South Dakota State returns to Sanford Pentagon to play Northern Arizona

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (News Release) – The Sanford Pentagon will host South Dakota State and Northern Arizona in a regular-season men’s college basketball game on November 30.

Tickets will go on sale later. Television coverage will determine a start time.

Division I games take many months to negotiate and finalize, and this matchup was in the works before the COVID-19 pandemic began. The Sanford Pentagon will work closely with the schools and individual states and be ready to adjust based on guidelines and safety measures for all involved.

The contest will be South Dakota State’s seventh and Northern Arizona’s first trip to the Pentagon, which has hosted 28 NCAA Division I men’s college basketball games since opening in 2013.

A member of the Summit League, South Dakota State is coming off a 22-10 season with a 13-3 record in conference and a share of the regular season title. The Jackrabbits were perfect at Frost Arena, posting a 16-0 home record. SDSU returns almost 90-percent of its scoring from last season, including 2019-20 Summit League Player of the Year, Douglas Wilson (18.6 ppg), Summit League Freshman of the Year, Noah Friedel, and All-Summit League Second Team selection, Matt Detlinger.

Northern Arizona finished the 2019-20 season with a 16-14 record, including a 10-10 conference record in the Big Sky. Under head coach Shane Burcar, the Lumberjacks’ 16 wins were more than the program’s total from the previous two seasons (10). NAU returns its leading scorer from a year ago, junior guard Cameron Shelton, an All-Big Sky third team selection. He was one of two players to rank in the top 10 of the Big Sky in points, rebounds, assists and steals last season.

This will be the inaugural meeting between the two teams.