JACKRABBITS HOST NORTH DAKOTA FOR PAIR OF GAMES

Games 14 & 15 | South Dakota State (11-2, 4-0) vs. North Dakota (0-11, 0-5)

When	Friday, Jan. 22 & Saturday, Jan. 23 \| 5 p.m.
Where	Frost Arena \| Brookings, S.D.
Live Audio / Radio	Jackrabbits All-Access \| Jackrabbit Sports Network I WNAX 570 AM \| Scotty Kwas
Live Video	Friday - Midco Sports Network \| ESPN+ \| Tom Nieman & Brad Newitt Saturday - GoJacks.com/Watch
Live Stats	GoJacksLive.com
Game Notes	South Dakota State \| North Dakota
Social Media	Twitter I Facebook

South Dakota State women's basketball returns home to host North Dakota Friday, Jan. 22, and Saturday, Jan. 23, at Frost Arena. Tipoff is schedule for 5 p.m. each day.

The Jackrabbits, now 11-2 overall and 4-0 in Summit League action, swept Omaha on the road last weekend 62-50 and 64-54.

North Dakota enters the weekend 0-11 overall and 0-5 in Summit League contests. So far in conference action, the Fighting Hawks have fallen to Kansas City and have dropped pairs of contests against Oral Roberts and North Dakota State.

North Dakota holds a 42-28 advantage in the all-time series over the Jackrabbits. Last Season, the Jackrabbits topped the Fighting Hawks in both conference meetings as well as at the Summit League Tournament. Additionally, State has won the last eight meetings against North Dakota.

About South Dakota State
Myah Selland leads the team with 19.2 points and 7.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists per contest. She is shooting 50.6 percent from the field, including 32.6 percent from beyond the arc. She is the Summit League leader in points, points per game, and field goals made. 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. The redshirt junior registered a double-double as she led the Jacks with 21 points and 11 rebounds against Drake. In the win over No. 20 Missouri State, she paced the squad with yet another double-double, including 19 points and 10 rebounds, while adding a season-best six assists and four steals. In the win over Montana State, Selland registered her third-straight double-double with 27 points and 12 rebounds. On Jan. 9, she registered her fifth double-double of the season with 11 rebounds and a career-best 29 points. In the first game at Omaha, Selland led all scorers with 20 points. Her 10th point in the contest marked her 1,000th career point as she became the 38th Jackrabbit all-time to reach the milestone. She has scored in double digits in all 13 contests this season. Additionally, she has recorded five double-doubles this season and seven in her career. Selland ranks 28th in the nation in double-doubles. 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, 21 and 28 and Jan. 11 as well as the Summit League December Female Athlete of the Month.

Paiton Burckhard is averaging 12.2 points and 4.8 rebounds, while playing 29.5 minutes per game. She is shooting 94.7 percent from the free throw line, sinking 36 of her 38 attempts. Her free throw percentage ranks first in the Summit League and 12th nationally. Burckhard ranked second on the team with 13 points in the win over Creighton. In the overtime win over 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 posted 13 points and five rebounds in the win at Missouri State. Against Montana State, she tallied 14 points and seven rebounds. In the pair of contests against Western Illinois, Burckhard posted back-to-back double-figure contests as she tallied 13 and 10 points, respectively. She tallied 12 points in each of the games at Omaha. Burckhard has scored in double figures in 11 games this season, including the last seven-straight contests. 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 10.8 points and 3.8 rebounds, while adding 11 blocks and 12 steals. She is shooting 93.8 percent from the free throw line, which is the 15th best mark in the nation. 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. Against Drake, she tallied 14 points in the 22 minutes she played off the bench. In the win over Montana State, she tied her career-best of 22 points while adding five rebounds and a team-best five assists. The senior continues to turn in valuable minutes for the Jackrabbits as she tallied 12 points, six rebounds and two blocks to close out non-conference play with a win over UNI. Against Western Illinois, she tallied 12 and 16 points in the pair of contests, respectively. Irwin finished second on the team in minutes played for the 2019-20 season, averaging 27.6 minutes per game. Irwin earned a spot on the Preseason All-Summit League Second Team for the second consecutive season.

Haley Greer is averaging 5-5 points and 2.8 assists 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 13 contests for the Jackrabbits this season, while averaging 6.1 points and 2.4 assists per game. The redshirt junior tallied 10 points and five assists in the win over UNI. 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.

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. At Montana State, she tallied six points. Stapleton posted three points in a contest against both Western Illinois and Omaha. She averaged 17.1 minutes and 5.5 points per game off the bench a season ago.

