SDSU's Ashley Eide drives past NDSU's Abby Plucker during the first half of the Jacks' 88-52 win over the Bison. / Collegian Photo by Nick Lowrey

Despite being located in another state and 190 miles away from home, SDSU is very comfortable in Fargo.

Friday was no exception as the Jacks pounded the rival Bison from NDSU, 88-52, at the Bison Sports Arena. It moves the Jackrabbits to 8-1 in the Summit League officially halfway through the conference schedule, and it marks the seventh straight meeting in Fargo that the Jackrabbits have defeated the Bison by double-digits.

Ashley Eide proved to be the beneficiary of NDSU’s defensive struggles, scoring a game-high 20 points, 14 of those coming in the first half. That spurt helped power a 17-3 run in the middle of the first half, and it put the Jacks up by as much as 20 in the first half before settling on 42-26 margin at the break.

“I thought Ashley Eide was fantastic tonight,” SDSU coach Aaron Johnston said. “She was diving on the floor, going after loose balls. She started the break and just really played fantastic for us.”

The Jackrabbits shot 10-of-16 from the three-point range, one shy of a season-high, and capitalized on their ability to get to the free throw line, making 20-of-29. Jennie Sunnarborg had 17 points, with Paluch and Rachel Walters each adding 10 points.

“We caught SDSU on all cylinders tonight,” NDSU head coach Carolyn DeHoff said. “We thought that we would match well with their outside players. They had 30 from Eide and Paluch and we broke down defensively in our gameplan.”

NDSU (7-14, 4-5 Summit) struggled to find any traction offensively, shooting 32 percent from the field and 2-of-12 from three-point territory. Janae Burich was the lone bright spot with 12 points.

SDSU now sits with a big advantage in the Summit League. The Jacks will benefit from having just one game for the weekend, having extra time to prepare before heading to IPFW and Oakland next week.

“It’s been a focus for us to be the top team and we haven’t really done that in the past and going into it we’re just trying to do our best,” Eide said.

(Check out the link below to watch The Collegian’s postgame video with Leah Dietel.)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXCnPHiPPe0&feature=youtu.be

For 20 minutes, USD had the Jackrabbits right where they wanted them.

In a quick reverse of fortune, SDSU turned a three-point halftime deficit into a five-point lead in a matter of minutes. The Jackrabbits pulled away and held on to defeat the Coyotes, 59-51, on Jan. 16 and they did it in front of 3,309 fans at Frost Arena.

SDSU's Jill Young brings the ball up for the Jackrabbits during the Jackrabbits' 59-51 win over USD on Jan. 16. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

Down 26-23 at the halftime break, eight points between Leah Dietel and Ashley Eide flipped the course of the game and the Jacks would not trail again in the game. The win makes it 17 straight wins for SDSU (12-7, 7-1 Summit) at home over USD, dating back to 1990.

The lead will swell to as much as 11 points for the Jacks and the Coyotes (10-6, 2-5 Summit) would score 15 of the next 23 points before—in the words of USD head coach Ryun Williams—it became Jill Young time down the stretch. With the Jackrabbits ahead three points with just under three minutes left, SDSU put the ball in the hands of Young and she hit a layup and a jumper to put the lead back at seven and out of reach.

“This was a big one for us and they are very good team and we definitely had to work our butts off in the final minutes,” Young said.

USD’s head man believed the difference was the start of the second half.

“The key period was the first five minutes of the second half and we responded but we just couldn’t get over that hump,” Williams said.

SDSU opened the game without a bucket from the field in the first five minutes and fell behind the Coyotes 8-1. The Jackrabbits would rally to tie the game at 12, with an 11-3 run, capped by two free throws by Eide. SDSU had 10 of its 11 active players score in the game, led by Young’s 11 points.

The Coyotes’ defense forced SDSU to take some unnecessary shots and the Jacks paid for it by shooting 2 of 10 from three-point territory. That changed in the second half when SDSU used its forwards to set more screens, according to SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston.

Jennie Sunnarborg shoots over USD's Jodie Boss in the first half of the Jacks' 59-51 win over the Coyotes. / Collegian Photo by Aaron Stoneberger

“In the second half we just tried to get more screens from our posts. In the first half, we took the shots that they wanted us to take, and in the second half … we got more of what we wanted,” Johnston said.
When USD needed a bucket, they went one of two routes, either their very quick guard Tempestt Wilson or senior forward Amber Hegge. Hegge scored 20 points and added 13 rebounds while Wilson made all four three-pointers for the Coyotes and scored 19 points.

“Both teams were playing hard and it just came down to whoever was making bigger shots,” Hegge said.

The Coyotes kept shooting but failed to get to the free throw line with the frequency they had in the first half, getting to the stripe just two times. To counter, SDSU shot 17 free throws in the second half and made 13, sealing their seventh conference win and staying alone in first place in the Summit League.

