Women turn attention to Purdue Fort Wayne

Game 19 | South Dakota State (12-6, 4-0) at Purdue Fort Wayne (4-12, 0-3)

When	Sunday, Jan. 12 \| 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET
Where	Gates Sports Center \| Fort Wayne, Ind.
Live Audio / Radio	Jackrabbits All-Access \| Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAX 570 AM \| Brad Peterson
Live Video	YouTube
Live Stats	GoMastodons.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Purdue Fort Wayne
Social Media	Twitter I Facebook

South Dakota State women's basketball concludes a two-game roadstand on Sunday as it travels to take on Purdue Fort Wayne. The Jackrabbits and Mastodons are set to tip at 1 p.m. CT/2 p.m. ET at Gates Sports Center.

The Jacks (12-6, 4-0 Summit League), under the direction of head coach Aaron Johnston, are on the strength of a five-game win streak and remain undefeated in Summit League play after most recently defeating Denver 86-79 on the road.

Purdue Fort Wayne is 4-12 overall and 0-3 in Summit League action. The 'Dons came up short against No. 22 South Dakota (62-41) and North Dakota (91-85) before falling to Western Illinois 79-68 on Thursday.

SDSU holds a 34-1 advantage in the all-time series over Purdue Fort Wayne. The Jackrabbits have claimed the last 22 contests against the Mastodons, most recently earning an 88-50 win in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Championship last season.

About South Dakota State
Paiton Burckhard is averaging a team-best 14.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. The sophomore scored a career-best 24 points to lead the Jacks to a win over Denver and has reach double-figures in 13 contests. She leads SDSU with a 55.9 field goal percentage on a team-high 239 total points. So far in Summit League play she has scored 72 points (31-of-52) and pulled down 35 rebounds. Burckhard registered her first-ever double-double in the win over Western Illinois with 10 points and a career-best 11 rebounds. The sophomore was named to the Summit League All-Newcomer Team a season ago.

Myah Selland is averaging 13.8 points and 3.0 assists per game. She is shooting 55.8 percent (48-of-86) from the field. Selland turned in season-bests of seven assists in the Jacks' win over Notre Dame and 20 points against FGCU. An All-Summit League Preseason First Team honoree, the junior averaged 12.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game while ranking second on the team in assists (108) and blocked shots (18) last season.

Tagyn Larson is averaging 11.6 points after reaching double figures in eight games, including a season-best 22 points against Marquette. She averages 5.4 rebounds per game, while adding 10 steals and 17 blocks. The senior also dished a career-best eight assists in the win over Chattanooga and is averaging 3 assists per game. Larson is shooting 53.8 percent from the field and 46.9 percent from beyond the arc. A 2018-19 All-Summit League Second Team and Summit League Championship All-Tournament Team selection, Larson was named to the All-Summit League Preseason First Team. She led the team last season in rebounding (6.4 rpg) and blocked shots (43). The senior averaged 10.5 points per game.

Rylie Cascio Jensen has started all 18 games for the Jacks as she averages 6.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and a team-best 3.6 assists per game. Cascio Jensen recorded a career-best seven boards in the season opener. In the Summit League opener against Omaha, the senior turned in a career-best 14 points as she went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc. She dished a season-high seven assists against Denver. Cascio Jensen ranked third on the team with 105 assists and fifth on the squad with 20 3-pointers last year, averaging 19.2 minutes per game off the bench.

Averaging 6.4 points and 4.9 rebounds per game is Tylee Irwin. The junior scored 11 points in the win over Coppin State and 10 points at No. 3 Oregon. Against then-No. 21/20-ranked South Florida, the junior pulled down a career-best eight rebounds. She blocked a career-best three shots against Omaha and Western Illinois. Last season Irwin ranked third on the squad with 15 blocked shots and was fourth in steals (33), rebounding (3.7 rpg), and 3-pointers (22). She was named to the All-Summit League Preseason Second team.

Senior Megan Bultsma has appeared in 13 games, averaging 5.5 points and 2.9 rebounds per game. In the win over Denver, the senior more than doubled her career-best (10 points) as she turned in a team-leading 24 points. Bultsma was the first player since 2015 to score 20-plus points coming off the bench. She has a total of 53 points and is shooting 62.5 percent from the field in Summit League play.

Lindsey Theuninck is averaging 24.8 minutes and 4.9 points per game. In the win over Chattanooga, the sophomore scored a career-high 13 points in her first-ever start as a Jackrabbit. She has now started in eight contests. Against Denver she made a career-best three 3-pointers. She averaged 12.1 minutes and 2.6 points a game for the Jacks last season.

Sydney Stapleton is averaging 17.1 minutes and 6.1 points per game off the bench. The sophomore turned in a career performance against Coppin State, shooting 5-of-10 from the 3-point line and totaling 17 points. She leads the Jacks from beyond the arc with a total of 26 3-pointers.

Sophomore Addison Hirschman and redshirt freshman Lauren Rongisch have each appeared in six games for SDSU, while Jordan Ferrand has played in seven.

Completing the Jackrabbit roster is a trio of new faces to South Dakota State.

The duo of Kallie Theisen and Tori Nelson have been routinely playing for South Dakota State. Nelson is averaging 22.4 minutes per game and Theisen is averaging 15.9. Nelson posted the squads first double-double of the season in the win over Notre Dame. She also scored a career-best 23 points against Coppin State, while Theisen led the team with a career-best 12 rebounds in the contest.

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. Nesheim will be redshirting this season.

SDSU is shooting 67.5 percent from the field, while averaging 37.5 rebounds per game. The Jackrabbit defense holds their opponents to a Summit League-best 58.9 points and a 37.4 FG percentage. State averages 16.5 assists per game and holds an assist/turnover ratio of 1.1.

