SIOUX FALLS, S.D. – There is a little more than a month until our ten teams make the journey to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., for the 2023 Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship. The battle within the standings continues Thursday.
 
South Dakota State has extended its winning streak to 11 straight games and continues to sit atop the standings with North Dakota State currently sitting in second. The two meet Saturday at 1 p.m. CT in Fargo, N.D.
 
This week’s full schedule begins Thursday with the first tip going up in Macomb, Ill., as Western Illinois hosts Denver at 6 p.m. CT.
 
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TEAM TRACKER
DENVER PIONEERS (8-14, 4-7 SL) | @DU_WHoops
Next Up: at Western Illinois (2/2; 5 p.m. MT); at St. Thomas (2/4; 12 p.m. MT)
Previous Games: vs. Oral Roberts (L, 93-83); vs. Kansas City (W, 69-60)
The Pioneers picked up their fourth League win of the season after splitting last week’s competition... In the loss to Oral Roberts, Emma Smith led the efforts finishing with a team-high 18 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists ... Makayla Minett followed with her sixth double-double of the season ... She finished with 13 points and 10 rebounds in the loss ... Mary Wilson chipped in 12 points while Mikayla Brandon contributed 10 of her own ... Madelyn Atkins propelled the Pioneers to victory over Kansas City behind her team-high 21 points ... Brandon recorded 16 points and 11 rebounds for her sixth double-double of the season ... Ally Haar added 13 points and four assists … Smith chipped in 11 points, six rebounds, five assists and a pair of steals.
 
KANSAS CITY ROOS (7-15, 3-8 SL) | @KCRoosWBB
Next Up: at Oral Roberts (2/4; 2 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: at Omaha (W, 64-55); at Denver (L, 69-60)
Kansas City is now 3-8 in League play after splitting on the road ... In the win over Omaha, E’Lease Stafford finished with 23 points on 8-for-13 shooting including three triples to lead four Roos in double figures ... She also recorded five rebounds and three steals ... Manna Mensah finished the game with 15 points and six rebounds ... Rain Green went 6-for-9 from the floor en route to 12 points to go along with six assists ... Machia Mullins rounded out the double-figure scorers with 10 points and a game-high 10 rebounds ... A trio of Roos finished with double digits in the scoring column against Denver ... Green led the efforts with 16 points, a team-best seven assists, a pair of rebounds and a steal ... Stafford followed with 14 points and six rebounds ... Mensah rounded out the trio with 10 points.

NORTH DAKOTA FIGHTING HAWKS (12-8, 5-5 SL) | @UNDwbasketball
Next Up: vs. South Dakota State (2/2; 7 p.m. CT); vs. South Dakota (2/4; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: vs. North Dakota State (W, 82-73)
The Fighting Hawks moved to 5-5 in League play after picking up a home victory over in-state rival North Dakota State ... It was the first win over the Bison since 2019 and kept the Fighting Hawks undefeated on their home court this season ... Claire Orth paced the efforts for North Dakota as she poured in a season-high 21 points to go along with eight rebounds ... Kacie Borowicz followed with 18 points and a team-best four steals ... Maggie Manson rounded out the double-figure scorers for UND as she sunk 4-for-5 three-pointers good for all 12 of her points on the night ... Sammiyah Hoskin led the defensive end for the Fighting Hawks as she finished with a team-best nine rebounds to go along with her seven points.
 
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON (13-7, 7-3 SL) | @NDSUwbb
Next Up: vs. South Dakota (2/2; 7 p.m. CT); vs. South Dakota State (2/4; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: at North Dakota (L, 82-73)
North Dakota State suffered its third loss in League play after falling to North Dakota on the road ... The Bison had four finish with double figures in the scoring column led by Heaven Hamling ... She finished with a game-high 28 points to go along with seven rebounds, a pair of steals, two assists and a block ... Abby Schulte chipped in 12 points and four rebounds ... Elle Evans notched 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds ... Emily Behnke rounded out the four double-figure scorers as she finished with 10 points and seven rebounds.
 
OMAHA MAVERICKS (9-13, 4-7 SL) | @OmahaWBB
Next Up: at St. Thomas (2/2; 7 p.m. CT); at Western Illinois (2/4; 2 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: vs. Kansas City (L, 64-55); vs. Oral Roberts (L, 94-90; OT)
Omaha fell to 4-7 in League play after dropping two home contests to Kansas City and Oral Roberts ... Against Kansas City, Elena Pilakouta paced the Omaha offense finishing 6-for-11 from the floor good for 16 points to go along with six rebounds and three assists ... She was the lone Maverick to finish with double figures in the scoring column ... Kennedi Grant led the defensive effort for the Mavericks as she pulled down a team-best seven rebounds and stole four balls ... In the heartbreaking four-point overtime loss to Oral Roberts, Pilakouta poured in 30 points on 12-for-16 shooting as well as grabbed 14 boards for her third double-double of the season ... Grant followed with a career-high-tying 19 points ... Aaliyah Stanley rounded out the double-figure scoring trio as she chipped in 15 points, three rebounds and three steals.
 
