Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Augustana (Exhibition) on October 29, 2025 at 6 p.m.
/
6 p.m.
Women's Basketball
vs Augustana (Exhibition)
South Dakota State University Athletics
Saturday, February 27
Macomb, Ill.
4:30 p.m.
South Dakota State University
at
Western Illinois
Final Game of the Regular Season
2/26/2016 2:42:00 PM | Women's Basketball
South Dakota State (22-6, 12-3) vs.
Western Illinois (15-13, 8-7)
Feb. 27, 2016
| COACHES | |
| South Dakota State: | Aaron Johnston (Gustavus Adolphus '96) is 387-132/16th |
| Western Illinois: | JD Gravina (William Jewel '00) is 72-77/4th |
| TRENDS | |
| Series Record vs. W. Illinois: | 17-1 |
| Current Streak: | W, 17 (2/9/08 to present) |
| Longest Streak: | W, 17 |
| Last Five Games: | 5-0 |
| Last Meeting with W. Illinois: | W, 85-63, Jan. 23, 2016, Frost Arena |
| BROADCAST INFORMATION | |
| Live Video: | ESPN3.com |
| Radio: | WNAX-FM 104.1, KJJQ 910 AM, KORN 1490 AM, |
| KSDR 1480 AM, KJOE 106.1 FM | |
| Talent: | Brad Peterson |
| Live Stats: | GoLeathernecks.com |
| Twitter: | @GoJacksWBB |
BROOKINGS, S.D.—The South Dakota State women's basketball team plays its final regular-season game Saturday when it travels to Macomb, Ill., for a 4:30 p.m. game at Western Illinois.
- Saturday's game will be televised live on ESPN3 (http://es.pn/1Q6kiTl). Eric Sutera will call the play-by-play, Dwight Bolden will provide the color commentary and Cam Freeman will be reporting from the sidelines.
- The Jackrabbits, 22-6 overall and 12-3 in league play, are in second in latest The Summit League standings.
- SDSU has won six of its last eight road games, is 7-3 on the road this year, but needs to snap a two-game losing streak, the longest since losing to Creighton and at then-No. 22 DePaul in mid-November in 2014.
- Summit League Freshman of the Year candidate Madison Guebert and All-Summit League candidate Ellie Thompson led three Jackrabbits in double-figure scoring at IUPUI Thursday. Guebert had a game-high 18 points, including four 3-pointers, and Thompson posted her fourth double-double of the season with 16 points and a career-best 13 rebounds.
- Western Illinois, 15-13 overall and 8-7 in league play, enters the game fifth in The Summit League standings. It is protecting a three-game home win streak.
- In their last game, the Leathernecks reached the century mark defeating North Dakota State Thursday, 100-89. Senior guard Michelle Maher scored a career-high 41 points, the most in The Summit League this season.
- Saturday's game marks the 19th meeting between South Dakota State and Western Illinois. SDSU leads the series 17-1 after winning, 85-63, in Frost Arena Jan. 23. Last year, the Jacks won both games.
Noteworthy
- Of its eight Summit League opponents in the last eight-plus years, SDSU has five losses to IUPUI, three to South Dakota, two to North Dakota State and one each to Denver, Fort Wayne and Western Illinois. The most losses have been to Oral Roberts (6).
- SDSU is 7-3 on the road this season with its losses coming at Green Bay, 58-57, Dec. 19, at South Dakota, 80-75, Feb. 20 and at IUPUI Thursday.
- South Dakota State is 56-18 (.756) all-time in Summit League road games and has won 7 of its last 10 road contests. Last year, it went 4-4 in league road contests.
- South Dakota State has flourished on the road, posting a +11.6 average scoring margin (65.4-53.8) in its 10 games. It is outshooting its opponents 40.7 to 36.2 from the field.
- Macy Miller has scored in double digits in 25 of 28 games this season and in 34 of her last 38 games.
- Forward Ellie Thompson is shooting 66.7 percent (30-45) from the field, including 75 percent (6-8) from 3-point range in the last five games. Additionally, she is averaging 14.8 points and 7.4 rebounds.