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

Nelson has started all 13 contests for the Jackrabbits and ranks fourth on the team with 10 points per game and third with 4.4 rebounds per game. In round two at Omaha, she tallied 12 points. In the pair of contests against Western Illinois, she posted back-to-back double-figure contests as she tallied 11 and 10 points, respectively. The sophomore paced the squad with 18 points to lead the Jackrabbits to a home victory over UNI. 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. At home against UNI, Nelson paced the team with 18 points and a career-best three blocks. The reigning Summit League Freshman of the Year, averaged 22.7 minutes per game and tallied 19 starting assignments last season.

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

Regan Nesheim has made an immediate impact in her collegiate debut. After redshirting last season, she made her first collegiate appearance at UNI where she recorded a steal in the two minutes she played. In the wins over Drake and Missouri State she recorded five points in each contest. At Montana State she played 30 minutes and turned in a solid defensive performance with eight rebounds and two blocks. Nesheim tied her career bests of eight rebounds and five points in the rematch against UNI.

Addison Hirschman and Lauren Rongisch have played in three contests this season, while Jordan Ferrand has appeared in six.

A trio of freshmen in Emily Herzberg, Madysen Vlastuin and Mesa Byom will round out the 2020-21 roster. Vlastuin and Byom are averaging 13 and 7.6 minutes per game, respectively. In the home victory over Creighton, Byom sank her first collegiate 3-pointer, while Vlastuin made one against Gonzaga. Additionally, Byom recorded six points at Omaha. Vlastuin made a career-best nine points at Omaha as she sank three 3-pointers. Herzberg has appeared in four contest.

State is outscoring its opponents 69.6-61.6 and holds them to 38.7 percent shooting, including 28.1 percent from long distance. Nationally, the Jackrabbits rank 17th in free throws made with 196.

Major Milestones
Head coach Aaron Johnston reached his 500th career win on Friday, Jan. 8, as the Jackrabbits defeated Western Illinois, 71-61. All of Johnston's wins have come at the helm of South Dakota State. In his 21 season, he has led the Jackrabbits to a Division II National Championship, nine Summit League Tournament titles, six Summit League regular season titles, and 13 postseason appearances, including nine NCAA Tournament berths. Johnston is South Dakota State's and the Summit League's all-time winningest women's basketball coach with a record of 503-168.

Myah Selland became the 38th Jackrabbit in program history to join the 1,000 point club with her 10th point of the game on Jan. 15 at Omaha. She currently has 1,025 career points, ranking 37th all-time. Two other Jackrabbits are approaching 1,000 point milestones. Tylee Irwin and Paiton Burckhard are at 873 and 814 points, respectively.

Scouting North Dakota
North Dakota enters the weekend 0-11 overall and 0-5 in Summit League contests. So far in conference action, the Fighting Hawks have fallen to Kansas City and have dropped pairs of contests against Oral Roberts and North Dakota State.

Senior Julia Fleecs paces the Fighting Hawks with 14.7 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. She has registered three double-doubles this season and scored in double figures on eight occasions.

Megan Zander is averaging 9.6 points per game, while Maggie Manson follows close behind with 9.5 points per game. Mikayla Reinke dishes a team-best 3.5 assists per game. Additionally, she averages 5.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game.

As a team, North Dakota is being outscored by its opponents, 78-68.2. The Fighting Hawks are shooting 36.8 percent from the field and 30.1 percent from long distance.

Mallory Bernhard is the interim head coach of North Dakota.

Pork Classic
Satuday's contest will be the Pork Classic. Established in 1972, the Pork Classic provides scholarships for SDSU animal science students interested in pursuing careers in pork production.

Jackrabbits' Last Time Out
OMAHA, Neb. - South Dakota State women's basketball defeated Omaha 64-54 Saturday afternoon to improve to 11-2 overall and 4-0 in Summit League play.

The Jackrabbits shot 43.8 percent from the field, scored 20 points in the paint and outrebounded Omaha 31-29.

Myah Selland finished just short of a double-double with 15 points and eight rebounds. Tori Nelson and Paiton Burckhard each scored 12 points and combined for nine rebounds. Burckhard added a team-best three steals. Madysen Vlastuin finished with nine points and Tylee Irwin added seven points and five rebounds.

Neither team was able to create much separation to begin the first quarter with both teams staying within one possession of each other. Omaha captured the largest lead of the frame at 17-13 on an and-one to end the first.

Both teams continued to go back and forth until a 7-0 Jackrabbit run, featuring 3-pointers by Nelson and Stapleton, put SDSU in front 30-26 at the two minute mark of the first half. However, Omaha responded with two baskets to tie the game at 30-all at the break.