ORAL ROBERTS GOLDEN EAGLES (10-12, 7-4 SL) | @ORUWBB
Next Up: vs. Kansas City (1/2; 2 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: at Denver (W, 93-83); at Omaha (W, 94-90; OT)
The Golden Eagles picked up two road wins over Denver and Omaha to move to 7-4 in League play ... Hannah Cooper led three Golden Eagles in double-figure scoring after going 11-for-18 from the floor en route to 28 points ... She also pulled down four rebounds and dished out three assists ... Ariel Walker followed with a career-high 24 points and six rebounds ... Tirzah Moore rounded out the trio with a double-double ... She shot 6-for-9 from the field to score 16 points and grabbed 10 boards ... Defensively, Ruthie Udoumoh pulled down a team-best 11 rebounds to go along with her nine points ... Cooper paced ORU in the overtime thriller over Omaha … She finished with a team-best 25 points, a game-high six assists and five rebounds ... Delaney Nix sunk four three-pointers in en route to her 21 points ... Walker scored 15 points while Moore notched her fourth-consecutive double-double with 14 points and a team-best 12 rebounds.
 
ST. THOMAS TOMMIES (8-13, 3-8 SL) | @TommieWBBall
Next Up: vs. Omaha (2/2; 7 p.m. CT); vs. Denver (2/4; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: at South Dakota State (L, 99-57); at South Dakota (W, 70-64)
St. Thomas moved to 3-8 in League play after going on the road and splitting the week’s competition in South Dakota ... In the loss to the Jackrabbits, Jade Hill was the only Tommie to score double figures ... She ended the night with 17 points on 6-for-11 shooting from the floor as well as stole three balls and grabbed a pair of rebounds ... In a six-point victory over South Dakota, Jo Langbehn led the efforts with a team-high 15 points on 6-for-7 shoot from the floor ... Sammy Opichka went 4-for-6 from the field including sinking a pair of triples to finish with 13 points ... She also grabbed four rebounds, dished out an assist and blocked one shot ... Jordyn Lamkers completed the double-digit scorers for the Tommies going 6-for-8 from the floor good for 12 points ... Lamkers also pulled down a team-best eight rebounds and blocked four shots.
 
SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES (11-11, 7-4 SL) | @SDCoyotesWBB
Next Up: at North Dakota State (2/2; 7 p.m. CT); at North Dakota (2/4; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: vs. Western Illinois (W, 74-56); vs. St. Thomas (L, 70-64)
The Coyotes are now 7-4 in League play after going 1-1 at home last week ... In the win over Western Illinois, Carley Duffney led the scoring efforts finishing with 20 points, six rebounds, three assists and a steal ... Grace Larkins followed with a near triple-double of 18 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists ... It was the fifth time this season that Larkins has posted eight or more assists in a contest ... Alexi Hempe came off the bench and chipped in 14 points on 5-for-8 shooting to go along with four rebounds ... Morgan Hansen rounded out the double-digit scorers in the victory as she contributed 10 points ... In the tough six-point loss to St. Thomas, Larkins notched her third consecutive double-double as she led all players with 23 points and 10 rebounds ... Duffney was the only other Coyote with double-figures in the scoring column ... She finished with 13 points, five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block.
 
SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS (18-5, 11-0 SL) | @GoJacksWBB
Next Up: at North Dakota (2/2; 7 p.m. CT); at North Dakota State (2/4; 1 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: vs. St. Thomas (W, 99-57); vs. Western Illinois (W, 81-58)
South Dakota State continues to remain unbeaten in League play after picking up wins over St. Thomas and Western Illinois ... Against St. Thomas, Myah Selland led five Jackrabbits in double-digit scoring efforts pacing the team with 22 points on 7-for-10 shooting to go along with eight rebounds and four assists ... Haleigh Timmer followed with 16 points while Kallie Theisen chipped in 14 ... Brooklyn Meyer and Paiton Burckhard rounded out the top scorers with 12 and 10 points, respectively ... As a squad, the Jacks had a season-best night from the floor shooting 65 percent from the field and 64 percent from behind the arc ... In the win over Western Illinois, Selland poured in a double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead the offensive efforts ... Burckhard contributed 12 points and four boards while Paige Meyer chipped in 12 points and a team-high-tying four assists ... Timmer rounded out the double-digit scorers as she finished with 11 points, seven rebounds and four assists.
 
WESTERN ILLINOIS LEATHERNECKS (8-14, 3-8 SL) | @WIUWBB
Next Up: vs. Denver (2/2; 6 p.m. CT); vs. Omaha (2/4; 2 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: at South Dakota (L, 74-56); at South Dakota State (L, 81-58)
The Leathernecks fell to 3-8 after two road losses to South Dakota and South Dakota State ... Addi Brownfield led the efforts against the Coyotes shooting 6-for-11 from the floor for 16 points while adding six rebounds and a pair of assists to her stat line ... Anna Deets finished with 10 points and five rebounds ... Jada Thorpe came off the bench and contributed 10 points to round out the double-figure scorers in the loss ... Against the Jackrabbits, Thorpe paced the Leathernecks with 12 points including a pair of three-pointers ... She also had three steals, two assists and a rebound ... Elizabeth Lutz was the only other Leatherneck to finish in double-figures as she recorded 10 points to go along with three steals and a pair of rebounds ... Brownfield led the defense with a team-best eight rebounds to go with nine points and four assists.