WOMEN TRAVEL TO NO. 20 MISSOURI STATE SATURDAY

Game 7 | South Dakota State (4-2) at No. 20 Missouri State (4-1)

When	Saturday, Dec. 19 \| 1 p.m.
Where	JQH Arena \| Springfield, Mo.
Live Audio / Radio	Jackrabbits All-Access \| Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAX 570 AM \| Brad Peterson
Live Video	Midco Sports Network \| ESPN3 \| Don West & Carly Stubblefield
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| Missouri State
Social Media	Twitter I Facebook

South Dakota State women's basketball begins another two-game road swing as it faces No. 20 Missouri State Saturday. Tipoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. at JQH Arena in Springfield, Mo.

The Jackrabbits are now 4-2 on the season after defeating Drake 87-73 on Tuesday. Missouri State will be the third ranked opponent that the Jacks have faced this season. State has defeated then-No. 15 Iowa State and then-No. 18 Gonzaga.

Missouri State enters Saturday's matchup with a 4-1 record. Most recently, the Lady Bears defeated Missouri, 72-58.

Saturday will be the second meeting all-time between the Jackrabbits and the Lady Bears. Missouri State holds a 1-0 advantage all-time, defeating SDSU 72-43 on March 7,1974 in the AIAW Region VI Tournament.

About South Dakota State
Myah Selland leads the team with 17.7 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while adding 2.8 assists per contest. She is shooting 50 percent from the field, including 40 percent from beyond the arc. In her first game since Dec. 5, 2019, Selland made an immediate impact as she recorded 19 points, five boards, two assists and two blocks to help the Jacks defeat then-No. 15 Iowa State. Selland carried the Jackrabbits to an overtime win over then-No. 18 Gonzaga with 18 points. She made the game-tying shot that sent the contest into overtime and dished a perfect pass to Lindsey Theuninck who hit the game-winning 3-pointer. In the loss at Kansas State, Selland paced the squad with 15 points and 4 assists. The redshirt junior recorded her fourth-career double-double as she led the Jacks and tied her career-bests with 21 points and 11 rebounds against Drake. She has scored in double digits in all six contests and has recorded two double-doubles this season. A season ago, she averaged 13.8 points and 3.0 assists per game in the nine contests she played in before suffering a season-ending foot injury. A Preseason All-Summit League First Team honoree for the Jacks, the Letcher native was named Summit League Player of the Week on Dec. 7.

Paiton Burckhard is averaging 12 points and 4.8 rebounds, while playing 30.7 minutes per game. In the season opener she turned in eight points, three rebounds and two steals, while playing a career-high 35 minutes. Burckhard ranked second on the team with 13 points in the win over Creighton. In the overtime win over then Gonzaga, she recorded 14 points, five rebounds and played a career-high 41 minutes. She was just shy of a double-double with 13 points and a team-leading nine rebounds in the contest at Kansas State. She paced the team with a season-high 18 points at UNI while adding a team-best eight rebounds. Burckhard averaged a team-leading 14.2 points and ranked second on the team with 5.7 rebounds per game after starting all 32 contests that she appeared in last season. The junior reached double-figures in 26 contests, including 20-plus points in seven games. Burckhard has registered three double-doubles in her career. The Aberdeen native earned Preseason All-Summit League First Team honors after being selected to the All-Summit League First Team for the 2019-20 season.

Tylee Irwin is averaging 8.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, while adding seven blocks and six steals. Against Creighton, she turned in eight points, seven rebounds and tied a career-high three blocks. Irwin played a career-high 37 minutes in the win over Gonzaga as she recorded 16 points, three rebounds and one block off the bench. She earned the starting assignment for the first time this season at Kansas State. She pulled down seven rebounds and blocked a team-best two shots at UNI. Against Drake, she tallied 14 points in the 22 minutes she played off the bench. Irwin finished second on the team in minutes played for the 2019-20 season, averaging 27.6 minutes per game. Last season, the Wahpeton, N.D. native scored a season-best 18 points in the Jackrabbits' semifinals victory over North Dakota State. Against North Dakota, Irwin pulled down a season-high 10 boards. She blocked a career-best three shots against Omaha and Western Illinois. In Summit League play, the senior averaged 9.7 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Irwin earned a spot on the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team for the second consecutive season.

