SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Summit League women’s basketball teams are well underway into the 2020-21 season. South Dakota and Oral Roberts are headed into the fourth week of play with two-game win streaks. Both the Coyotes and Golden Eagles look to continue the momentum on the road this week.
 
Week four action starts tonight with North Dakota meeting North Dakota State in Fargo, N.D., for a non-conference matchup.
 
Around The Summit League (TV/Streaming) | game times local to site
Wednesday, December 16
North Dakota at North Dakota State (MSN2/E+) | 7 p.m.
Oral Roberts vs. Air Force | Cancelled
 
Thursday, December 17
South Dakota at Bradley (E3) | 1 p.m.
Omaha at Illinois State (E+) | 2 p.m.
Kansas City at Southern Illinois | 6 p.m.
 
Friday, December 18
Denver vs. Colorado State | 6 p.m.
 
Saturday, December 19
Western Illinois at Bellarmine (E+) | 11 a.m.
South Dakota State at No. 20/20 Missouri State | 1 p.m.
Oral Roberts at Missouri | 2 p.m.
Omaha vs. Graceland | 6 p.m.
 
Sunday, December 20
Denver vs. Air Force  | 12 p.m.
South Dakota at Oklahoma (FS) | 2 p.m.
 
Monday, December 21
North Dakota at Toledo | 12 p.m.
North Dakota State at Kansas (E+) | 1 p.m.
South Dakota State at Montana State | 1 p.m.
 
Tuesday, December 22
Western Illinois at Iowa | 1 p.m.
Oral Roberts at TCU  | 1 p.m.
 
Things to Watch

• The defending Summit League regular season and tournament champions, South Dakota, finished the 2019-20 season with a 30-2 overall record, a top-15 national ranking and an unblemished 16-0 mark in league play. They look to continue that success this season with the return of three starters including Preseason Player of the Year senior Hannah Sjerven.
• Sjerven was named to the 2020-21 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year Preseason Watch list after an impressive junior campaign. Last season she was an All-Summit League first team performer, Defensive Player of the Year and named the Summit League Tournament MVP.
• South Dakota State head coach Aaron Johnston is just four wins away from earning his 500th career win. He will be among 33 active Division I coaches to reach the milestone. Johnston is South Dakota State's and the league's all-time winningest women's basketball coach.

Nationally-Ranked Wins!

• South Dakota State opened its season with an upset over then No. 15/18 Iowa State, 76-69, then notched its second upset of the season defeating No. 18 Gonzaga 75-72 in overtime. The victories mark the 12th and 13th wins against ranked opponents for the Jackrabbits in the Division I era.

Milestones

• Kansas City's head coach Jacie Hoyt grabbed her 50th career win during the third week of play after she guided the Roos to an 80-60 victory over William Jewell. In her fourth year at Kansas City, she led the Roos to their first 20-win season since 2011-12 last season and earned the first NCAA Tournament bid in program history.
• South Dakota's head coach Dawn Plitzuweit earned her 300th career win after the Coyotes defeated Wichita State 62-54. The three-time Summit League Coach of the Year is in her fifth season with the Coyotes. She's had four 20-win seasons at USD with a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances.

Top 25 National Rankings

• The league saw three teams receive votes in the USA Today Coaches poll: South Dakota State, South Dakota and North Dakota State.
• During week two, South Dakota State had earned a spot in the Associated Press regular season poll for the first team in 11 years, coming in at No. 22 in the poll. A day later, South Dakota State moved to No. 21 in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
• The league saw three teams make their way into the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. South Dakota moved up to No. 3, South Dakota State came in at No. 8 and North Dakota State made an appearance in the rankings at No. 19.
• This is the second-consecutive week that three teams were ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll.

