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South Dakota State University Athletics
Photo by: Dave Eggen/Inertia Sports Media
Women's basketball opens season at Drake
11/7/2019 10:02:00 AM | Women's Basketball
| Â Game 1 | South Dakota State (0-0) at Drake (0-0) |
| Â When | Â Friday, Nov. 8 | 6 p.m. |
| Â Where | Â Knapp Center | Des Moines, Iowa |
| Â Live Audio / Radio | Â Jackrabbits All-Access |Â Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAXÂ 570 AMÂ | Scotty Kwaz |
| Â Live Video | Â ESPN3 |
| Â Live Stats | Â GoDrakeBulldogs.com |
| Â Game Notes | Â South Dakota State |
| Â Social Media | Â Twitter I Facebook |
| Â Tickets | Â DrakeTix.com/WBB |
South Dakota State will open its 2019-20 season at Drake on Friday. Tipoff is slated for 6 p.m. at the Knapp Center in Des Moines, Iowa.
The Jackrabbits lead the all-time series against Drake, 2-1. When the teams met last season, SDSU defeated a No. 21-ranked Drake squad, 80-71.
Both teams are coming off of 2018-19 seasons that saw NCAA Tournament appearances.
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About South Dakota State
South Dakota State enters the 2019-20 season with 10 returners, including three starters, and will look to build on the momentum of a historic season.
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Tagyn Larson, a 2018-19 All-Summit League Second Team and Summit League Championship All-Tournament Team honoree, returns for her senior season. She started all 35 games for the Jackrabbits last season, leading the team in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and blocked shots (43). The senior averaged 10.5 points per game and shot 50 percent or higher from the field in 24 games. Larson shot 19-of-45 from beyond the arc to rank second on the team in 3-point field goal percentage (42.2 percent).
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Myah Selland started all 33 games that she appeared in for State last season. She earned 2018-19 All-Summit League Honorable Mention honors. Selland ranked second on the team in assists (108) and blocked shots (18). The Junior averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. She played a key role in the Jackrabbits postseason success as she averaged 15.3 points and 7.3 rebounds in NCAA Tournament games.
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The final of the returning starters, Tylee Irwin, started 34 of the 35 games she played in. She shot 42.5 percent from the field on the season, including 12 games of 50 percent or higher. Irwin ranked third on the squad with 15 blocked shots and was fourth in steals (33), rebounding (3.7 rpg), and 3-pointers (22).
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Rylie Cascio Jensen brings senior leadership to the squad as she looks to possibly move into a starting role for the Jackrabbits. The senior came off the bench in all 35 games, averaging 19.2 minutes per game. She ranked third on the team with 105 assists and fifth on the squad with 20 3-pointers. Cascio Jensen was also credited with five or more assists in eight games. Rounding out the Senior class is Megan Bultsma who appeared in 22 games, averaging 5.1 minutes per game.
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Paiton Burckhard returns for her sophomore season. She was a standout last season among a five-member freshman class. She saw action in all 35 games, and earned the starting assignment on two occasions. Burckhard led the team in field goal percentage with a .596 clip. The sophomore was named to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team.
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Another member of the sophomore class that saw playing time in all 35 games for the Jackrabbits is Lindsey Theuninck. She played a reserve roll, scoring in 22 games. Theuninck tallied five points, three assists and two rebounds in her collegiate debut, at Marquette. She average 12.1 minutes and 2.6 points a game for the Jacks.
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The trio of Sydney Staleton, Addison Hirschman and Jordan Ferrand round out the sophomore class. Stapleton appeared in 23 games, while Hirschman and Ferrand each saw playing time in 17 games.
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Completing Jackrabbit roster is a trio of new faces to South Dakota State and a redshirt freshman.
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Lauren Rongisch readshirted last year and will make her collegiate debut in the 2019-20 season. She was a three-time All-State honorable mention selection, a second-team All-Metro pick in 2016 and honorable mention in 2015 and 2017 at Millard West High School. Rongisch finished her high school career with 595 points, averaging 2.4 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 32 percent from beyond the arc and 77 percent from the free-throw line.
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Kallie Theisen was a three-time All-Lake Conference selcetion who was honored on All-State squads three time by the Minnesota Coaches Association. The two-year team captain at Wayzata High School, Theisen reached the 1,000-point mark early in her senior season.
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Tori Nelson established career school records for points (2,516), rebounds (1,112), blocked shots (397) and steals (260) at Henry Sibley High School. She was honored as Metro East Conference Player of the Year as a senior and was an All-Metro selection by both the Minneapolis Star Tribune and St. Paul Pioneer Press after averaging 23.9 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.1 steals, 2.3 assists and 1.6 blocks per game.
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Regan Nesheim helped lead Johnston High School to three consecutive state tournament appearances. She earned second-team all-state recognition as a senior after averaging 13.1 points, 7 rebounds, 2 steals and 2 blocked shots per game.
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South Dakota State led the Summit League in field-goal percentage with a 47.4 clip. 10 members of last years Jackrabbit squad shot 40 percent from the field or higher.
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State finished the season ranked among the top 10 in the nation in five statistic categories, including eighth in assist turnover ratio (1.44), total assists (631), and assists per game (18.0) and 10th in field-goal percentage (47.4) and scoring margin (16.4)
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Scouting Drake
Drake is coming off a season where it went 27-7 overall and 17-1 in the Missouri Valley Conference. The Bulldogs fell in the MVC Tournament championship game to Missouri State, but earned an at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. In the first round of the tournament, Drake suffered an overtime loss to Missouri. The team was ranked as high as No. 21 in both the AP and USA Today Coaches Polls last season.
