Final Tune-Up Thursday

EXHIBITION GAME 2: South Dakota State vs. Northern State

When	Thursday, Nov. 2, 2017 l 6 p.m.
Where	Frost Arena l Brookings, S.D.
Radio	Jackrabbit Sports Network l WNAX 570 AM l Scotty Kwas
Live Audio	Jackrabbit All-Access
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Social Media	Twitter l #EarsUp

SOUTH DAKOTA STATE STORYLINES
• South Dakota State opened exhibition play Oct. 26 with a commanding 93-58 win over Minnesota State-Moorhead. With the win, the Jackrabbits are 21-0 in exhibition games since entering the Division I era. The most points scored in an exhibition were 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 Dragons were seniors Ellie Thompson and Lexi Alexander, juniors Macy Miller and Madison Guebert and sophomore Tagyn Larson. Thirteen players competed.

• Four Jacks scored in double figures led by Guebert's 14 points, including four 3-pointers. Thompson tallied 13 points and Alexander 12 points.

• Freshman Myah Selland scored 10 points off the bench and had a game-high seven rebounds. She also added two assists, a block and a pair of steals.

• Twelve of 13 Jackrabbits scored against the Dragons and dished an assist. Senior Chynna Stevens and rookie Tylee Irwin each had three assists.

• In her return to the court after a season-ending injury, Miller registered eight points, an assist and a steal.

• For the third time in school history, the South Dakota State received votes in the USA Today Sports Coaches Top 25 Preseason Poll. It received six votes in the Oct. 22 Coaches poll.

• South Dakota State returns three starters and nine players from last year's squad; which finished 23-9 overall and 12-4 in The Summit League. The Jackrabbits made their 11^th postseason appearance in the WNIT.

• South Dakota State reached the 20-win plateau for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons under 18th-year head coach Aaron Johnston. The Jackrabbits have won at least 20 games 20 times since women's basketball started at SDSU in 1966.

• Ellie Thompson and Madison Guebert are expected to be SDSU's next 1,000-point scorers. Thompson needs 11 points and Guebert 156 points.

• The Jacks' schedule includes games against nine NCAA Tournament teams from last season—Louisville, Oklahoma, Green Bay, N.C. State, Northern Iowa, Creighton, Drake, Florida Gulf Coast and Western Illinois. State will play eight of its 15 nonleague games in the friendly confines of Frost Arena. SDSU's nonleague slate, along with its 14-game Summit League schedule, allows the Jacks to play two teams ranked in the 2016-17 NCAA RPI Top 20.

• Head coach Aaron Johnston is moving up The Summit League coaching charts. He enters the season needing 16 wins to become the league's leader in overall victories with 261. Johnston also enters the season 11th among the winningest active coaches in the NCAA Division 1. He has won 74.5 percent of his games in 18 years. Geno Auriemma ranks first, winning 88.0 percent.

• The Jackrabbits are celebrating 11 years in The Summit League and the 52nd season of women's basketball in the friendly confines of Frost Arena in 2017-18. The Jackrabbits are 469-119 (.797) in Frost Arena all-time.

• SDSU has won its last 14 home games against Summit League members, dating to the 2015-16 season.

PRESEASON NO. 1
For the seventh consecutive year and the ninth time in the last 11 years, the Jacks were picked to win The Summit League title. SDSU claimed 16 of 28 first-place votes for a total of 380 points.

SDSU was also picked No. 1 in 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16 and 2016-17. It was also selected preseason No. 1 in 2008-09 and 2009-10. The Jackrabbits have won five of the last nine Summit League regular-season titles.

THREE JACKRABBITS EARN PRESEASON ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE
For the second year in a row, South Dakota State women's basketball players Ellie Thompson, Macy Miller and Madison Guebert earned preseason all-league honors, according to a poll conducted by the league's coaches, sports information directors and select media.

All three were named to The Summit League preseason first team. The last time three-or-more Jackrabbits were named to preseason teams was last year when the Jackrabbits' starting five earned preseason all-league honors for the first time in Summit League history.

Thompson, the lone forward on the first team, earned her third preseason honor and second consecutive first-team honor after picking up second-team accolades in 2015-16. The senior averaged 13.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game last season. Thompson also shot a team-high 50.5 percent from the field and 71.9 percent from the foul line.

Miller earned first-team honors for the third consecutive year. The two-time All-Summit League honoree and Summit League All-Tournament selection and MVP was the league's preseason Player of the Year last season. The junior averaged a team-leading 14.9 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game while shooting 53.8 percent from the field, 50 percent from 3-point range and 77.8 percent from the foul line in nine games last year. She suffered a season-ending injury Dec. 9, 2016.

The Jackrabbits' and The Summit League's top 3-point threat, Guebert, earns her second preseason honor after appearing on the second team last year. The junior led the league and SDSU in 3-pointers made (98) and 3-pointers per game (3.1) while leading the team in scoring (15.3) and free-throw percentage (85.6).

ABOUT NORTHERN STATE
Northern State finished the 2016-17 season 24-7 overall and 16-6 in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference and reached the NCAA Central Regional. The Wolves were picked second in the NSIC preseason poll.

The Wolves return four senior starters, including 6-foot-2 senior Miranda Ristau and 5-11 senior forward Jill Conrad.

Ristau averaged 16.6 points and a team-leading 8.0 rebounds per game. Conrad tallied 14.9 points per game and grabbed 6.9 boards. Senior guard Gabby Laimer is also back after sinking a team-leading 46 3-pointers.

Northern State finished the year shooting higher than 45 percent from the field, 32 percent from long range and 72 percent from the foul line.

Curt Fredrickson is in his 39^th year as head coach at Northern State. He is the second-winningest coach in NCAA Division II with 820 victories.

UP NEXT
SDSU hosts NJIT Nov. 10 in its season and home opener at 6 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-

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Madison Guebert

Tagyn Larson

Macy Miller

Chynna Stevens

Ellie Thompson

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