- The Jackrabbits are 217-77 (.738) in all games since joining The Summit League in 2007-08. The Jacks have won 37 of their last 44, dating to a 63-57 win over IUPUI Jan. 9, 2014.
- SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston, who won his 385th game Feb. 11, enters Saturday's game with a 387-132 (.745) overall record and a 126-25 (.834) league mark.
- In the last five games, the Jackrabbits are limiting opponents to 61.4 points per game and outscoring them by 12 points. They also dominate first-quarter scoring, 97-54.
- After sinking seven 3-pointers Thursday, the Jacks have 42 treys in the last five outings and 219 for the season. They are 18th in the NCAA in 3-pointers made and 21st in 3-pointers per game.
Jackrabbits in Mid-Major Poll
- South Dakota State dropped to No. 8 in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major poll this week.
- SDSU was ranked as high as No. 3 Jan. 12.
- SDSU has been ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll 78 of the last 79 weeks.
- The Jackrabbits finished 19th in the final 2014-15 poll.
A Quick Glance at South Dakota State
- Sixteenth-year head coach Aaron Johnston's probable starters for the Western Illinois game are:
           - Macy Miller, point guard Â
           - Madison Guebert, guard
           - Kerri Young, guard
           - Ellie Thompson, forward
           - Clarissa Ober, center
- Miller is SDSU's leading scorer at 15.1 points per game. She ranks seventh overall and 11th in Summit League-only games (13.8). She is also the Jacks' leading playmaker (2.9 apg).
- Young (10.7), Thompson (10.3) and Guebert (10.0) are the other Jacks averaging in double digits in overall scoring. Young is second in assists (2.4 apg) and Thompson second in rebounds (6.6).
- SDSU averages 70 points per game and gives up 59.2.
- On the boards, Clarissa Ober grabs a team-leading 8.0 caroms per outing, ranking fourth overall and fifth in league games (7.8). SDSU is outrebounding opponents by 4.3.
- Ober is also the team leader in blocks (53, 2.0 bpg), ranking second overall and leading The Summit League (33, 2.5) in blocks per game.
- Three Jackrabbits are dishing two-or-more assists a game and the team has a 1.1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
- The Jackrabbits are shooting 41.6 percent from the field, 34.5 percent from 3-point range and 71.8 percent from the free-throw line.
A Look at Western Illinois
- Western Illinois is fifth in the latest Summit League standings with records of 15-13 overall and 8-7 in league play.
- The Fighting Leathernecks snapped a two-game losing streak with a high-scoring win over North Dakota State Thursday, 100-89.
- WIU is 9-4 overall and 5-2 in league games at home.
- The Fighting Leathernecks average 76.3 points a contest while giving up 75. They also lead the league in 3-pointers per game (9.3).
- WIU has four players averaging double figures in scoring. Senior center Sophie Reichelt is averaging 15.5 points per game. In Summit League-only games, she is 16.7 points.
- Reichelt is also the squad's top rebounder, grabbing 8.0 caroms, and top 3-point threat (51, 32.1).
- Senior guard Michelle Maher is second in scoring (14.9) and leads the Fighting Leathernecks in assists per game (4.0).
- Freshman guard Taylor Higginbotham is averaging 12.2 points per game off the bench.
- Sophomore guard Emily Clemens scores 10.8 points per game. She also leads the team (2.2) and is second overall in The Summit League in steals per game.
Breaking Down the Western Illinois Series
- Saturday's game will be the 19th meeting between SDSU and Western Illinois. The Jacks lead the series 17-1 and have won the last 17 games after dropping the first game of the series, 67-60, Jan. 14, 2008, in Macomb, Ill.
- In the Jan. 23 meeting, three Jackrabbits scored in double figures and all 11 active players scoring in the contest, as South Dakota State recorded an 85-63 win.
- Macy Miller averages 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists while shooting 50 percent from the field in her three games vs. the Fighting Leathernecks. Kerri Young averages 10.4 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.4 assists while shooting 45.2 percent from the field and 56.3 percent from 3-point ranges in five games.
Players Mentioned
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