SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The second half of league play is right around the corner and South Dakota looks upon it as the only team to remain unbeaten in league play thus far. The Coyotes extended its nation-leading winning streak to 14-straight victories and look to continue that momentum into the back half of league action.
 
The sixth week of league play tips off Thursday with eight of our ten teams taking the court. The first tip comes in Kansas City as the Roos host Denver starting at 6 p.m. CT.
 
Around The Summit League (TV/Streaming) | All Game Times Central
Thursday, January 27
Denver at Kansas City | 6 p.m.
Omaha at Oral Roberts | 7 p.m.
South Dakota at North Dakota State (WDAY/E+) | 7 p.m.
South Dakota State at North Dakota (MS2) | 7 p.m.
 
Saturday, January 29
South Dakota at North Dakota (MS) | 1 p.m.
Western Illinois at St. Thomas | 1 p.m.
Denver at Oral Roberts | 2 p.m.
Omaha at Kansas City | 2 p.m.
South Dakota St. at North Dakota St. (WDAY/E+) | 7 p.m.

Monday, January 31
Western Illinois at Kansas City | 6 p.m.
 
Last Week In The League
Thursday, January 20
South Dakota State 88, St. Thomas 47
North Dakota 53, Oral Roberts 34
South Dakota 70, Western Illinois 53
Kansas City 67, North Dakota State 62
Denver 71, Omaha 62
 
Saturday, January 22
North Dakota State 74, Oral Roberts 70
South Dakota 70, St. Thomas 43
North Dakota 78, Kansas City 66
South Dakota State 114, Western Illinois 50
 
Rescheduled League Games | All Game Times Central
Monday, January 10
Oral Roberts 62, Denver 53
Kansas City 73, Omaha 64
 
Monday, January 17
Oral Roberts 72, St. Thomas 44
 
Tuesday, January 18
Kansas City 77, Denver 68
 
Monday, January 31
Western Illinois at Kansas City | 6 p.m.
 
Monday, February 14
St. Thomas at Kansas City | 6 p.m.
 
Tuesday, February 15
Western Illinois at Oral Roberts | TBA
 
#BeatType1

• The New Year brought Summit League Basketball play into the primary focus of the league’s ten men’s and women’s programs, but 2022 also brings another important matter back into their focus: type 1 diabetes. All 20 programs will designate a game throughout January to team up with Sanford Health and bring awareness to the disease that more than 1.25 million Americans are currently battling.

#BeatType1 Games

Date	Host	Opponents
1/8	North Dakota State	Omaha
1/13	St. Thomas	North Dakota State
1/15	Denver	South Dakota State
1/15	Oral Roberts	Kansas City
1/20	South Dakota State	St. Thomas
1/20	Omaha	Denver
1/22	South Dakota	St. Thomas
1/27	North Dakota	South Dakota State
1/31	Kansas City	Western Illinois

 
Things to Watch

• Preseason Player of the Year Myah Selland was named to the watch list for the Cheryl Miller Small Forward of the Year Award by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Coaches Association. Selland is also one of 50 watch list candidates on the Wooden Award and Naismith Trophy preseason watch lists.
• She currently is averaging 10.8 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game so far this season. She is also shooting 47 percent from the field and 83 percent from behind the free-throw line.
• South Dakota's Chloe Lamb and Western Illinois' Danni Nichols were named to the midseason watch list for the 2021-22 Becky Hammon Mid-Major Player of the Year presented by Her Hoop Stats following impressive starts to the 2021-22 season.
• Lamb is averaging 15.6 points, 3.7 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game so far this season.
• Nichols is currently averaging a team-leading 17.9 points per game, shooting 54.5 percent from the field and over 70 percent from behind the charity stripe. She is also averaging 4.8 rebounds and over two assists per contest.

