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Home > Bison Media Zone > Title game a match of something old (SDSU) and something new (NDSU)
Podcast: Bison Media Zone
Episode:

Title game a match of something old (SDSU) and something new (NDSU)
Category: Sports & Recreation
Duration: 00:00:00
Publish Date: 2024-03-11 23:37:10
Description: SIOUX FALLS, S.D. For South Dakota State, it’s routine as a bunch of retired folks having coffee every morning. The Jackrabbits and the championship game in the Summit League women’s basketball tournament is almost a yearly thing.

They’ll be playing in their 13th title game in the 16 years they’ve been in the conference, having won it 10 times. Their opponent; not so much.



North Dakota State’s 75-66 win over Oral Roberts Monday afternoon moves the Bison into the Tuesday afternoon drama fest for the first time in program history. SDSU held off South Dakota 76-63 earlier in the day to advance to the championship that will be televised nationally by CBS Sports Network.



“Fun to go play in another tournament championship game,” said SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston. “That’s what we set out to do a long time ago. I think today is a reflection of what we’ve been doing all year. Things haven’t necessarily come easy, we’ve had to find ways to keep battling and keep fighting.”



Johnston said he hasn’t changed the way SDSU goes about a title appearance over the years. The Jackrabbits returned to Brookings, less than an hour away, after their first round win not having to play on Sunday, but they stayed in Sioux Falls on Monday night.



“It’s really about now going forward deciding if we’re going to make that choice to try and finish it,” Johnston said.



They’ll try to finish it most likely on the backs of forward Brooklyn Meyer and point guard Paige Meyer. They are unrelated. Brooklyn was named the Summit’s Player of the Year last week after averaging 18.7 points and 7.3 rebounds. She was also named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year.



Injuries have the Jackrabbits down to seven scholarship players. In the semifinal against the Coyotes, four SDSU starters played at least 34 minutes. Backup guard Ellie Colbeck from Fergus Falls, Minn., played 26 minutes off the bench.



SDSU is essentially going with a six-player rotation in the tournament.



“It’s a championship game and I think we’re going to bring our best effort and our best energy,” Brooklyn Meyer said. “We’re not going to let being tired stop us from doing what we need to do.”



Said Johnston: “Are we going to let fatigue which has been asked of our team a bunch, are we going to let a short bunch, all of these boulders that have been coming downhill at us impact us or not? We’re going to out there and try and play our best game. We’re trying to get the right mindset and that’s what we’ll work on here in the next 24 hours.”



SDSU beat the Bison twice in the regular season, although both were competitive. The Jacks won 65-58 in Fargo and were the better team in the last three minutes in an 89-74 win in Brookings.



The latter came in front of a hostile crowd. It will be more of the same Tuesday afternoon in the title match.



“I’m just proud that this group put themselves in position to play for a championship tomorrow,” said NDSU head coach Jory Collins. “There’s nothing like those championship games and I’m glad they get to experience it.”


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