South Dakota State travels to Fargo to take on North Dakota State Wednesday night in a clash among the top two teams in the Summit League. The Jackrabbits won the first meeting of the year, 63-55, by scoring the final eight points of the contest.
The contest will feature the top two defenses in the Summit League - SDSU in first, allowing 61.5 points per game, and NDSU in second, allowing 63.1 points per game. These teams are also top two in the conference in scoring margin and rebounding margin.
The Jackrabbits are 21-3 on the season with an unbeaten 11-0 record in the Summit League. They score 80.8 points per conference game, the most in the League, and lead the conference with a 19.4 PPG scoring margin. SDSU shoots .505 from the field in and holds opponents to .406 shooting in league action, both the best marks in the Summit.
The Bison enter the matchup with a 16-7 overall record and 8-2 Summit League mark. NDSU is 9-1 at home this season. In conference games, the team scores 70.6 points per game and holds its opponents to 63.1 points, on average. Three Bison score in double figures, led by 12.6 points per game from Avery Koenen.
KEY STORYLINES
- SDSU travels to Fargo this week to take on NDSU in a clash at the top of the Summit League standings. The Jackrabbits are 11-0 in conference action while the Bison are 8-2.
- When the Jacks and the Bison last met, SDSU finished the game on an 8-0 run to win 63-55 in Brookings back on January 29.
- Wednesday's meeting features the Summit League's top two teams in scoring defense, scoring margin and rebounding margin.
- SDSU checked in at No. 24 in this week's Coaches Poll, the highest non-preseason ranking for the Jacks in either poll since the 2020-21 season. SDSU is receiving votes in the AP Poll and is the unanious No. 1 in the latest mid-major poll.
- Brooklyn Meyer, a Top 10 Candidate for the Lisa Leslie Center of the Year Award, scores 17.8 points per game overall at a .640 clip (seventh in the country). In conference games, she averages 19.2 PPG while shooting .717.
- Paige Meyer leads the Summit League with 5.8 assists per game in conference action. She has seven Summit games with at least five assists.
- The Jackrabbits have three players that have scored at least 1,000 career points - Paige Meyer, Brooklyn Meyer and Haleigh Timmer. Two others have scored at least 600 points for their career - Kallie Theisen and Madison Mathiowetz.
- SDSU's .478 overall field goal percentage ranks ninth in country. The Jackrabbits have shot at least 50 percent 11 times this season.
- The Jackrabbits have won at least 20 games in 14 consecutive seasons. Coach Johnston has only three seasons without 20 wins on his resume in his 25 year career.
- SDSU has won 58 straight Summit League regular season games. That streak ranks top 10 in NCAA history for consecutive regular season conference victories. The Jacks are 76-1 in the Summit League regular season going back to the beginning of the 2020-21 season.
-GoJacks.com-