“I think in women’s basketball it’s so unique to have these kinds of games,” said Johnston. “This is so rare to have these games against North Dakota State and USD. We want to embrace them and it’s a big deal.”

SDSU won all four games against comparable talent and learned what it will take to beat a power conference squad in its three losses, where they faded down the stretch.

Tony Fiegen battles for position with Minnesota's Ralph Sampson III on Nov. 14 in Minneapolis

In a Summit League scheduling quirk, the Jacks will temporarily jump into conference play for two games, starting tonight against IUPUI in Indianapolis and then a trip to Western Illinois on Saturday. The trip marks the final two games of the Jacks eight-game road trip over the last two-and-a-half weeks, a string of games that SDSU coach Scott Nagy admitted was too long.

At 4-3, the Jacks will have to adjust to their struggles on offense. SDSU has watched its shooting percentage drop from nearly 47 percent a year ago to 41 percent. Similar trends have also played out early in the year at the free throw line and three-point stripe.

Averaging 11 points less than last year is going to be tough getting used to. The Jacks remain slim on height, but sophomore Jordan Dykstra will try to play Thursday for the Jackrabbits, while nursing a injured foot which has limited his playing time recently.

If the Jackrabbits want to be considered among conference’s legitimate contenders, their proving ground needs to be where SDSU has never won before, like IUPUI, who they face Thursday night.

“Conference play feels more important and it is kind of strange to play in conference and then go back to playing non-conference but these games will have a lot to say about where we finish in March. I think everybody knows that and they know how important it is and we’re working hard to be focused at practice,” Nagy said.

For at least this weekend, the long road continues.

“We definitely played a tougher schedule than we did last year, non-conference and being on the road for that long was tough but we have to get back after it and pick up two more wins,” guard Nate Wolters said.

It will be built; we’ll see if they come.

On Nov. 9, Sioux Falls citizens voted to approve building a new events center. The effect of that decision will have a long standing influence on what happens with SDSU and the Summit League.

A $115 million, 12,000-seat arena will be adjacent to the current Sioux Falls Arena and Convention Center site in Sioux Falls. Expected to open in 2014, the new events center will replace the duties of the 50-year arena that has been showing signs of wear for quite some time.

The Sioux Falls Arena has hosted the Summit League Basketball Championships for the last three seasons and will continue to do so through 2014, when the contract is up but Sioux Falls’ chances to extend the tenure will be improved with a new building.

“I am thrilled about the new arena coming to Sioux Falls.  The upgraded facility will have a very positive impact on our student-athletes as they compete in our Tournament, in addition our fans will enjoy it as well,” Summit League Commissioner Tom Douple wrote in an email.

“I believe Sioux Falls will now be in a position to seek a first round NCAA tournament bid in Women’s Basketball and also many other events.  I will be working closely with the Sioux Falls Sports Commission to help submit bids for those events in the new arena,” Douple said.

The successful vote has many in the area happy about the prospects for the new arena, including some of SDSU’s athletic representatives.

Construction on the new building is scheduled to begin in August 2012 and will be paid for with the sale of bonds and existing sales tax revenue.

“I think from an SDSU perspective I think it’s great,” SDSU women’s basketball coach Aaron Johnston said. “It’s a chance for us to potentially play games down there. Obviously, if a Summit League Tournament can be there in the future, that would be a great venue for it. I think that it is wonderful and long-awaited.”

“I think it is a very positive development for the state of South Dakota. How it impacts us is certainly with the Summit League Basketball Tournament, having a venue like the Events Center is planned to be, would be a big deal for the league, hopefully to give us a good opportunity to have Sioux Falls to remain competitive in the bidding process. Having a new arena certainly won’t hurt,” Jackrabbits athletic director Justin Sell said.

Sioux Falls was challenged by Tulsa, Okla., in June when the tournament bid was awarded to South Dakota’s biggest city for 2013 and 2014. With Oral Roberts now leaving the Summit League for the Southland Conference, Tulsa no longer appears to be a viable option to host the four-day event. Other location options include Omaha, suburban Detroit and Fort Wayne, Ind., but Sioux Falls has set new attendance records and brought in big advertising dollars for the conference since moving the tournament there in 2009.

Sell said the university has been approached by both Sioux Falls and Rapid City groups about moving SDSU home games but the conversations have not turned serious. Sports considered for home games somewhere else in South Dakota have included non-revenue sports like volleyball, baseball and softball.

“If we were going to do one of the bigger ones, like men’s and women’s basketball, the only time that we would look at doing it would be for holiday-type tournament or an off-time of year when our students are off campus. I don’t want to take home games away from our students. It would take a lot to take a bigger attended game out of Brookings,” Sell said, adding that the university will not move a home football game off campus.

