Final Tune-Up Thursday

Thursday, November 3

Brookings, S.D.

6 p.m.

South Dakota State University

Dakota Wesleyan

Photo by: Mike Rasay, ISI Group

11/1/2016 8:24:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Broadcast Information

Live Radio:
AM: WNAX 570, KBFS 1450, KJJQ 910, KORN 1490, KELO 1320 and KSDR 1480
FM: WNAX 99.9, KELQ 107.9, KJOE 106.1
Jackrabbit Sports Network: Scotty Kwaz & Brad Newitt
Live Stats: GoJacksLive.com
Twitter: @GoJacksWBB

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE STORYLINES
• South Dakota State opened exhibition play Oct. 27 with a commanding 89-49 win over Minnesota Crookston. With the win, the Jackrabbits are 19-0 in exhibition games since entering the Division I era. The most points scored in an exhibition are 105 in 2008 vs. Minnesota Crookston and the fewest were 63 vs. Bemidji State in 2010.

• Jackrabbits head coach Aaron Johnston's starting five vs. the Golden Eagles were seniors Clarissa Ober and Kerri Young, juniors Macy Miller and Ellie Thompson and sophomore Madison Guebert. Eleven Jacks played.

• Four Jacks scored in double digits. Ober led the way with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks.

• Thompson added 16 points, Guebert 12 points, highlighted by three 3-pointers, while Miller pitched in 11 points.

• Five Jacks had two-or-more assists vs. the Golden Eagles led by junior Alexis Alexander's six.

• SDSU had 20 assists and 13 steals and outrebounded Minnesota Crookston, 50-47.

• For the second time in school history, South Dakota State received votes in both the Women's Associated Press Top 25 Preseason Poll and USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25 Preseason Polls. It received five votes in Tuesday's AP poll and 38 votes in the Oct. 28 Coaches poll.

• The Jackrabbits are ranked first in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major preseason poll going into the season opener. With its 26 first-place votes, SDSU is the first team in The Summit League history to earn a top national preseason ranking. The Jackrabbits ranked first in the final 2015-16 poll, their highest-ever ranking.

PRESEASON NO. 1

For the fifth consecutive year and the seventh time in the last nine years, the Jacks were picked to win The Summit League title. SDSU claimed 30 of 34 first-place votes for a total of 542 points.
SDSU was also picked No. 1 in 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15 and 2015-16. It was also selected preseason No. 1 in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Jackrabbits have won five of the last eight Summit League regular-season titles.

FIVE JACKRABBITS EARN PRESEASON ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE

For the first time in Summit League history, South Dakota State's starting lineup from the 2015-16 season earned preseason all-league honors and Macy Miller was named the league's Preseason Player of the Year, according to a poll conducted by the league's coaches, sports information directors and select media and released in October.
Clarissa Ober and Ellie Thompson and Miller were named to The Summit League Preseason First Team and Kerri Young and Madison Guebert were named to the second team. Miller is the first Jackrabbit to earn Summit League Preseason Player of the Year.
Miller earned first-team honors for the second consecutive year. The two-time All-Summit League honoree and Summit League All-Tournament selection and MVP averaged a team-leading 13.7 points and 2.9 assists while shooting 42.3 percent from the field and 92.6 percent from the foul line in 16 league games last year. Overall, Miller averaged 15.5 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists and had 5 20-plus point games.
After being named The Summit League Defensive Player of the Year last season, Ober earns her first preseason honor. The senior led the Jackrabbits in rebounds and blocks, averaging 8.3 caroms and 2.0 rejections in 16 league outings. The Glencoe, Minn., native also averaged 9.4 points per game and shot 52.5 percent from the field.
Thompson earns her second preseason honor after earning second-team honors last year. A native of Chaska, Minn., she was named to the All-Summit League second team in 2015-16 after averaging 11.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game in 16 league outings. Thompson also shot 47.3 percent from the field and 38.2 percent from 3-point range.
For the second year in a row, Young earned second-team honors. She averaged 9.5 points and 2.4 assists while shooting 40.8 percent from the field, 32.1 percent from 3-point range and 1.000 percent from the free-throw line in 16 league outings a year ago.
The Jackrabbits' main 3-point threat, Guebert, earns her first preseason honor by joining Young on the second team. Guebert led the league in 3-pointers (44) and 3-point percentage (40.7) while averaging 11.8 points in 16 league games.

MILESTONES

Macy Miller and Kerri Young are expected to be SDSU's next 1,000-point scorers. Miller needs 20 points and Young 75 points. Head coach Aaron Johnston is also eight wins shy of 400 career victories.

ABOUT DAKOTA WESLEYAN

Dakota Wesleyan opened its exhibition season Oct. 27, defeating Johnson and Wales University, 100-49, in Denver.
Junior forward Ashley Bray led the Tigers with 14 points. Freshman guard Kynedi Cheeseman came off the bench for 13 points. DWU shot 53.5 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 88.9 percent from the free-throw line.
Dakota Wesleyan finished the 2015-16 season with a 27-9 overall mark and went 15-7 in the Great Plains Athletic Conference. The Tigers reached the NAIA Tournament quarterfinals.
The Tigers also return their starting lineup from last year. In addition to Bray, senior forwards Erica Herrold and Kristin Sabers are back along with junior forward Amber Bray and sophomore guard Rylie Osthus.
Herrold averaged a team-best 16.7 points per game and Sabers knocked down 78 3-pointers while averaging 14 points per outing.
Jason Christensen is in his seventh season at Dakota Wesleyan and has a 101-90 career record.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State opens its 51^st season when it hosts Creighton Nov. 11 at 7 p.m. in the friendly confines of Frost Arena.

For more information on the South Dakota State women's basketball team, follow the Jackrabbits on Twitter (@GoJacksWBB) or like South Dakota State women's basketball on Facebook.

-GoJacks.com-