30-Plus Point Club

• On Nov. 20, Kacie Borowicz had a record-breaking showing to help North Dakota to an 89-85 win over Montana State. Borowicz went a perfect 20-for-20 from the free throw line which beats the prior UND single-game record for most free throws made in a game set back in 1990. She finished the game with a game-high 33 points.
• Denver's Anna Jackson sunk 10 threes and scored a Denver women's basketball Division I school-record 36 points to lead the Pioneers to an 87-65 win over Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Nov. 26.
• On Nov. 27, South Dakota defeated the ACC's Pitt with the help of Chloe Lamb's career-high 30 points. She went 12-for-23 from the field with 10 of her career-high points coming in overtime.
• Omaha picked up its first victory of the season defeating UIC 70-58. Elena Pilakouta led the scoring effort finishing with a career-high 32 points on 14-for-18 shooting from the floor and 4-for-5 from the charity stripe.
• Kansas City defeated UT Arlington on Nov. 28 with the help of Naomie Alnatas' 38-point, seven assists performance. She went 12-for-19 from the field, including 6-for-7 from three-point range, for her second career 35-plus point game.
• On Dec. 4, Hannah Sjerven scored a career-high 35 points to lead the Coyotes to a 71-59 victory over Wichita State. She had equaled her season-high by halftime, then added on 10 second-half points to tally a career-best 35. She knocked down 11-for-17 (64.7 percent) from the floor and went 12-for-15 from the charity stripe.
• Against North Dakota State on Jan. 6, Denver's Uju Ezeudu finished a point shy of her career-high with 31 points on 13-for-20 shooting. She also notched eight rebounds, a block and a steal in a season-high 34 minutes.
• Deja Vu for Borowicz on Jan. 13 as she notched a season-high-tying 33 points in North Dakota’s 76-65 win over Western Illinois. She also secured five rebounds, dished out four assists and snatched a pair of steals in the victory.
• In St. Thomas' 73-62 victory over North Dakota State, Erin Norling contributed 34 of the Tommies' 73 points in the win. She went 6-for-9 from deep to go along with four rebounds, two assists and a block.

Top 25 National Rankings

• For the first time since the preseason poll to start the season, South Dakota is receiving votes in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll.
• The Coyotes and the Jackrabbits continue to be ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll. South Dakota is currently ranked at No. 7 while South Dakota State came in at No. 20.
• Kansas City continues to be a topic of conversation in the CollegeInsider.com's poll. They didn't break into the top 25 but are receiving votes in the poll. It is the Roos' tenth consecutive week receiving votes.

Among the NCAA's Top 25
Team
Assist-Turnover Ratio
(17) South Dakota State | 1.21
(21) South Dakota | 1.19
Assists
(13) South Dakota State | 330
Assists Per Game
(24) South Dakota State | 16.5
Blocked Shots
(7) Denver | 112
Block Shots Per Game
(12) Denver | 5.6
Defensive Rebounds Per Game
(17) Western Illinois | 29.6
Field-Goal Percentage
(4) South Dakota State | 47.5
Free Throw Attempts
(5) Oral Roberts | 394
(25) Western Illinois | 361
Free Throws Made
(5) Oral Roberts | 288
Free-Throw Percentage
(16) North Dakota | 78.4
Scoring Defense
(12) South Dakota | 52.6
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
(10) Denver | 519
(16) Western Illinois | 484
Three-Point Field Goals Made
(20) Denver | 160
(20) Western Illinois | 160
(22) South Dakota State | 158
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game
(19) Western Illinois | 8.9
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage
(7) South Dakota State | 38.4
 
Individual
Blocked Shots
(18) Melissa Leet, North Dakota | 41
(25) Hannah Sjerven, South Dakota | 38
Field Goals Made
(24) Chloe Lamb, South Dakota | 128
Final Points
(22) Uju Ezeudu, Denver | 351
Free Throw Attempts
(1) Uju Ezeudu, Denver | 145
(20) Danni Nichols, Western Illinois | 107
Free Throws Made
(2) Uju Ezeudu, Denver | 112
(12) Kacie Borowicz, North Dakota | 85
(23) Danni Nichols, Western Illinois | 77
Free-Throw Percentage
(2) Kacie Borowicz, North Dakota | 96.6
Three-Point Field Goals Attempted
(5) Anna Jackson, Denver | 149
(23) Meghan Boyd, Denver | 132
Three-Point Field Goals Made
(6) Anna Jackson, Denver | 56
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game
(12) Anna Jackson, Denver | 2.95
 
