South Dakota State women’s basketball is heading to the NCAA Tournament for the second straight year.
Here’s what you need to know heading into this weekend’s game with the fifth-seed Utah Utes.
South Dakota State finished the 2023-24 season with a 27-5 overall record and went undefeated in Summit League play for the second straight season. As a top seed, the Jacks defeated ninth-seed Omaha, fourth-seed South Dakota and second-seed North Dakota State to clinch their second straight conference title and earn the 12-seed in the Portland 4 region of the NCAA Tournament.
In their last tournament appearance, the Jacks defeated eight-seed USC in overtime before losing to top ranked Virginia Tech in the second round.
Brooklyn Meyer tops most of the stat lines for the Jacks this season, including most points scored, field goals and free throws. She shot 59% from the court but did not take a deep shot this season. Paige Meyer assisted more than a hundred times and averaged one and a half steals every game. Madison Mathiowetz has made the most three-pointers for the Jacks with 63 and played the most time with 966 minutes.
The Jacks have shot 48.2% this season and 38.3% from deep. They are 71% from the free throw line, averaging just over 13 free throws a game. They have averaged 74.2 points a game this season while giving up less than 60 points a game.
“We’re getting excited to play in another NCAA Tournament,” head coach Aaron Johnston said. “It’s a great opportunity to write another, you know, chapter and keep our story going for our team.”
In the opposing corner are the at-large Utah Utes from the Pac-12 Conference, making their 20th NCAA Tournament appearance. The Utes finished the 2023-24 season at 22-10 overall and a conference record of 11-7.
In the Pac-12 Tournament, the Utes earned the sixth seed, defeating 11-seed Arizona State before losing to third-seed UCLA in the quarterfinals. Their last NCAA Tournament appearance saw them reach the Sweet Sixteen for the third time in school history as they defeated 15 seed Gardner-Webb and 10 seed Princeton.
Alissa Pili led the Utes this season in scoring and averaged over 20 points a game, while also leading in rebounds and blocks. Kennady McQueen, who had half the average scoring of Pili, led the team in three pointers with 62. Inês Vieira played the most minutes with 1049; that’s more than 17 hours.
The Utes have shot 47.6% this season and 37% from deep. They are 74% from the free throw line, averaging 10 free throws a game. They have averaged 78 points a game while giving up 61.8 points a game.
“Utah is a really tough opponent, they play in a great conference, they’ve got an incredibly talented roster, and they play really well together,” Johnston said. “It’s going to be a good challenge, a good test for us, but one that we’re, you know, very anxious to do and excited to do.”
The game will be taking place at the McCarthey Athletic Center in Spokane, Washington, which is the home stadium for the Gonzaga Bulldogs. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. Saturday and the game will be televised on ESPNU.