Haley Greer is averaging a team-best 3.8 assists per game, while adding 7.5 points per game. Against Gonzaga, she became the first Jackrabbit since 2000 to dish 10-plus assists in a game. Greer posted eight points and three assists to help the Jackrabbits to a victory over Creighton. She led SDSU in her debut as a Jackrabbit with a career-best 20 points as she went 4-of-6 from beyond the arc en route to being named Summit League Player of the Week. She joins the Jackrabbits as a graduate transfer after spending four years at Colgate. Greer, a 5-10 guard from Winnetka, Ill., comes in after leading Colgate in 3-pointers made (34) and blocked shots (23) while averaging 8.1 points per game in 2019-20.

Lindsey Theuninck has started all six contests for the Jackrabbits this season and leads the squad with a total of 10 steals. She dished a team-best five assists and added 11 points against Drake. She tallied nine points and a career-high five steals at Kansas State. Against then-No. 18 Gonzaga, Theuninck posted six rebounds and 11 points, including the overtime game-winning 3-pointer. She turned in nine points, while tallying a team-best six boards and three assists against Iowa State. In the win over Creighton, she added five points, four rebounds and three assists. Theuninck averaged 24.5 minutes and 4.8 points per game last season. In the win over Chattanooga, the junior scored a career-high 13 points in her first-ever start as a Jackrabbit. At Denver she made a career-best three 3-pointers.

Sydney Stapleton recorded four points, three assists, and two steals against Iowa State. The Blaine, Minn. native added four points to the Jackrabbits efforts against Creighton. She averaged 17.1 minutes and 5.5 points per game off the bench a season ago. The junior turned in a career performance against Coppin State, shooting 5-of-10 from the 3-point line and totaling 17 points. She ranked second on the squad from beyond the arc with a total 38 3-pointers.

The duo of Kallie Theisen and Tori Nelson return for their sophomore seasons.

Nelson has started all 6 contests for the Jackrabbits and ranks third on the team with 9.7 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She tallied a season-high 18 points against Drake. Nelson recorded 12 points against Iowa State and eight in the win over Creighton. Additionally, against Gonzaga she posted nine points, three rebounds and three assists. She recorded nine points and dished three assists at Kansas State. Nelson tired a career-best three steals at UNI. The reigning Summit League Freshman of the Year, averaged 22.7 minutes per game. 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. She started in 19 games for the Jackrabbits and averaged 10.1 points per game in Summit League action last season.

Theisen appeared in 14 games and averaged 15.9 minutes before suffering a season ending injury last season.

Juniors Jordan Ferrand and Addison Hirschman appeared in 18 games, while redshirt sophomore Lauren Rongisch played in 15 contests. Ferrand made an appearance in the 2020-21 season opener and recorded a block.

A trio of freshmen in Emily Herzberg, Madysen Vlastuin and Mesa Byom will round out the 2020-21 roster. Vlastuin and Byom played 19 and 12 minutes, respectively, in the season opener and recorded two points apiece. In the home victory over Creighton, Byom sank her first collegiate 3-pointer, while Vlastuin made one against Gonzaga.

State is outscoring its opponents 67.5-64.7 and holds them to 39.5 percent shooting, including 26.4 percent from long distance.

Scouting No. 20/20 Missouri State
20th-ranked Missouri State is 4-1 on the season with its lone loss coming against Wake Forest, 59-68. In their second game of the season, the Lady Bears upset then-No. 12-ranked Maryland, 81-72. Most recently the squad defeated Missouri (72-58). MSU is ranked No. 20 in both the AP and USA TODAY/Coaches polls, while ranking No. 1 in the Mid-Major Top 25 Poll.

MSU returned four starters and 10 players from last season including 75 percent of its scoring of a team that went 26-4 overall, 16-2 MVC.

Senior guard Brice Calip leads the Lady Bears' offense with 15.2 points per game. She has dished 15 assists on the season and adds seven steals. Against Maryland, Calip tallied 26 points.

Sydney Wilson is also averaging double figures with 11.4 points per game, while adding a team-best eight steals. Myah Bhinhar averages a team-leading 3.2 assists per game.

Jasmine Fanklin paces the rebounding efforts, grabbing eight boards per game. Abi Jackson adds five blocks on the season.

