ST. PAUL, Minn. – The South Dakota State women’s basketball team clinched at least a share of the Summit League regular season title Saturday with a 97-63 win over St. Thomas at Schoenecker Arena. Three Jackrabbits finished with at least 20 points and the team shot 68 percent in the win.
Brooklyn Meyer poured in 26 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead SDSU. She went 11-for-12 from the floor and 4-of-5 at the free throw line. Paige Meyer just missed a double-double, putting up 23 points (9-of-11 shooting) and nine assists. Madison Mathiowetz added 20 points with three 3-pointers, four rebounds and three assists.
Ellie Colbeck made it four Jackrabbits in double figures with 11 points, including three treys of her own. She also tallied four assists. Mesa Byom scored eight points – six of which came in the first quarter – and grabbed five rebounds.
The Jackrabbits’ .679 (38-for-56) shooting effort is a season high but does not quite break the school record of .692 (36-for-52) set against Wichita State in 2017. Led by Mathiowetz and Colbeck, SDSU knocked down nine 3-pointers as a team.
St. Thomas finished 46 percent (26-for-56). Sammy Opichka went 7-for-11 from the field for 15 points to lead the Tommies. Jo Langbehn and Jade Hill scored 10 points apiece.
SDSU opened the game connecting on six of its first six attempts from the field to lead 15-9 at the media timeout. Paige Meyer had eight points and an assist in that first five minutes alone. The Jacks and Tommies went toe-to-toe out of the timeout and ended the first quarter with a 25-20 SDSU lead.
An 11-2 run to start the second period made it 36-22 with 6:36 to play. Brooklyn Meyer sparked an 11-0 stretch with back-to-back layups, making it 47-26. The Jackrabbits led 52-33 at halftime.
Brooklyn Meyer and Mathiowetz combined for a 9-0 run early in the third, stretching SDSU’s lead to 26, 61-35. Tori Nelson made it a 30-point game with a driving bucket before UST ended the third quarter with four straight. Brooklyn Meyer gave the Jackrabbits their largest lead of the game – 40 points – with 3:35 remaining in the contest.
SDSU forced 11 St. Thomas turnovers that resulted in 18 points for the Jacks. The Jacks committed eight turnovers for nine points for the Tommies. The yellow and blue dominated the paint, 56-34, and the boards, 30-21.
NOTES
Brooklyn Meyer’s 26 points is her second most in a conference game this season and third highest scoring game in her career.
Paige Meyer’s 23 points is her career high for a conference game. She dished nine assists, matching the second-highest total of her career.
The Jackrabbits have won at least a share of the Summit League regular-season title ten times overall and five times in the last six seasons.
This is the first time since at least pre-2009-10 that three Jackrabbits have scored 20 points in the same game.
UP NEXT
The Jackrabbits return to Brookings to host North Dakota Thursday and North Dakota State Saturday. The team will celebrate its lone senior, Tori Nelson, for Senior Day Saturday. Saturday will also be the final sporting event ever in Frost Arena.
-GoJacks.com-