*As of 1/25/22
 
TEAM TRACKER
NOTING THE PIONEERS

• Denver picked up its first league victory of the season with a 71-62 win over Omaha.
• Uju Ezeudu notched her sixth double-double of the season to lead the Pioneers finishing with 28 points and 17 rebounds. She was 10-for-16 shooting and recorded three steals, three assists and a block in the win.
• Ezeudu has finished with double figures in points for the 18th time this season and the 52nd time in her career.
• Anna Jackson recorded 15 points, converting five three-point field goals to go with two rebounds and a pair of steals in the win.
• Indeya Sanders rounded out the double-figure scorers for Denver finishing with 13 points going 8-for-8 from the free-throw line. She also finished with five assists, three rebounds and two steals.

NOTING THE ROOS

• The Roos split the week's road competition, defeating North Dakota State (67-62) but falling to North Dakota (78-66).
• Against NDSU, Kansas City entered the fourth quarter down by 10 and ended up completing the comeback victory behind three Roos' double-digit scoring efforts.
• The efforts were led by Naomie Alnatas' 19 points, five rebounds and four assists.
• Paige Bradford followed with a near double-double notching 14 points and nine rebounds.
• Brooklyn McDavid rounded out the double-digit scoring efforts finishing with 12 points and five rebounds.
• In the win, the Kansas City defense shut down North Dakota State's leading scorer, Heaven Hamling, limiting her to just two points.

NOTING THE FIGHTING HAWKS

• North Dakota is riding a six-game win streak after pulling off home victories over Oral Roberts (53-34) and Kansas City (78-66).
• Three Fighting Hawks finished in double figures in the win over the Golden Eagles, led by Kacie Borowicz. Borowicz notched a game-high 21 points to go along with six rebounds, two steals and two assists.
• Claire Orth followed finishing with 13 points while Olivia Lane rounded out the efforts with 11 points.
• Defensively, Melissa Leet ended the game with a career-high nine blocks to go along with 12 rebounds.
• North Dakota had four finish in double digits in the win over Kansas City. Borowicz led, again, with 27 points, seven assists, five rebounds and three steals.
• Leet narrowly missed a double-double in the victory finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds.
• Maggie Manson finished with 13 points of her own while Orth rounded out the double-digit scorers with ten points.

NOTING THE BISON

• The Bison moved to 4-5 in league play after splitting last week's competition. North Dakota State lost to Kansas City (67-62) but bounced back and defeated Oral Roberts (74-70).
• Against Kansas City, Emily Dietz led NDSU with a season-high 17 points and a team-best nine rebounds.
• Ryan Cobbins also finished with 17 points for the Bison marking the 12th time this season that she reached double figures in scoring.
• In the four-point victory over ORU, Heaven Hamling paced the Bison with a team-high 19 points on 4-for-8 shooting from behind the three-point line.
• Olivia Skibiel followed with a career-high 18 points on 6-for-9 shooting from the field. She tallied a season-best four three-pointers on six attempts and grabbed six rebounds.
• Cobbins rounded out the double-figure scorers finishing with 12 points while Dietz pulled down a game-high nine rebounds.

NOTING THE MAVERICKS

• Omaha moved to 2-7 in league play after falling to Denver, 71-62.
• Mariah Murdie and Elena Pilakouta paced the efforts in the loss as the only Mavericks in double figures.
• Pilakouta recorded a team-high 12 points while pulling down four rebounds.
• Murdie tallied 11 points to go along with her four rebounds.
• Alexis Pratt paced the defense grabbing four rebounds as well as dished out four assists.
• As a squad, Omaha shot 26-for-58 (44.8 percent) from the field and drained six shots from behind the three-point line.

NOTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES

• The Golden Eagles moved to 4-4 in league play after falling to North Dakota (53-34) and North Dakota State (74-70) on the road.
• Highlighting the week's efforts was Tirzah Moore's career day against North Dakota State. Moore notched a career-high 29 points while connecting on 12-for-15 of her shots.
• She also dished out a career-best five assists to lead the Golden Eagles.
• Regan Schumacher was the only other Golden Eagle in double figures against the Bison. She finished with a season-high 15 points while Katie Scott followed with eight points of her own.
• The trio combined for 52 of the Golden Eagles' 70 points and shot 76.7 percent from the floor against the Bison.

NOTING THE TOMMIES

• St. Thomas dropped to 3-5 in league play after suffering two road losses to South Dakota State (88-47) and South Dakota (70-43).
• Against the Jackrabbits, the Tommies connected on 10-for-26 shots from the field and went 3-for-8 from behind the three-point line.
• Erin Norling paced the efforts finishing with 18 points on 7-for-13 shooting from the floor. She also grabbed three rebounds in the loss.
• Jade Hill followed Norling's lead finishing with 10 of her own points while dishing out five assists.
• In the loss to the Coyotes, Hill and Jo Langbehn lead the team with eight points apiece.
• Kaia Porter and Norling each chipped in seven points in the game while Porter nabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

NOTING THE COYOTES

• South Dakota extended its nation-leading winning streak to 14-straight victories after securing home wins over Western Illinois (70-53) and St. Thomas (70-43).
• In the win over WIU, four Coyotes tallied double-figures in the game led by Liv Korngable's game-high 16 points. Maddie Krull followed with 15 points on 5-for-10 shooting with three steals and two assists.
• Chloe Lamb went 6-for-10 shooting to finish with 12 points while Grace Larkins rounded out the double-figure scorers finishing with 10 points, five boards and a pair of steals.
• Against St. Thomas, three Coyotes reached double digits led by Lamb who finished with a game-high 19 points to go along with six rebounds and four assists.
• Korngable tallied 17 points, four assists and four rebounds while Krull contributed 15 points on 5-for-9 shooting from the floor.

NOTING THE JACKRABBITS

• South Dakota State is now 8-1 in league play after two home wins over St. Thomas (88-47) and Western Illinois (114-50).
• In the win over St. Thomas, the Jackrabbits set a new single-game program record from behind the three-point line, shooting 71 percent while going 10-for-14.
• The Jacks' .714 effort from beyond the arc bested the previous mark of .652 set in 2004.
• Leading SDSU against UST were Myah Selland and Tylee Irwin, both finishing with 16 points apiece. Selland went 7-for-10 from the floor while Irwin went 6-for-11.
• Against Western Illinois, SDSU nearly set a single-game program record in both points (114) and field goals (47).
• Five Jackrabbits finished in double figures in the victory led by Paige Meyer's 19 points.
• Meyer was joined in double figures by Paiton Burckhard (15), Irwin (14), Tori Nelson (13) and Selland (12).

NOTING THE LEATHERNECKS

• Western Illinois fell to 2-5 in league play after suffering road losses to South Dakota (70-53) and South Dakota State (114-50).
• Against the Coyotes, the Leathernecks were paced offensively by Danni Nichols and Elizabeth Lutz. Nichols finished with 14 points, two rebounds and an assist. Lutz notched 12 points, seven rebounds, three steals and a block in the loss.
• Defensively, Evan Zars pulled down a game-high 17 rebounds to go along with eight points and a pair of assists.
• In the loss to South Dakota State, Lutz led the Western Illinois offense, finishing with a team-high 12 points. She also pulled down a team-high-tying three rebounds.
• Zars collected eight points in the loss, while Nichols chipped in seven of her own.