Missouri State is outscoring its opponents 77.2-57 and holding them to just 32.5 percent shooting. Additionally, the Lady Bears hold a 14.8 rebounding margin.

Head coach Amaka Agugua-Hamilton holds a 30-5 record in her second season at Missouri State.

Jackrabbits' Last Time Out
South Dakota State women's basketball remains unbeaten at home after defeating Drake 87-73 Tuesday night at Frost Arena.

The Jacks, now 4-2 on the season, shot a season-best 53.8 percent from the field, recorded 23 assists and outscored Drake in the paint 48-36.

Myah Selland recorded her fourth-career double-double and second of the season, scoring 21 points and grabbing 11 rebounds while dishing four assists. Tori Nelson followed with a season-high 18 points. Tylee Irwin tallied 14 points, while Lindsey Theuninck and Haley Greer added 11 and 10 points, respectively. Theuninck and Greer each added a team-high five assists.

"Great to see us bounce back after a tough road trip, quite honestly where we just didn't see the ball go in the basket very much," head coach Aaron Johnston said. "I'm really pleased with how the team played and responded. Drake is really a good team. I know their record isn't reflective of maybe how good of a team they have and they've played a really difficult schedule just as we have. They are a hard team to guard. I thought we were good enough defensively in this game and then we had certainly a really good offensive performance when we really needed it from some key players."

A hot start for the Jackrabbit offense made it 10-0 early as the Jacks made their first five field goal attempts. After Drake scored its first three baskets, State responded with another large run, this time 12 unanswered points. Drake ended the quarter on a 7-0 run, but the Jackrabbits maintained a nine-point lead (27-18).

Drake continued to reduce its deficit in the second quarter, but the Jacks were able to respond to any threat and maintained the lead. Six unanswered points, including baskets from Irwin, Selland and Mesa Byom, pushed State's lead back to double figures with 4:17 to play in the second. The Bulldogs continued to fight, but the Jacks held onto a 42-35 advantage at the half.

A 7-2 run to start the second half for the Jackrabbits brought their lead up to 12 with 8:23 to play in the third quarter. Drake responded with a 7-0 run to make it a 56-50 game midway through the quarter. The two teams traded scores in the final 4:25 of the frame with each displaying a balanced offensive attack. The Jacks maintained a 70-61 lead at the end of the third.

Offense was difficult to come by for both teams in the opening six minutes of the fourth quarter. Selland's layup with 6:35 to play broke almost a seven minute Jackrabbit scoring drought and ignited a 7-0 run. Irwin's jumper with under four minutes to play put the Jacks ahead by 12, but Drake responded with a 6-0 run to cut the lead back to single digits. However six made free throws and a Nelson layup in the final 1:35 secured the 87-73 win for the Jackrabbits.

Opponent's Last Time Out
COLUMBIA, Mo. – The 20th-ranked Missouri State Lady Bears never trailed and led for more than 39 minutes Monday evening on the way to taking down in-state rival Missouri for the second straight season, 72-58 at Mizzou Arena.

Senior Elle Ruffridge scored a season-high 19 points and Brice Calip added 17, as Missouri State (4-1) opened up an 18-point first half lead on the way to its fifth Power 5 victory in the past two seasons and first road win at MU (1-1) since 2003.

Missouri State bolted to an 8-2 lead after three minutes and went ahead 14-4 at the 3:22 mark on back-to-back 3-pointers from Sydney Manning and Elle Ruffridge, carrying the double-digit lead to 20-10 after a balanced first quarter with seven different scorers.

The Lady Bears continued to fill it up from long range when Ruffridge and Sydney Wilson hit consecutive treys for a 26-10 lead with 7:43 left until halftime, and Ruffridge added another jumper for 38-20 with 1:18 left.

MU wrapped a 7-0 run around halftime and added a 9-0 spurt, thanks in part to seven free throws, late in the third quarter to close the gap to 51-46.

The teams traded buckets to begin the fourth period, with Ruffridge hitting three times from the field early, including what proved to be Missouri State's final field goal of the contest with 6:57 remaining for a 60-52 lead.

From there, the Lady Bears made their final 12 free throws of the contest to put it away, and the score was stuck at 64-56 for more than four minutes late in the game until Calip connected on foul shots with 52 seconds left on the way to making six in the final minute and 12-of-13 in the game.

