VERMILLION, S.D. – The postseason run continues for South Dakota, who has advanced to the program’s second WNIT Fab 4. In its previous appearance in 2016, the Coyotes capped the run as WNIT champions.
Following a 73-57 Super 16 victory over Pepperdine and a 65-56 Great 8 win over Montana State, South Dakota advanced to the WNIT Fab 4, where it will face Illinois State at the Sanford Coyote Sports Center in Vermillion. The wins pushed the Coyotes to 17-5 all-time in WNIT play and improved their home record to 9-1 inside the SCSC.
South Dakota’s matchup with Illinois State is set for a 7 p.m. CT tip Wednesday (April 1). The winner will advance to face either Arkansas State or Marshall in the championship game on Saturday, April 4, with tipoff scheduled for 2 p.m. CT.
South Dakota’s first game will be streamed live on the Summit League Network powered by Midco Sports, while the championship game broadcast is to be determined.
FAB 4 SCHEDULE
Wednesday, April 1
WNIT (Vermillion, S.D.)
South Dakota vs. Illinois State (SLN) | 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, April 4
WNIT Championship (TBD)
USD/ISU vs. Arkansas State/Marshall | 2 p.m. CT
Key: SLN (Summit League Network powered by Midco Sports)
TEAM TRACKER
SOUTH DAKOTA COYOTES (26-9, 12-4 SL) | @SDCoyotesWBB
Next Up: WNIT (Fab 4) - vs. Illinois State (7 p.m. CT)
Previous Games: WNIT (Second Round) - vs. Northern Colorado (W, 80-60); (Super 16) - vs. Pepperdine (W, 73-57); (Great 8) - vs. Montana State (W, 65-56)
WNIT History (Last): 17-5 (2026)
WNIT Best Finish (Last): Champions (2016)
Summit League Championship History: 24-10 (14th appearance)
Summit League Championship Titles: 4 (2014, 2020, 2021, 2022)
South Dakota advanced to the WNIT Fab 4 with a pair of home victories, defeating Pepperdine 73-57 in the Super 16 before earning a 65-56 win over Montana State in the Great 8 ... With the two wins, the Yotes improved to 26-9 overall on the season ... South Dakota dominated the Super 16 matchup, racing out to a 32-9 first-quarter lead and never looking back while placing four players in double figures ... Angelina Robles and Patience Williams led the way with 20 points apiece, while Elise Turrubiates and Jenna Hopp each added 11 in the win ... In the Great 8, the Coyotes used a strong second quarter to take control, outscoring Montana State 20-10 to build a double-digit halftime lead ... Molly Joyce delivered a dominant performance with 31 points on 10-of-19 shooting and a 10-for-13 mark from the free throw line, while Hopp added 13 points and Williams chipped in seven ... Joyce’s 31 points were the third most all-time by a Summit League player in a postseason tournament game ... South Dakota shot 44 percent from the field and held Montana State to just 32 percent shooting, securing the victory and a spot in its second Fab 4 in program history.
(11) SOUTH DAKOTA STATE JACKRABBITS (27-7, 14-2 SL) | @GoJacksWBB
Previous Games: NCAA Tournament (First Round) - vs. No. 6 Washington (L, 72-54)
NCAA Tournament History (Last): 6-14 (14 appearances, last 2026)
NCAA Tournament Best Finish (Last): Sweet 16 (2019)
Summit League Championship History: 44-5 (17th appearance)
Summit League Championship Titles: 13 (2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2016,
2018, 2019, 2023, 2024, 2025, 2026)
South Dakota State’s season came to a close in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament
with a 72-54 loss to Washington in Fort Worth ... The Jackrabbits finished the year 27-7
overall ... After a 15-15 tie at the end of the first quarter, Washington took control in the
second, outscoring SDSU 23-9 to build a 38-24 halftime lead ... The Huskies extended
the margin to 21 in the third quarter to pull away ... Brooklyn Meyer led the Jackrabbits
with 29 points on 13-of-20 shooting and seven rebounds to close out her prolific
career ... With Meyer’s 29 point performance, she tied an SDSU record (Myah Selland,
2023) for points in an NCAA Tournament game ... Emilee Fox added 14 points with four
three-pointers, while Madison Mathiowetz dished out five assists ... South Dakota State
shot 44 percent from the field and 35 percent from beyond the arc, but was limited to
just three free throw attempts and two bench points ... Washington was led by Avery
Howell’s 30 points and used a 40-25 rebounding advantage to secure the win.
NORTH DAKOTA STATE BISON (29-5, 15-1 SL) | @NDSUwbb
Previous Games: WBIT (First Round) - vs. Chattanooga (W, 75-62); (Second Round) vs.
Columbia (L, 86-57)
WBIT History (Last): 1-1 (1 appearance, last 2026)
WBIT Best Finish (Last): Second Round (2026)
Summit League Championship History: 7-17 (16th appearance)
Summit League Championship Titles: None
North Dakota State earned a 75-62 victory over Chattanooga in the First Round of the
WBIT before falling to Columbia, 86-57 in the Second Round ... Both games were played
in Fargo as the Bison hosted as the No. 1 seed in their first WBIT appearance ... With the
opening round win, the Bison improved to 29-4 on the season before closing the year
at 29-5 overall ... NDSU controlled the opener from the start, outscoring Chattanooga
39-24 in the first half and leading by as many as 25 in the third quarter ... Avery Koenen
led the Bison with 16 points and 11 rebounds for her 21st double double of the season,
while Jocelyn Schiller added 14 points and Karrington Asp chipped in 13 off the bench
... In the second round, Columbia jumped out early and never looked back, using a 56-
22 halftime advantage to take control ... Koenen again led the Bison with 21 points and
seven rebounds, while Asp added 11 points ... Columbia shot over 55 percent from the
field and placed three players over 20 points to take the victory and advance to the
quarterfinals.
POSTSEASON RESULTS
Thursday, March 19
WBIT - First Round (Fargo, N.D.)
North Dakota State 75, Chattanooga 62
Friday, March 20
NCAA Tournament - First Round (Fort Worth, Texas)
(11) South Dakota State 54, (6) Washington 72
Sunday, March 22
WBIT - Second Round (Fargo, N.D.)
North Dakota State 57, Columbia 86
WNIT - Second Round (Vermillion, S.D.)
South Dakota 80, Northern Colorado 60
Thursday, March 26
WNIT - Super 16 (Vermillion, S.D.)
South Dakota 73, Pepperdine 57
Sunday, March 29
WNIT - Great 8 (Vermillion, S.D.)
South Dakota 65, Montana State 56
CHAMPIONSHIP RESULTS
First Round | Wednesday, March 4
F: No. 9 North Dakota 39, No. 8 Omaha 49
Quarterfinals | Thursday, March 5
Q1: No. 7 Kansas City 61, No. 2 SDSU 75
Q2: No. 8 Omaha 37, No. 1 NDSU 87
Quarterfinals | Friday, March 6
Q3: No. 5 St. Thomas 81, No. 4 Oral Roberts 54
Q4: No. 6 Denver 50, No. 3 South Dakota 61
Semifinals | Saturday, March 7
S1: No. 5 St. Thomas 51, No. 1 NDSU 63
S2: No. 3 South Dakota 59, No. 2 SDSU 74
Championship | Sunday, March 8
C: No. 2 SDSU 64, No. 1 NDSU 51
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