Scouting Purdue Fort Wayne
Hannah Albrecht paces the Mastodons with 15 points and 3.1 assists per game. Anna Lappenkuper is also averaging double figures with 11 points per game. Lappenkuper has started all 16 contests for Purdue Fort Wayne and ranks second in the Summit League with 2.4 steals per game.

Sh'Toya Sanders leads the defensive efforts with 8.6 rebounds per game and 26 total blocks. Riley Ott and Hannah Hess are each averaging 9.7 points per game.

The Mastodons average 58.8 points per game while its opponents average 67.4.

Purdue Fort Wayne is also being outrebounded by its opponents 38.8-30.8. The squad is shooting 37 percent from the field and 31.9 from the 3-points line. All four of the Mastodons wins have been on their home court.

Niecee Nelson is in her fourth season as the head coach of the 'Dons with a record 20-82.

Jackrabbits' Last Time Out
DENVER, Colo. -- South Dakota State women's basketball claimed a tightly contested 86-79 victory over Denver Thursday evening at Hamilton Gymnasium in Denver, Colo.

The Jackrabbits advanced to 12-6 on the season with a perfect 4-0 mark in Summit League action, while Denver fell to 7-10, 1-3 Summit League.

SDSU was led by the pair of Paiton Burckhard and Megan Bultsma who each turned in a career-best 24 points. Buckhard added seven boards, while Bultsma had six. Tagyn Larson led the defensive efforts with nine rebounds and two blocks in the addition of four assists.

Rylie Cascio Jensen dished a team-high seven assists and reached double figures for the fourth time this season with 11 points. Lindsey Theuninck also turned in 11 points as she went 3-of-3 from beyond the arc.

The Jacks shot a season-best 49.2 percent from the field compared to Denver at 38.4 percent. The Pioneers were led by Uju Ezeudu with 17 points, while Madison Nelson followed closely with 16.

The Pioneers got out to an early 15-6 advantage to begin the game. A 9-0 South Dakota State run that was started by a Bultsma turnaround jumper tied the game at 15-15 through the first quarter.

The second quarter alone saw seven lead changes and two ties. Midway through the frame a pair of Bultsma free throws put the Jackrabbits ahead 34-27. An 8-0 run pushed Denver ahead by one and the team traded punches throughout the rest of the half and were tied 40-40 headed to the locker room.

SDSU outscored Denver 27-23 in the third quarter alone. A 15-5 Jackrabbit run late in the quarter gave State the lead for good. Bultsma had 10 points on the frame.

Denver came back to tie it up at 67-all early in the fourth, but back-to-back Theuninck 3-pointers pushed the Jacks ahead. Denver came within 3 points of SDSU on two occasions, but could never gain a lead. A Burckhard layup and four Casio Jensen free throws would close out an 86-79 victory for the Jackrabbits.

A Win Would...

Improve South Dakota State to 35-1 in the all-time series
Advance the Jackrabbits to 13-6 on the season and 5-0 in the Summit League
Give the Jackrabbits its 23rd straight win over the Mastodons

A Loss Would...

Give Purdue Fort Wayne its second win all-time over the Jackrabbits and first since 2011.

Jackrabbit Basketball Coaches Show
The Jackrabbit Basketball Coaches Show returns to Cubby's Sports Bar and Grill in downtown Brookings on Dec. 30. The hour-long show covering the 2019-20 basketball season tips off every Monday at 6 p.m. through March 2.

Hosted by Tyler Merriam, the weekly look at the South Dakota State basketball teams features interviews with head men's coach Eric Henderson and head women's coach Aaron Johnston, as well as segments with Jackrabbit student-athletes and members of the coaching staff.

Fans can attend in person and will be eligible for weekly drawings.

The show also airs live on flagship radio station WNAX 570 AM and Jackrabbit Sports Network affiliates, and can be heard live or on-demand for free via Jackrabbits All-Access and the Jackrabbit App.

A Decade of Success
As a new decade begins, the women's basketball program has a great amount of accomplishments to look back on.

247 program wins
.729 winning percentage
133 Summit League wins
30 All-Summit League Honorees
14 Individual Summit League Awards
9 wins over ranked opponents
8 Summit League Championships

1,000 Program Wins
The Jackrabbits recently reached the milestone of 1,000 program wins as it defeated Notre Dame, 65-59, at the Cancun Challenge. The Jacks became the 14th NCAA Division I women's team to reach the mark. Head Coach Aaron Johnston is responsible for 474 of South Dakota State's 1,000 wins.

Tough Slate
The Jackrabbits faces 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. Oregon is ranked No. 2 in both the AP and Coaches polls

Notre Dame came up short in the National Championship game to Baylor, 82-81. The Jackrabbits defeated Notre Dame, 65-59, at the Cancun Challenge on Nov. 29.

South Florida was ranked No. 21/20 when the Jackrabbits earned at 61-50 victory over the Bulls.

South Dakota recently entered the rankings as it ranks No. 22 in the AP and Coaches polls

Florida Gulf Coast is receiving votes in the Coaches poll.

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.

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 votes.

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.
Most recently, South Dakota State defeated No. 21/20-ranked USF, 61-50 and fell to No. 3 Oregon (95-56).

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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Players Mentioned

Megan Bultsma

Paiton Burckhard

Rylie Cascio Jensen

Jordan Ferrand

Addison Hirschman

Tylee Irwin

Tagyn Larson

Tori Nelson

Regan Nesheim

Lauren Rongisch

Myah Selland

Sydney Stapleton

Kallie Theisen

Lindsey Theuninck

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