Missouri State shot 41 percent overall and 23-for-28 at the foul line, adding a 37-31 rebounding edge to win that category for the 30th time in the last 35 games. Jasmine Franklin collected seven rebounds and Manning and Emily Gartner grabbed six apiece.

Wilson (11) and Manning (10) gave the Lady Bears four double-figure scorers. MSU dished out 13 assists against 12 turnovers and got 34 points from its bench. The defense limited the Tigers to 36 percent shooting overall and 4-for-18 from long range.

The Lady Bears host South Dakota State (3-2) at 1 p.m. Saturday to close the non-conference slate. The Jackrabbits own a pair of top-25 wins this season and were ranked in both polls last week before suffering a pair of losses. It will be a Black Out at JQH Arena, with fans encouraged to don their black Bear Wear.
--missouristatebears.com

A Win Would...

Improve South Dakota State 1-1 in the all-time series
Give SDSU its first road win of the season
Improve the Jacks to 5-2 on the season
Give the Jacks its third win over a ranked opponent this season and 14th in the Division I era.

A Loss Would...

Increase Missouri State's advantage to 2-0 in the all-time series

Major Win Milestones
The Jackrabbits reached the milestone of 1,000 program wins last season 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 495 of South Dakota State's 1,018 wins.

Johnston is just four wins away from claiming 500 career wins. He will be among 33 active Division I coaches to reach the milestone.

Preseason Recognition
Paiton Burckhard and Myah Selland were named to the All-Summit League Preseason First Team, while Tylee Irwin and Tori Nelson earned All-Summit League Preseason Second Team accolades.

Jacks Tabbed Second In Preseason Poll
The Jackrabbits claimed a total of 566 points and 11 first place votes in the Summit League preseason poll. South Dakota was voted the favorite with 25 first place votes and 587 points, while Western Illinois rounded out the top three with 389 points.

2020-21 Summit League Preseason Poll

Rk	Team	Votes (1st)
1	South Dakota	587 (25)
2	South Dakota State	566 (11)
3	Western Illinois	389
4	Oral Roberts	376
5	North Dakota State	371
6	Kansas City	323
7	Denver	300
8	North Dakota	203
9	Omaha	124

Against Ranked Opponents

South Dakota State is 13-32 vs. ranked foes since 2006-07. It is 8-5 in Frost Arena, 3-14 on the road and 1-10 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.
South Dakota State defeated No. 21/20-ranked USF, 61-50, fell to No. 3 Oregon (95-56) and a ranked South Dakota on three occasions last season
Most recently, the Jackrabbits defeated then-No. 15/18 Iowa State (76-69) and then-No. 18 Gonzaga (75-72, OT) at Frost Arena.

2019-20 Postseason Awards

Two returning Jackrabbits earned Summit League postseason awards.
Paiton Burckhard picked up first-team accolades.
Tori Nelson was named Summit League Freshman of the year and received All-Newcomer Team selections.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Paiton Burckhard

Mesa Byom

Jordan Ferrand

Haley Greer

Emily Herzberg

Addison Hirschman

Tylee Irwin

Tori Nelson

Lauren Rongisch

Myah Selland

Sydney Stapleton

Kallie Theisen

Lindsey Theuninck

Madysen Vlastuin

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Augustana (Exhibition) on October 29, 2025 at 6 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball at Creighton on November 3, 2025

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Rice on November 7, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Murray State on November 11, 2025 at 7 p.m.

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Montana on November 15, 2025 at 6 p.m. MT / 7 p.m. CT

Upcoming Event: Women's Basketball versus Gonzaga on November 20, 2025

Completed Event: Women's Basketball at No. 2 [#3/3] UConn on March 24, 2025 , Loss , 57, to, 91

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 7 [#17/19] Oklahoma State on March 22, 2025 , Win , 74, to, 68

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 2 Oral Roberts on March 9, 2025 , Win , 84, to, 68

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 5 North Dakota on March 8, 2025 , Win , 84, to, 55

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus No. 8 Omaha on March 6, 2025 , Win , 87, to, 67

Completed Event: Women's Basketball versus St. Thomas on March 1, 2025 , Win , 79, to, 46

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