Johnston noted that he personally has made numerous trips throughout the Upper Midwest and is happy that there will be a legitimate venue option closer to home.

“On a personal side, I also think it’s great. People will say that it’s not a part of the taxes that I pay and I understand that. I’ve driven to Minneapolis, I’ve driven to Sioux City, I’ve driven to Omaha to go to events and concerts and it’ll be fun to have a place in Sioux Falls, personally, that family and friends can go down and enjoy some of the activities,” Johnston said.

It wasn’t much of a contest but SDSU’s 74-35 rout of Division II St. Cloud State on Nov. 11 still counts.

Jill Young dribbles by St. Cloud State defender Jordi Gerking in SDSU’s 74-35 win on Nov. 11 at Frost Arena. Young hit seven three-pointers and finished the night with 25 points. (Collegian photo by Aaron Stoneberger)

Head coach Aaron Johnston made sure his team wasn’t focusing on the level of competition before the game.

“We talked about what we wanted to do in the game and I thought our team responded really well to that … it’s just a good start for us in the regular season,” Johnston said.

Jill Young led the Jacks to victory by tying career-highs with 25 points, including seven three pointers. The win was the 19th consecutive victory in season openers for SDSU.

After the game, Young said her big night came from what the SCSU defense gave her and also credited her teammates for her performance.

“We played well going inside and outside. I guess when [SCSU] doubled inside, they found me on the three and when [SCSU] went to the zone, we worked it around and I was able to get some nice looks and knock some down,” Young said.

The Jackrabbits scored the first 12 points of the game and never felt much pressure from the Huskies, jumping out to a 33-10 lead at halftime in front of 1,668 fans at Frost Arena.

It was a dreadful first half for SCSU, as the Huskies shot a meager 14.8 percent from the field and couldn’t put anything together against a stout Jackrabbit defense that tallied nine steals in the first half alone.

The SDSU offense stayed consistent throughout the game and the Jacks scored with ease, shooting an efficient 52.1 percent from the field and 62.5 percent from three-point range on the night. One of the few negatives in last Friday’s game was turnovers as SDSU turned the ball over a total of 21 times compared to 19 for the Huskies.

Meanwhile, the SCSU offense struggled throughout the contest and finished the game without a double-digit scorer. The Jacks had the clear height advantage in the game and limited the Huskies’ second chances, out-rebounding SCSU 49-27.

Other than the turnovers, Johnston was pleased with his team’s opening night victory.

“We played against a team that plays really hard and I thought we were pushed and had to work hard to make the plays that we did, so we got a lot of good out of this game,” Johnston said.

With the score one-sided all night, Johnston was also able to work in some of the less-used players and freshmen off the bench. In fact, besides Tara Heiser and Megan Waytashek who are out with injury, every player on the roster played eight or more minutes.

“It was good for us to get out and play a regular season game, play here at home, play with a lot of effort and urgency. We also saw some trapping zone, which we’ll see a few times this year … it gave us an idea of what we need to maybe adjust or work on with that style of defense,” Johnston said.

Young agreed that overall it was a good night to get the season started off on the right foot.

“It feels great to get the first [win] under the belt and just have a good start to the season,” Young said.

Outside of a big orange ball and no helmets, SDSU’s 84-73 win over Utah State last Sunday looked a lot like a football game.

The two teams combined to commit 52 fouls and shoot 73 free throws in a very physical game.

SDSU forward Jennie Sunnarborg fires a shot in the first half of the Jacks game against Utah State on Nov. 13. (Collegian photo by Aaron Stoneberger)

“I would not have wanted to be an official in this game. There probably could have been a foul called every second pass, every shot, on the boards. Both teams were physical,” Utah State head coach Raegan Pebley said.

“It’s just hard when there’s that many fouls because I think you lose some of your intensity defensively. Your focus on the court is ‘don’t foul‘ rather than ‘defend’, and I think that changed things a little bit for us,” SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston said.

A little bit of change wasn’t enough to keep the SDSU defense from dominating the first half, when they weren’t fouling, of course.

The Aggies didn’t record their first field goal until the 11:24 mark of the first half and shot just 15.8 percent from the floor. USU stayed in the game by being efficient at the foul line, making 35 of 40 free throws, 18 of 22 in the first half alone.

The SDSU offense scored early and often at the beginning of each half to put the Jacks up big. The Jackrabbits opened the game on an 18-2 scoring run which eventually led to a 39-24 halftime lead.

Amid all the whistles, Ashley Eide was all over the court and scored a team-high and career-high 27 points while also being the leading rebounder for the Jacks with eight boards. After the game, Johnston called Eide “a great player” who plays hard, which makes her fun to coach.

“She’s improved her game every single year. She’s a much more consistent shooter now, which is huge for her. She’s great at getting to the basket, she’s more under control, a much better passer. I just think Ashley’s going to keep getting better and better,” Johnston said.