National Numbers

• Western Illinois ranks eighth in the nation in three-point field goals attempted with 160 so far this season while Kansas City ranks 11th in three-point field goals made with a total of 48.
• North Dakota sits eighth in the NCAA in three-point field-goal percentage with 45 percent.
• Western Illinois' Evan Zars ranks 12th in the nation in blocked shots with a total of 13 so far on the season.
• The Leatherneck's Grace Gilmore is ranked 11th national in free throw attempts (38) and 17th in free throws made (28). Teammate Elizabeth Lutz is 13th in the country for steals with 16 total.
• Oral Roberts' Regan Schumacher is 11th in the NCAA for double-doubles with three on the season so far. She also is sixth in the country for rebounds with 65.

#BeatType1

• The New Year will bring the start of Summit League Basketball play into the primary focus of the league’s nine men’s and women’s programs, but 2021 also brings another important matter back into their focus: type 1 diabetes. All 18 programs will designate a game throughout January and February to team up with Sanford Health and bring awareness to the disease that more than 1.25 million Americans are currently battling.
• The #BeatType1 initiative is a collaborative effort between the league’s nine-member institutions and Sanford Health and administrators from each institution have toured the Sanford Health facilities during visits to Sioux Falls in the past and recorded public service announcements once again that will air at each of their respective institutions during these awareness games.

 
#BeatType1 Games

Date	Host	Opponents
1/3	Omaha	Oral Roberts
1/8	South Dakota State	Western Illinois
1/8	Kansas City	South Dakota
1/23	North Dakota State	Denver
1/23	Western Illinois	South Dakota
1/29	South Dakota	Omaha
1/30	Denver	South Dakota State
1/30	North Dakota	Western Illinois (WBB)
2/12	North Dakota	South Dakota (MBB)
2/28	Oral Roberts	Western Illinois

TEAM TRACKER
NOTING THE PIONEERS

• The Pioneers went 0-2 during the third week of competition after falling to Colorado State, 85-62, and New Mexico State, 81-72.
• Against Colorado State, Tsimba Malonga scored a season-high 14 points off the bench for her third game this year in double figures.
• Meghan Boyd chipped in additional 13 points of her own for her fifth straight game in double figures.
• In the loss to New Mexico State, Uju Ezeudu finished with a game-high 23 points off the bench, while Anna Jackson contributed a career-best 15 points.
• Boyd notched her sixth consecutive game in double figures finishing with 10 points.
• Denver will get a rematch with Colorado State on Dec. 18 in Hamilton Gymnasium with a tipoff set for 6 p.m.

NOTING THE ROOS

• Kansas City went 2-1 during the third week of the season beating William Jewell College, 80-60, and SIUE, 89-81, but fell short to Kansas State, 74-57.
• Against William Jewell, Paige Bradford registered her second double-double of the season with 14 points and 12 rebounds.
• Jonaie Johnson nearly notched a triple-double finishing the game with 10 points, nine assists and eight rebounds.
• Naomie Alnatas led the Roos with 15 points and a career-high four steals.
• Against SIUE, Alnatas bested her previous career-high of 17 points by halftime. She went 9-for-12 from the field and 5-for-6 from behind the arc to finish with a game-high 23 points.
• Alnatas and Emily Ivory led the Roos against Kansas State scoring 15 and 11 points, respectively. Ivory made three shots from behind the 3-point line, extending her streak of at least three triples to six games in a row.
• Kansas City will be back in action at Southern Illinois on Dec. 17 for a 6 p.m. tipoff.

NOTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS

• The Fighting Hawks drop to 0-4 on the season after falling 80-60 at Big Ten foe Wisconsin.
• Melissa Leet led the efforts for North Dakota finishing with a season-high 13 points, three rebounds, an assist and a block.
• Julia Fleecs was one point shy of her third consecutive double-double, finishing with nine points and 11 rebounds against the Badgers.
• Maggie Manson notched double figures for the second-straight game with 12 points, draining four 3-pointers.
• North Dakota will return to the court tonight in Fargo when it meets in-state rival North Dakota State. Tipoff for the non-conference game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

