SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – No. 1 South Dakota State withstood a stiff test from No. 9 Omaha, beating the Mavericks 66-53 to advance to the Summit League Women’s Basketball Tournament semifinals.
Paige Meyer led the way for the Jackrabbits in a tense game with 24 points and handful of momentum-swinging shots, while Mesa Byom added 6 points and 12 rebounds.
“Overall it was a really good win,” said SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston. “The second half we played much better and got some big-time shots when we needed them.”
It was a slow start for the regular season champions, as Omaha’s zone frustrated SDSU into shooting just 36 percent from the field in the first half. The Jackrabbits went 3-for-13 from distance and committed 10 turnovers in the opening two quarters, while the Mavericks held SDSU’s leading scorer Brooklyn Meyer to just two points in limited minutes due to foul trouble.
Behind Aaliyah Stanley (14 points), Omaha built a 29-26 lead at halftime, the first time SDSU had trailed going into the locker room since Feb. 1 against North Dakota State.
A strong third quarter allowed SDSU to regain the lead, and the Jackrabbits seemed primed to pull away for good in the fourth quarter when they took a nine-point lead on a Paige Meyer three with 8:07 remaining.
The Mavericks, however, would not be done.
Grace Cave (12 points) drove into Brooklyn Meyer, drew a foul and converted a traditional three-point play to cut the SDSU lead to just 49-48 with six minutes left. It was the fourth personal foul on the Summit League Player of the Year and she would foul out just a few minutes later, finishing with seven points in what was a rare quiet game.
Paige Meyer would then turn the tide for good.
The junior guard hit a three – her fifth of the game – just over a minute later to put SDSU up by four. The shot spurred a 9-0 Jackrabbits’ run that put them ahead for good.
“I think we just kind of settled in and got more connected as a team,” said SDSU forward Tori Nelson. “Second half we just moved the ball and let the game come to us more than anything.”
The Jackrabbits await the winner of No. 4 South Dakota and No. 5 St. Thomas in Monday’s semifinals.
Turning Point
Meyer’s three midway through the fourth quarter kickstarted the game-killing 9-0 run, which included subsequent three’s by Ellie Colbeck (8 points) and Madison Mathiowetz (10 points).
Inside the Box Score
- Omaha kept the game close against the league’s top seed by forcing the Jackrabbits into 20 turnovers.
- SDSU won the battle on the glass, 42-24.
- The lead changed seven times in a game that was close until the final few minutes.
- Byom reached double figure rebounds for the fifth time this season.
News & Notes
- The game was a rematch of the 2023 Summit League Tournament championship, which the Jackrabbits won 93-51 to clinch an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
- SDSU has now won at least 25 games in each of the past three seasons.
- Omaha has now won at least one Summit League Tournament game in its last three appearances in the event and made the finals the two previous times (2021 and 2023).