After a slow start to the game, South Dakota State rallied back to defeat Oral Roberts at First Bank & Trust Arena.
The game started hot for the Golden Eagles as
Taleyah Jones drained it behind the arc just nine seconds into the game. Makyra Tramble added to their lead, making it 9-0 in the first minute of play.
“We were loose with the ball at times; they hit five 3s, and digging yourself out of a hole is a challenge, but our team stayed composed and made some shots to get us going,” head coach Aaron Johnston said postgame.
The Jacks were unable to find their groove in the first quarter as they shot 29% from the field and 22% from beyond the arc. The Jacks trailed by double digits after the first quarter.
They turned things around in the second quarter, claiming the lead for the first time two and a half minutes before halftime. The Jacks led by three going into the break.
In the 3rd quarter, Haleigh Timmer was on fire with back-to-back threes, advancing the Jacks lead to double digits. ORU was able to bring the game within eight at the end of the quarter.
SDSU maintained their momentum throughout the fourth quarter by shooting 8-of-14 inside the arc and 3-of-4 from three, taking an 89-71 victory over the Golden Eagles.
“I think there’s a certain level of composure with our team… to understand we can adjust, or we can regroup; we might have to change some things, but we can get this done,” Johnston said.
Paige Meyer led the Jacks with 23 points, six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals. She shot 50% for the night while going 2-of-3 for three.
“I think she’s playing at a really high level; the ability and talent is there and I think she’s also willing to do whatever it takes to be successful,” Johnston said of Paige Meyer. “She’s not worried about individual numbers, she’s not forcing shots. She’s in a really good place where she values success as a team and values her teammates.”
Brooklyn Meyer went 8-of-9 from the field, totaling 20 points, eight rebounds and one steal. Timmer contributed 18 points, five boards, one assist and one steal.
Mesa Byom led the Jackrabbits in rebounds as she tallied ten on the night. Byom also had nine points, four assists, and three blocks.
The win keeps the Jacks undefeated in conference play and 21-3 overall, having now won 11 straight this season and 58 consecutive Summit League regular season games, dating back to the 2021-22 season.
North Dakota State
The South Dakota State Women’s Basketball Team will travel to Fargo, North Dakota today to take on the No. 2 NDSU Bison.
The Jacks are sitting at the top of the conference at 11-0 and an overall record of 21-3. The Bison are standing at 8-2 for conference play and have an overall record of 16-7.
The last time the Jacks and Bison went head-to-head was earlier this season. This intense match ended in a Jacks victory 63-55.
Leading the Bison is sophomore Avery Koenen. Koenen averages 12.6 points per game. She shoots just over 51% from field goal and 73.4% from the charity stripe. Koenen also averages 6.7 rebounds and has 154 rebounds just this season alone.
Against the Jacks, Koenen was all over the stat sheet with eight points, five rebounds, two assists, two blocks and a steal.
Assisting Koenen is freshman Marisa Frost. Frost averages 11 points per game and overall shoots 51.3% from field goal. So far this season, Frost has had 48 assists.
Adding a 3rd to the line-up of stars is senior Abbie Draper. Draper in her senior year as a Bison averages 10.5 points, and almost seven rebounds per game. Draper shoots 50% from field goal and 42% from behind the arc. The senior dominates when it comes to grabbing boards; just like Koenen, Draper has 157 rebounds so far this season.
Draper had a standout game against the Jacks where she had 16 points, eight rebounds, one block and one steal.
This game will take place at the Scheels Center in Fargo with a tip-off time set for 7 p.m.
South Dakota
The Jacks will host in-state rival South Dakota this weekend. The Coyotes are sitting sixth in the Summit League conference with a record of 4-7 and an overall record of 10-15.
The last time the Jacks and Coyotes played was on Jan. 25 in Vermillion, where SDSU defeated USD 77-59.
Shining bright for the Coyotes is senior Grace Larkins. On average, Larkins is scoring 24.8 points a game while shooting 51.2% from the court. The senior has 235 boards and 47 steals on the year with 134 assists.
In the SDSU game, Larkins led the Coyotes in every category on the stat sheet. She had 27 points, seven rebounds, eight assists and two steals.
Junior Carley Duffney averages almost 12 points a game and shoots 42% from the field. Duffney has excelled at the charity stripe this season, shooting well over 80%.
Duffney contributed heavily against the Jacks as she scored 17 in their last meeting. She also had one assist and three rebounds in South Dakota’s loss.
This Interstate Series match will take place on Saturday at First Bank & Trust Arena. Tip-off is slated for 2 p.m and the game will be streamed on the Summit League Network through Midco Sports Plus.