NOTING THE BISON

• The Bison suffered their first loss of the season to No. 24 Iowa State 84-64 moving North Dakota State to 3-1 on the season.
• The Cyclones were able to tally 22 points in the first half off of 13 Bison turnovers.
• Ryan Cobbins paced the Bison with 14 points while tying a career high with seven rebounds.
• Abby Schulte contributed 12 points coming off the bench, while Michaelle Gaislerova chipped in 10 of her own.
• The Bison went 25-for-53 (47.2 percent) from the field and 4-for-9 (44.4 percent) from 3-point range against Iowa State.
• North Dakota State will be back in action tonight as the Bison host North Dakota. Tipoff for the non-conference game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

NOTING THE MAVERICKS

• The Mavericks dropped to 1-3 on the season after falling to Kansas State 66-59 in Manhattan, Kan.
• Ella Ogier led the effort with a season-high 18 points for Omaha going 8-for-12 from the floor and grabbing four rebounds.
• Josie Filer recorded 11 points with Mariah Murdie contributing another 11 of her own. Murdie also added four rebounds and three steals.
• Sarah Schmitt finished the game with eight points, four boards and a team-high four assists, while Elena Pilakouta tallied seven points in her season debut.
• Omaha will take the court again on Dec. 17 to match up against Illinois State at 2 p.m.

NOTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• Oral Roberts broke a four-game losing streak after defeating Tarleton State, 66-56, and Rogers State 71-60.
• In the Golden Eagles victory over  Tarleton State, Manaya Jones and Regan Schumacher each finished with double-doubles. Jones finished with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Schumacher finished with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
• It was Schumacher's fourth career double-double and new career highs for her.
• Tierney Coleman notched a career-high 18 points in Oral Roberts' win over Rogers State.
• Schumacher tallied her second-consecutive double-double of 12 points and a new career-high 17 rebounds.
• The Golden Eagles will travel to SEC foe Missouri to face the Tigers on Dec. 19 at 2 p.m.

NOTING THE COYOTES

• The Coyotes won their first true road game of the season defeating Wichita State 62-54. Its the ninth consecutive road win dating back to last season, which ranks fifth in the nation.
• Chloe Lamb paced the Coyotes recording a career-high 29 points and 11 rebounds for her first career double-double. She finished 10-for-22 from the floor with three 3-pointers.
• Hannah Sjerven was the only other Coyote to reach double-digits against the Shockers, finishing with 14 points and grabbing five boards.
• The Coyotes were able to capitalize on the Shockers' 23 turnovers with 22 points off turnovers.
• South Dakota has posted fewer than 10 turnovers for the third time in four games.
• South Dakota returns to action on Dec. 17 at Bradley.

NOTING THE JACKRABBITS

• The Jackrabbits went 1-2 during the third week of play falling to Kansas State, 62-53, and Northern Iowa 65-48, but defeating Drake 87-73.
• Myah Selland led the Jacks against the Wildcats finishing with 15 points while Paiton Burckhard finished just shy of a double-double, scoring 13 points and notching nine rebounds.
• Burckhard and Selland continued to lead the Jacks against Northern Iowa. Burckhard finished with 18 points and eight rebounds.
• Selland recorded 16 points, including being the only Jackrabbit to make a shot from long range, going 3-for-4 from behind the 3-point line.
• In the victory over Drake, Selland recorded her fourth career double-double and second of the season, finishing with 21 points and pulling down 11 boards to go along with four assists.
• South Dakota State finished with a season-high 87 points and 23 assists against the Bulldogs.
• The Jackrabbits hit the road for a two-game road trip starting at No. 20 Missouri State on Dec. 19.

NOTING THE LEATHERNECKS

• The Leathernecks fell to 0-6 after being defeated by SEMO 67-57 and Illinois State 85-55.
• Evan Zars nearly notched her third double-double of the season after she recorded eight points and 11 rebounds along with two blocks.
• Sam Pryor led the Leathernecks with a team-high 13 points against SEMO.
• Against Illinois State, Grace Gilmore paced Western Illinois going a perfect 8-for-8 from the free throw line for a team-high 16 points.
• Zars contributed nine more points, four rebounds, an assist and a block. She now has 60 career blocks that move her to sixth all-time in the program.
• Western Illinois will be back on the court on Dec. 19 to make up its original season opener at Bellarmine.