SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – The Summit League still has teams dancing! South Dakota and South Dakota State have both advanced to the next round of their respective postseason tournaments.
 
For only the second time in league history, the last in 2018-19, the League has a women’s basketball team in the Sweet 16 at the NCAA Tournament. No. 10 South Dakota defeated second-seeded #7/5 Baylor 61-47 in Waco, Texas, last Sunday. It will be the first Sweet 16 appearance in program history for the Coyotes.
 
Tenth-seeded South Dakota will meet third-seeded #12/12 Michigan on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT in Wichita, Kan.
 
South Dakota State hosted Big Ten foe Minnesota in the second round of the WNIT and dominated the Gophers, 78-57. The victory moved the Jackrabbits to 9-4 all-time in the WNIT and into the third round of the postseason tournament.
 
South Dakota State will host Drake in the third round of the WNIT on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT in Brookings, S.D.
 
Third Round of Postseason Schedule | All Game Times Central
WNIT Tournament: Third Round | Thursday, March 24
South Dakota State vs. Drake | 7 p.m.
 
NCAA Tournament: Sweet Sixteen | Saturday, March 26
(3) #12/12 Michigan vs. (10) South Dakota | 5:30 p.m.
 
Second Round of Postseason Results
WNIT Tournament: Second Round | Sunday, March 20
South Dakota State 78, Minnesota 57
 
NCAA Tournament: Second Round | Sunday, March 20
(10) South Dakota 61, (2) #7/5 Baylor 47
 
First Round of Postseason Results
WNIT Tournament: First Round | Thursday, March 17
Northern Iowa 75, Kansas City 58
South Dakota State 87, Ohio 57
 
NCAA Tournament: First Round | Friday, March 18
(10) South Dakota 75, (7) Ole Miss 61
 
Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship Results
Quarterfinals | Saturday, March 5
Q1: (1) South Dakota State 86, (8) Denver 59
Q2: (2) South Dakota 75, (7) Western Illinois 49
 
Quarterfinals | Sunday, March 6
Q3: (4) Oral Roberts 61, (5) North Dakota 54
Q4: (3) Kansas City 81, (6) North Dakota State 74
 
Semifinals | Monday, March 7
S1: (1) South Dakota State 72, (4) Oral Roberts 53
S2:  (2) South Dakota 81, (3) Kansas City 67
 
Championship | Tuesday, March 8
F: (2) South Dakota 56, (1) South Dakota State 45

Survive and Advance!

• More basketball? Sure! South Dakota and South Dakota State's seasons continue after both picked up second-round victories in their respective postseason tournaments.
• On Sunday, March 20, South Dakota State hosted Minnesota in the second round of the WNIT. The Jackrabbits used a big third quarter and a strong defensive effort to cruise past Minnesota (78-57) into the third round of the tournament.
• The Coyotes' win over second-seeded #7/5 Baylor ended a 12-straight Sweet 16 appearance run and earned the Bears their third second-round loss in 19 tournament appearances.
• South Dakota is just the second Summit League team to reach the Sweet 16, the last coming during the 2018-19 season when No. 6 seed South Dakota State defeated third-seed Syracuse 75-64 to advance to the Sweet 16.

Things to Watch

• 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 16.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game so far this season.
• Nichols is currently averaging a team-leading 15.8 points per game, shooting 53 percent from the field and over 67 percent from behind the charity stripe. She is also averaging 4.6 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.
• South Dakota's Sjerven dropped her third career 30-plus point game against the Fighting Hawks on Jan. 29. She secured 30 points on 13-for-19 shooting from the field, including a career-best three triples.
• Kansas City's Alnatas notched her second 30-plus point game of this season in the Roos' 62-57 win over St. Thomas on Feb. 3. She finished with 30 points, seven rebounds and two steals.
• The Roos' Alnatas earned her third 30-plus point game of the season in Kansas City's 81-74 quarterfinal win over North Dakota State in The Summit League Tournament. She scored 26 of her game-high 32 points in the second half to help KC rally from a double-digit halftime deficit to defeat the Bison.
• The Coyotes' Chloe Lamb notched her second 30-plus point game of the season in USD's 81-67 semifinal win over Kansas City at The Summit League Tournament. She finished with a career-high 33 points on 12-for-16 shooting.

Top 25 National Rankings

• South Dakota and South Dakota State were receiving votes for the fourth consecutive week in the USA Today/WBCA Coaches Poll before postseason play started. It was the sixth time this season that the Coyotes have received votes and the fourth for the Jackrabbits.
• The league saw three teams being talked about in the CollegeInsider.com Women's Mid-Major Top 25 Poll before postseason play started. South Dakota was No. 4, South Dakota State was No. 5 and Kansas City was receiving votes.
• Before this season, the last time three teams were ranked in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll was on Jan. 19, 2021, when South Dakota State (2), South Dakota (5) and North Dakota State (22) all made an appearance within the top 25.

USD and SDSU Among the NCAA's Top 25
Team
Assist-Turnover Ratio
(8) South Dakota State | 1.35
(11) South Dakota | 1.27
Assists
(8) South Dakota State | 592
Assists Per Game
(12) South Dakota State | 17.4
Fewest Turnovers
(20) South Dakota | 374
Field-Goal Percentage
(3) South Dakota State | 47.9
Rebound Margin
(23) South Dakota State | 7.3
Scoring Defense
(8) South Dakota | 53.1
Scoring Margin
(12) South Dakota State | 16.6
(13) South Dakota | 16.4
Scoring Offense
(24) South Dakota State | 74.6
Three-Point Field Goals Made
(16) South Dakota State | 275
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage
(1) South Dakota State | 38.9
Turnover Margin
(4) South Dakota | 7.26
Turnovers Per Game
(2) South Dakota | 11.0
Won-Lost Percentage
(8) South Dakota | 85.3
 
Individual
Assist Turnover Ratio
(18) Myah Selland, South Dakota State | 2.47
 
*As of 3/21/22
 
TEAM TRACKER
NOTING THE COYOTES

• No. 10 South Dakota has advanced to the Sweet 16 for the first time in program history after defeating second-seeded #7/5 Baylor 61-47 on the Bears' home court. The Coyotes' held Baylor to its lowest-scoring outing of the season.
• The victory over nationally-ranked Baylor marks the first win by a Summit League team over a top-10 nationally ranked team since 1994.
• A trio of seniors led South Dakota to the second-round victory as each finished in double-figure scoring efforts. Hannah Sjerven led the team with 16 points while Chloe Lamb finished with 15 and Liv Korngable added 11 points and five assists.
• As a squad, USD shot 39.2 percent (20-for-51) from the field and made 50 percent (8-for-16) from behind the arc.
• South Dakota tips off at 5:30 p.m. CT Saturday against (3) #12/12 Michigan inside INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita, Kansas.

NOTING THE JACKRABBITS

• South Dakota State's postseason continues after a dominant 78-57 win over Minnesota in the second round of the WNIT.
• Haleigh Timmer continues to pace the Jacks during the tournament as she put together her second consecutive 20-point game. She finished with 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting to lead all scorers.
• Myah Selland followed Timmer's efforts contributing 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
• Tylee Irwin rounded out the double-figure scorers for SDSU tallying 13 points. She also held the Gopher's leading scorer to just eight points.
• South Dakota State will host Drake in the third round of the WNIT on Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.