Selland's jumper at the 8:11 mark in the third quarter gave the Jacks a 32-30 advantage, but a trio of free throws put Omaha back in front. Consecutive layups by Selland and Burckhard launched a 9-0 run over the next 2:54 to give the Jackrabbits a 41-33 lead. Five unanswered points inside the two minute mark of the third quarter stretched the State lead to 46-35, but Omaha followed with a 5-2 run with the score at 48-40 in favor of the Jacks headed into the final 10 minutes.

Omaha cut the Jackrabbit lead to four with a 7-2 run with 1:30 to play. A clutch 3-pointer by Nelson and five State free throws put the game out of reach. The Jacks went 11-of-12 from the free throw line in the final quarter to overcome a cold performance from the field.

Opponent's Last Time Out
GRAND FORKS, N.D. – The University of North Dakota overcame its third-period jitters on Saturday night against North Dakota State, overcoming an 18-point first-half deficit to force overtime after shooting 54-percent in the second half. However, the Bison (10-2, 5-1 Summit) outlasted the Fighting Hawks (0-11, 0-5 Summit) of the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center, 71-68.

North Dakota bruised its way 42 points in the paint, scoring 36 of those in the final 25 minutes of play as Olivia Lane – who was scoreless in the opening 20 minutes – led all players with 20 points and 11 rebounds in her first double-double of the season. Juliet Gordon added 14 points and nine rebounds on the night while Megan Zander scored 10 points and Maggie Manson, who battled through a facial injury in the final period, drained three crucial three-pointers to finish with 11 points.

In the opening 20 minutes, the UND offense floundered, converting five baskets in 23 attempts to trail by 15 to NDSU at halftime, 36-21. North Dakota State's efficiency in the half resulted in a 45-percent field goal percentage and a 9-0 advantage in second-chance scoring.

With shades of her mentor and former coach Gene Roebuck in her vocal infliction and tenacity at the under-five media timeout in the second quarter, the Fighting Hawks began to hold serve with the Bison. Bernhard's speech paid its dividends in the third quarter as North Dakota outscored NDSU, 22-14, on 10-of-19 shooting.

With the hump overcome and confidence and momentum on their side, the Fighting Hawks began to make their ascension to the lead as both teams traded baskets. However, turnovers proved vital as UND outscored NDSU 12-6 off turnovers.

In the final 1:32, UND and North Dakota State exchanged two leads – a layup by Lane and a jumper by Emily Dietz - and the tying basket on Claire Orth's putback with six seconds left. Lane and Zander came up big defensively on the final play of regulation as they defended an inbounds play under the basket to force extra time.

"(The inbounds play) was something we showed film of this morning, and we talked about at length," said Interim Head Coach Mallory Bernhard of the final play of the half. "We were demonstrating exactly what we need to do, how they execute it and how we need to stop them."

When asked about Lane's play in the second half, Bernhard said, "Olivia's a kid that doesn't quit on a play. If there's a rebound or free ball to be had, she's gonna go for it so you have to appreciate that from a player."

While UND kept pace with North Dakota State in overtime and played the final 1:22 within three points of the Bison, the clock hit zero before the Hawks could equalize.

North Dakota will return to action on Friday, Jan. 22, when it heads to South Dakota State to take on the Jackrabbits in a two-game series. Both games will air on MidcoSN2, 100.3 FM The Cat in Grand Forks, and 740 AM The Fan in Fargo.
--fightinghawks.com

A Win Would...

Improve South Dakota State to 29-42 all-time against North Dakota
Keep the Jackrabbits undefeated in Summit League play
Extend State's winning streak to nine games

A Loss Would...

Improve North Dakota to 43-28 all-time against the Jackrabbits
Give the Fighting Hawks its first victory of the season

In the Polls
South Dakota State has been at least receiving votes in both the AP Top 25 Poll and the USA TODAY/Coaches Poll all season.

On Dec. 7 after beating then 15th-ranked Iowa State and then-No. 18 Gonzaga, the Jackrabbits entered the AP Poll for the first time in 11 years at No. 22. Additionally, State was tabbed No. 21 in the Coaches Poll that week. The squad has since fallen out of the AP Poll but continues to receive votes.

The Jackrabbits ranked No. 25 in the Coaches Poll on Dec. 22 and 29. They are currently receiving 49 votes in the most recent poll.

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.

-GoJacks.com-

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Players Mentioned

Paiton Burckhard

Mesa Byom

Jordan Ferrand

Haley Greer

Emily Herzberg

Addison Hirschman

Tylee Irwin

Tori Nelson

Regan Nesheim

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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