Jackrabbits takes down number 15 Iowa State
BROOKINGS, S.D. (GoWatertown.net) — South Dakota State women’s basketball opened its season with an upset over No. 15/18-ranked Iowa State, 76-69, Saturday afternoon at Frost Arena.
The Jacks, now 1-0 overall, shot 42.3 percent from the field, scored 12 fast break points and dished 14 assists in the win.
Defensively, SDSU recorded seven blocks, nine steals and held the Cyclones to 18.8 percent shooting from 3-point range.
Haley Greer scored a team-high 20 points and went 4-of-6 beyond the arc in addition to three rebounds and two assists in her Jackrabbit debut. In her first game since Dec. 5, 2019, Myah Selland made an immediate impact with 19 points and five rebounds. Tori Nelson scored 12 points while Lindsey Theuninck added nine points, six rebounds and three assists.
The Jacks started out of the gates strong. A run of 10 unanswered points featuring two Greer 3-pointers put State up 12-5. Iowa State cut the Jackrabbit lead to three with five unanswered points in the final minute of the first, but Greer’s third 3-pointer closed the quarter with the Jacks leading 23-17.
SDSU led by as many as 11 after a Theuninck 3-pointer and a Greer layup with six minutes to play in the half. Iowa State responded, outscoring the Jacks 13-6 for the remainder of the half. Cyclone guard Ashley Joens scored 10 of the 13 points and finished the game with 36 points. Despite the scoring run, the Jacks held a four-point advantage heading into the locker room, 37-33.
After a slow start out of the break, eight unanswered Jackrabbit points forced an ISU timeout with 5:45 remaining in the quarter. The run continued out of the timeout when Nelson hit a corner 3 to stretch the Jackrabbit lead to 12. Iowa State, however, answered with a pair of scoring runs to end the quarter cutting the Jacks advantage to just 52-48.
The Jackrabbit lead grew back to 10 in the opening minutes of the final quarter thanks to baskets by newcomers Mesa Byom and Madysen Vlastuin. Iowa State continued to fight, but wasn’t able to get within six points in the final two minutes. The Jacks closed out strong at the free throw line, making eight consecutive free throws to secure the upset.
South Dakota State continues its season-opening homestand against Creighton on Monday. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. inside Frost Arena.
