VERMILLION – The South Dakota State women’s basketball team clinched sole possession of the Summit League regular season crown Saturday afternoon with a 79-48 win over South Dakota at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center.
The Jacks are the winners of the regular season for the ninth time since officially joining the league for the 2007-2008 season and the fourth time in the last five years. With four games to play, SDSU is unbeaten in conference action at 14-0 while Oral Roberts, North Dakota and North Dakota State are tied for second at 8-6.
SDSU’s win over the Coyotes was powered by balanced scoring and a strong defensive effort. Ten Jacks put up at least three points in the contest with four finishing in double figures.
Sophomore Paige Meyer made her first start of the year and paced SDSU with 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting. She knocked down all three of her 3-point attempts, grabbed three rebounds and dished two assists.
Haleigh Timmer and Brooklyn Meyer contributed 12 points apiece. Timmer also gave out four assists and had four boards on the afternoon. Brooklyn Meyer grabbed five rebounds and notched two blocks. Paiton Burckhard rounded out the top scorers with 10 points. She also tallied five rebounds, three assists and a steal.
USD got the afternoon started with a 3-point bucket in the opening minute, but Paige Meyer responded with a triple of her own that sparked a 10-0 SDSU run. Later, leading 12-6, SDSU strung together a 12-1 stretch to lead 24-7 after 10 minutes.
The Jacks’ stingy defense got even stingier in the second quarter. The Coyotes’ only two points of the period came at the 3:15 mark as SDSU outscored USD 11-2 to lead 35-9 at the halftime break.
Paige Meyer hit back-to-back treys out of the break to help SDSU start the second half with an 8-0 run. Another 8-point stretch courtesy of Timmer, Myah Selland and Dru Gylten extended the Jacks’ lead to its largest of the night, 55-16, partway through the third.
SDSU shot 50 percent from the floor Saturday, its 12th time shooting 50 percent or better this year. The Jacks connected on nine 3-point buckets (9-for-21) and went 8-for-12 from the free throw line. They tallied 21 assists on 31 made field goals.
Selland scored nine points for SDSU and had eight rebounds and two steals. Kallie Theisen chipped in six points, nine boards and four assists.
South Dakota was held to 30 percent shooting on the afternoon. The Coyotes got 15 points and seven rebounds from Grace Larkins.
NOTES
- SDSU improves to 63-35 overall against USD. The Jacks are 18-14 over the Coyotes when both teams are in the Summit League (2011-12 season).
- This is SDSU’s first win in Vermillion since the 2013-14 season.
UP NEXT
SDSU returns to Brookings to host Denver Thursday and Omaha Saturday. The Jacks will celebrate Paiton Burckhard, Dru Gylten, Regan Nesheim and Myah Selland Saturday afternoon in their final game at Frost Arena.
(Courtesy SDSU Sports Information and GOJacks.com)