Marcus TraxlerAssistant Sports Editor

OK with Calhoun

Oakland’s Sharise Calhoun did it all for the Golden Grizzlies Sunday. All game, too.

Calhoun was on the court for all 40 minutes in the Grizzlies’ 65-58 victory over Southern Utah in the Summit League Quarterfinals. She managed to do nearly everything for Oakland, finishing the game with 24 points and eight rebounds.

Sunday’s game marks the sixth time this season that Calhoun has played at least 40 minutes in a game this year. Calhoun came up one point short of setting a new career-high for points.

“I get it all from my teammates. Our freshman stepped up and they gave me great screens and passes to set me up. One of the great things ,” Calhoun said.

“I don’t tell her ever to do anything. She’s so amazing and she’s such a great players, she practically coaches herself,” said Oakland head coach Beckie Francis.

Never mind

SUU’s Challis Pascucci didn’t have the game that was expected of her on Sunday. She fouled out with 33.5 seconds left and tallied just one point for the game and the Thunderbirds bowed out in the first round.

The All-Summit League First Team selection was absent from the scoring column for much of the game, picking up her first point with 3:06(?) left in the game on a free throw. Pascucci was averaging 17.8 points per game entering the quarterfinal contest and was named Summit League Player of the Week four times.

“The team defense on Pascucci was unbelievable. Especially after she lit us up out there a week ago,” Oakland coach Beckie Francis said. “We drilled really hard on specific things that hurt us out there. We cut up that film over and over and our team was sick of watching it.”

“I thought it was more of a quadruple team. It was really smart and we run a lot of our offense through her. We kind of emptied the playbook and they did a great job as a team on her.

Running away

SDSU found another gear in the first half to put their mark on the quarterfinal matchup against NDSU Sunday.

The Jacks had runs of nine, 14, and 15 to aid their 62-51 victory over the Bison in the first round.

“We did a good job of taking advantage of mismatches and getting the ball to the right people. We didn’t start the game great defensively, but after we settled in I thought we were excellent defensively,” said SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston.

“Critical turnovers,” said NDSU head coach Carolyn DeHoff about the Jackrabbit run in the first half that turned the game around. “We had about a seven minute scoring drought and and that has been our Achilles heel for the most part this year.

SDSU is now 12-1 in their last 13 meetings with their northern neighbors.

Frost Arena South

WIthout a doubt, SDSU holds a definite advantage by playing at the Sioux Falls Arena and both the Bison and the Jacks took notice.

“It’s just great. Just running out, you get goosebumps with the noise and knowing that a lot of the fans are here cheering for us and definitely gives us a boost when we need them in the game,” said Jackrabbit guard Jill Young.

“Even looking up at the beginning of the game and to have both sides full and that is a great environment to have to play in front of,” DeHoff said. “If you give them any snippets of a run and that crowd goes crazy … they feed off of it and they are off.”

Johnston said that part of the slow start can be attributed to the atmosphere.

“I think it’s just the pressure of the situation. These games are awfully important and you’re playing good teams. I think it’s just human nature to have some anxiety.”

The Jackrabbits move to 7-0 all-time in the Summit League Tournament at the Arena.

Attendance update:

Sunday’s afternoon session: 5,433 (women’s quarterfinal single-session record)

Total Attendance so far: 10,500 (426 ahead of the 2010 tourney through three sessions.)