In preseason play, Drake has picked up a pair of exhibition wins over Central Missouri (92-59) and Simpson (95-35)
The pair of seniors in Becca Hittner and Sara Rhine return to lead the way for the Bulldogs. Hittner, the back-to-back Jackie Stiles MCV Player of the Year, averaged 19.7 points per game last year and head into the season with a career total of 1,565 points. Rhine averaged 18.3 points per game and a team best 8.3 rebounds per game.
Maddie Monahan is another starter who is returning for Drake. She averaged 3.5 assists and 4.4 points per game. Rounding out the Bulldogs' key returners are Brenni Rose and Hannah Fuller. Rose averaged 18.9 minutes per game and shot 41.6 percent from the field. Fuller played in 33 games off the bench for the Bulldogs. Drake adds a trio of freshman and pair of Division I transfers.
Jennie Baranczyk is in her sixth year as head coach at Drake with a record of 152-76. She has led the program to three-straight MVC titles and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in each of those seasons.
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A Win Would Give...
- South Dakota State a 3-1 advantage in the all-time series over Drake
- The Jackrabbits their third-straight victory over the Bulldogs in three years
- SDSU its 996th program win, making it just four wins away from reaching 1,000
A Loss Would...
- Tie the all-time series at 2-2
1,000 Wins on the Horizon
The Jackrabbits are rapidly approaching a large milestone in the history of their program. State is just five wins away from 1,000 program wins. The team will join an elite 13 teams in NCAA Division I schools who have reached the mark.
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Last Time Out
The South Dakota State women's basketball team claimed an 85-43 exhibition win over St. Cloud State last Wednesday night at Frost Arena.
A trio of Jackrabbits scored in double figures, led by Myah Selland with 16 points. Rylie Cascio Jensen scored 11 points and Tagyn Larson added 10. Selland dominated the glass with a team-best eight rebounds.
Ahead 45-30 at the half, the Jackrabbits came out strong in the third quarter outscoring the Huskies 21-4. State carried its momentum throughout the remainder of the game as the Huskies would come no closer than 34.
Jackrabbits in the Polls
South Dakota State was positioned No. 6 in the CollegeInsider Mid-Major preseason poll released earlier this week. The Jackrabbits ranked atop the final poll of the 2018-19 season.
The Jacks are also receiving 12 votes in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches preseason poll and 7 votes in the Associated Press preseason poll.
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Tough Slate
The Jackrabbits will face two Power Five (ACC, SEC, Big 12, Big Ten, PAC-12) opponents during the 2019-20 season, including Oregon and Notre Dame.
Oregon, who SDSU fell to in the Sweet Sixteen, made it to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament where it fell to the 2019 National Champions, Baylor, 72-67. The Ducks were ranked No. 1 in both the USA Today/WBCA Coaches and Associated Press preseason polls.
Notre Dame came up short in the National Championship game to Baylor, 82-81. The Fighting Irish were ranked No. 14 and No 16 in the Today/WBCA Coaches and Associated Press preseason polls, respectively.
Additionally, Drake, South Dakota, South Florida, Marquette, and Florida Gulf Coast are all alongside South Dakota State receiving votes in the polls.
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Preseason Recognition
Tagyn Larson and Myah Selland were named to the All-Summit League Preseason First Team, while Tylee Irwin earned All-Summit League Preseason Second Team accolades.
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Jacks Tabbed Second in Preseason Poll
The Jackrabbits claimed a total of 496 points and 13 first place votes in the preseason poll. South Dakota was voted the favorite with 20 first place votes and 527 points, while Denver rounded out the top three with 394 points and a lone first place vote.
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| 2019-20 Summit League Preseason Poll | ||
| Rk | Team | Votes (1st) |
| 1 | South Dakota | 527 (20) |
| 2 | South Dakota State | 496 (13) |
| 3 | Denver    | 394 (1) |
| 4 | Oral Roberts         | 370 |
| 5 | Western Illinois      | 332 |
| 6 | North Dakota   | 213 |
| 7 | North Dakota State | 181 |
| 8 | Omaha   | 147 |
| 9 | Purdue Fort Wayne | 85 |
Summit League Titles
- South Dakota State won its Summit League-leading sixth regular-season title in the program's 12 years in the league with a 15-1 record.
- The Jackrabbits last won the regular-season title in 2013-14, finishing the league schedule 13-1.
- SDSU also claimed titles in 2007-08, 2008-09, 2011-12 and 2012-13.
- State has claimed nine Summit League tournament titles in the past 11 years.
Against Ranked Opponents
- South Dakota State is 10-28 vs. ranked foes since 2006-07. It is 6-5 in Frost Arena, 3-14 on the road and 1-9 at neutral sites.
- The Jackrabbits' 75-67 win over 12th-ranked Syracuse ties for the highest ranked team they have beaten in program history.
- Syracuse was also the highest team South Dakota State has defeated on the road.
- SDSU faced its highest-ranked opponent Jan. 2, 2014, when it played then-No. 2 Notre Dame (L, 94-51) in South Bend.Â
Postseason Awards
- Three returning Jackrabbits earned Summit League postseason awards.
- Tagyn Larson picked up second-team accolades and Myah Selland was on the honorable mention team.
- Rookie Paiton Burckhard was named to The Summit League All-Newcomer Team.
- At The Summit League Championship, Larson was named to the all-tournament team.
-GoJacks.com-
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