Three-Game Road Swing Begins Saturday

GAME 27: South Dakota State [21-5, 10-1] at Western Illinois [18-7, 8-3]

When	Saturday, Feb. 17, 2018 \| 4:30 p.m.
Where	Western Hall \| Macomb, Ill.
Radio	Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAX 104.1 FM I Jackrabbits All-Access I Scotty Kwas
Live Video	GoJacks.com \| ESPN3/WatchESPN
Live Audio	Jackrabbits All-Access
Live Stats	GoJacks.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Western Illinois \| Summit League
Social Media	Twitter I #EarsUp

The South Dakota State women's basketball team closes the regular season with a three-game road swing that starts Saturday with a 4:30 p.m. game at Western Illinois in Western Hall.

The Jackrabbits are 21-5 overall and sit second in Summit League play, a game and half behind South Dakota, with a 10-1 mark.

SDSU won its fifth consecutive game with a 96-72 win over Oral Roberts Feb. 10. Alexis Alexander and Ellie Thompson scored 16 and 14 points, respectively, to lead six Jackrabbits in double figures on senior day.

Western Illinois is 18-7 overall, 8-3 in The Summit League and third in the league standings.

The Fighting Leathernecks took a break from league action, defeating Division III Eureka, 98-46, Tuesday in Western Hall.

SDSU has won 15 of the last 19 games against league members, dating to last season.

Saturday's game will be the 23rd meeting between the Jackrabbits and the Fighting Leathernecks. SDSU leads the series 20-2. South Dakota State won the season's first meeting, 84-48, Jan. 20, in Frost Arena.

Noteworthy

Two of the highest scoring teams in The Summit League battle Saturday. The Jackrabbits lead the league in scoring (86.1) in league outings while the Leathernecks score at an 84.1 clip. Additionally, both teams are stingy on defense. State is second in scoring defense (60.7) while WIU is limiting opponents to 66.8 points. The Jacks have a league-leading 24.5 scoring margin.
When the two teams met in January, the Jacks outscored the Leathernecks by 36 points.
The top four scorers in The Summit League will be on the court Saturday, including Macy Miller (17.6, 2nd) and Madison Guebert (16.2, 4th) for the Jacks, and Western Illinois' Emily Clemens (20.4, 1st) and Taylor Higginbotham (17.4, 3rd).
The Jackrabbits are averaging 96.8 points per game and giving up just 59.6 an outing in the last five games. They have also scored 100-plus points twice.
South Dakota State is 6-3 on the road and is on a four-game winning streak. It is also 64-22 (.744) all-time in Summit League road games. SDSU has won 15 of its last 22 league road contests.
The Jackrabbits' rankings in the NCAA are:

            - 5th in free-throw percentage (77.9);
            - 14th in 3-point field goals made (230);
            - 16th in assists (442);
            - 18th in scoring margin (16.2);
            - 20th in 3-point field-goal attempts (635); and
            - 21st in 3-pointers per game (8.8)
Junior Madison Guebert is fifth in free-throw percentage (92.5).

South Dakota State was ranked seventh in Graham Hays' Feb. 7 espnW mid-major poll. It was ranked No. 1 in the Nov. 15 poll and second in the Nov. 29, Dec. 13, Jan. 9 and Jan. 24 polls.
State has held 16 of its 26 opponents to 65 or fewer points, including five to less than 50.
There have been at least three Jackrabbits scoring in double digits in 18 of 26 games. In the last five games, five Jacks are averaging double figures, led by Macy Miller's 16.2 ppg.
Miller has scored 20 or more points 12 times. She averages a team-leading 18.1 points per game.
Already the Summit League's all-time wins leader, head coach Aaron Johnston enters Saturday's game a win shy of 150 career Summit League wins.

Jackrabbits in Mid-Major Poll

South Dakota State was ranked eighth in the Feb. 13 CollegeInsider Mid-Major poll.
SDSU has been ranked in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll 114 of the last 115 weeks.
The Jackrabbits, who were picked No. 1 in last year's preseason poll, finished 15th at the end of the 2016-17 season.

A Quick Glance at South Dakota State

Eighteenth-year head coach Aaron Johnston's probable starters for the Western Illinois game are:

            - Alexis Alexander, point guard
            - Madison Guebert, guard
            - Macy Miller, guard
            - Tagyn Larson, forward
            - Ellie Thompson, forward

The starting lineup is 8-1 overall this season.
Summit League Player of the Year candidate Macy Miller is currently SDSU's and The Summit League's leading scorer (18.1). She is second in league-only scoring (17.6). Madison Guebert averages 15.0 points per game and ranks fourth in league scoring (16.2).
SDSU averages 79.0 points per game and limits foes to 62.8 points per outing.
On the boards, Ellie Thompson is SDSU's leading rebounder, grabbing 5.8 caroms an outing. The Jackrabbits are outrebounding opponents by 6.7.
The Jackrabbits' top 3-point threat is Guebert, who is sinking 2.5 treys per game.
Miller is the Jacks' top playmaker, dishing 3.1 assists per game.
The Jacks have a plus-1.3 assist-to-turnover ratio and 1.7 turnover margin.
SDSU is shooting 45.4 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from 3-point range and 77.9 percent from the free-throw line.

Glance at Western Illinois

Western Illinois enters Saturday's game on a three-game winning streak. It has a 10-2 record in Western Hall and has won its last five, dating to a 56-49 win over Oral Roberts Jan. 6.
WIU is led offensively by senior Emily Clemens. The point guard averages 17.9 points per game. She ranks first overall and in the league (20.4) in scoring.
Junior guard Taylor Higginbotham and senior guard Morgan Blumer are also averaging double digits, scoring 17.1 and 15.0 points per game, re spectively.
The Fighting Leathernecks are averaging a league-leading 84.1 points per game overall and are second in league games (84.2). They are giving up 66.8 and 69.2 points per game, respectively.
Higginbotham averages a team-leading 7.4 rebounds. The Fighting Leathernecks are being outrebounded by 3.1 caroms a game.
Clemens leads The Summit League and ranks fourth in the NCAA by dishing 8.0 assists per game. She also ranks ninth with 3.1 steals per game.
Senior forward Olivia Braun tops The Summit League with 58 blocks (2.2) on the season and averages 2.2 per game in league games. She ranks 27th in the NCAA in blocks per game.
Higginbotham is Western Illinois' top 3-point threat, shooting 41.0 percent (59-144). Blumer is sinking a team-leading 2.7 treys a contest.
The Fighting Leathernecks are shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 37.4 percent from 3-point range and 74.6 percent from the free-throw line.

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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Alexis Alexander

Madison Guebert

Tagyn Larson

Macy Miller

Ellie Thompson

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