 42-26 halftime lead.

Although Jackrabbit post players Sunnarborg and Katie Lingle each picked up their third fouls in the first 63 seconds of the second half, SDSU was able to build the lead back to 20 points, 50-30, by the first under-16 break.

SDSU continued to add to its lead throughout the night with production from up and down its lineup. Jackrabbit reserves accounted for 27 points, including a career-high 10 points from Rachel Walters and eight from Mariah Clarin. Walters was 3-for-5 from three-point range to lead the Jackrabbits 10-of-16 effort from behind the arc.

Eide, who earned team MVP honors in the annual Katherine Bergum Classic, led the Jackrabbits with 20 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field. Sunnarborg finished with 17 points in 15 minutes, with Paluch rounding out SDSU's double-figure scorers with 10.

The Jackrabbits ended the game 29-of-51 from the field, 56.9 percent, and 20-of-29 at the line, 69 percent. SDSU also held a 40-33 rebounding advantage, with Eide recording a game-high seven boards. The junior from Sioux Falls also contributed three assists and three steals.

NDSU finished the night 19-of-59 from the field, 32.2 percent, including 2-for-12 from three-point range. At the line, the Bison were 12-of-17, 70.6 percent.

Janae Burich led the Bison with 12 points, with Danielle Muri adding 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.

The Jackrabbits return to action Jan. 28 at IPFW. Tipoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time (3:30 p.m. Central) in Fort Wayne, Ind.

NOTES: NDSU leads the all-time series 38-36, although the Jackrabbits have won 13 of the last 14 meetings ... SDSU has won the last seven meetings in Fargo ... SDSU shot 59.3 percent (16-of-27) from the field in the first half ... 11 of the 12 Jackrabbits to play in the game scored and all 12 tallied at least one rebound ... SDSU committed a season-low nine turnovers, while setting season highs for points and field goal percentage ... Sunnarborg moved into 29th place on the Jackrabbit career scoring chart with 1,045 points, passing former teammate Ketty Cornemann (1,042 points from 2007-10) ... with a pair of treys, Jill Young upped her career three-point mark to a school-record 270 ... attendance was 1,788