One of the few negatives to Eide and SDSU’s performance was turnovers.

The Jacks turned the ball over 22 times and the Aggies were equally as sloppy, recording 20 turnovers. The source of SDSU’s high number of turnovers may have come from their strategy for the game.

“We just wanted to focus on being aggressive and being the attacking team,” Eide, who had eight turnovers herself, said. “We just needed to make plays on offense and be tough on defense … we just really wanted to be the aggressors.”

The Jacks gave USU all the defensive and offensive aggression they could handle down low. SDSU dominated in the lane, out-rebounding the Aggies 38-28 and outscoring USU 37-22 in the paint.

The aggression on defense did come at a small cost as Jennie Sunnarborg and Leah Dietel each fouled out in the final minutes of the game, but they weren’t missed much because SDSU held an 11-point advantage when each player committed their fifth foul.

Despite the fouls and turnovers, Johnston was pleased with the victory and what his team showed him over the first few weeks of the season.
“We just have a lot of toughness. That results in good defense, that results in good rebounding, that results in big plays and that’s what I’m most excited about,” Johnston said.

The Jacks now leave the friendly confines of Frost Arena for their first road contest. SDSU faces fellow mid-major power Middle Tennessee State Nov. 17 with tip-off at 7 p.m. before heading back home to play Washington State at 2 p.m. on Nov. 20.

Junior Ashley Eide drives the lane Nov. 3 against Minnesota State Moorehead. The Jacks open the season Nov. 11 at home. (Collegian photo by Aaron Stoneberger)

Arguably one of the most successful athletic programs on campus over the last decade, the SDSU women’s basketball team looks primed to make a run at a fourth consecutive NCAA tournament.

One of the big keys to getting back to the postseason, according to head coach Aaron Johnston, is figuring out where everyone fits in.

“We need to continue to get people comfortable in roles,” Johnston said. “I felt like in the exhibition games everyone was trying to do a lot and trying to earn a spot.”

After the exhibition victories over Minnesota State, Moorhead and Southwest Minnesota State, Johnston said he liked his team’s aggressiveness. With the regular season opener Nov. 11 against St. Cloud State, the roles have begun to solidify, so focus can turn toward other areas of the game.

“Now that we’re far enough in we’ll be able to identify exactly where players can help us and what their roles are and that usually helps clean up the offense and defense as well,” Johnston said.

Two roles are already locked up by the lone seniors on SDSU’s roster: Jill Young and Jennie Sunnarborg will no doubt lead the way for the Jacks.

Sunnarborg returns as SDSU’s leading scorer. The 6-2 forward averaged 13 points a game last season and led the team with 43 blocked shots — season qualified to earn preseason first-team all-Summit League honors this year.

Young comes off a solid junior campaign, averaging 10.4 points while making 41.4 percent of her three-point attempts. The senior guard enters the season with 222 career three-pointers which puts her on pace to break the Jackrabbits career three-pointers mark of 250, held by Brenda Davis (2001-04) and Kristin Rotert (2008-11).

After that, the other roles on the team aren’t as clear. Johnston likes his team’s depth, and  he also said that this might be the tallest and strongest team he’s coached.

“We’re going to need to be a good team physically on offense and defense,” Johnston said. “We’re going to have to use our strength and height maybe more than in the past.”

Juniors Katie Lingle and Leah Dietel look to have recovered from last season’s injuries and are ready to be full-time contributors.

Lingle, 6-2 like fellow post Sunnarborg, moved to the starting lineup late last season and was named to the all-tournament team at the Summit League tournament.

Dietel has proven to be an effective rebounder in her limited action over her first two seasons. But after sustaining some injuries in her career, can she stay healthy?

The schedule’s not light on competitive programs either. It’s highlighted by six games against NCAA tournament qualifiers and non-conference games on the road with Nebraska and fellow mid-major power Middle Tennessee State. Frost Arena will also host Washington State and Kansas State, who SDSU went 1-1 against last year.

It also means a Jan. 16 showdown with in-state rival and Summit League new-comer USD. The Jacks also close out the regular season with three straight games at home against NDSU, IUPUI and Western Illinois.

SDSU was picked to finish third in the Summit League behind Oral Roberts and Oakland. ORU will likely give the Jacks the most trouble as they return most of their starters, led by guard Kevi Luper, who was voted preseason Player of the Year.

The Jacks have a tough schedule but Johnston knows that to be the best, you have to play with the best.

“This [season] is going to be hard for us. It’s going to be a big challenge,” Johnston said.  “We have a lot of teams that either played in the NCAA’s or even the WNIT. I think we learned last year that we do have the ability to win a lot of games but last year I think really helped remind us that we have the ability to lose games too … if we don’t play great basketball we have a good chance to get beat.”