South Dakota State. SDSU hosts Kangaroos JACKRABBIT ATHLETICS NEWS RELEASE W O M E N S B A S K E T B A L L I N F O R M AT I O N

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1 South Dakota State JACKRABBIT ATHLETICS NEWS RELEASE Jackrabbit Sports Information Stanley J. Marshall HPER Center SDSU Box 2820 Brookings, SD Sports Information Director: Jason Hove Phone: (605) Assistant: Ryan Sweeter Phone: (605) Fax: (605) Website: W O M E N S B A S K E T B A L L I N F O R M AT I O N SDSU hosts Kangaroos T H I S W E E K UMKC (11-12, 6-6 Summit) at #21/23 SOUTH DAKOTA STATE (23-2, 12-1) Corduroy Classic 5 p.m. Saturday Frost Arena; Brookings, S.D. SDSU PROBABLE STARTERS F Ketty Cornemann, 5-11, Jr., Yankton, S.D. (8.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg,.365 FG pct.,.672 FT pct.) F Maria Boever, 6-1, Jr., Worthington, Minn. (9.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg,.484 FG pct.,.688 FT pct.) F Jennifer Warkenthien, 6-0, Sr., Willow Lake, S.D. (15.4 ppg, 8.6 rpg,.523 FG pct.,.784 FT pct.) G Kristin Rotert, 6-0, So., Salem, S.D. (10.0 ppg, 3.2 rpg,.341 FG pct.,.805 FT pct.) G Macie Michelson, 5-6, So., Lynd, Minn. (5.1 ppg, 2.5 rpg,.342 FG pct.,.692 FT pct.) SUMMIT LEAGUE STANDINGS SCHOOL OVERALL CONF. South Dakota State Oakland North Dakota State IUPUI UMKC Western Illinois Oral Roberts Southern Utah IPFW Centenary Standings thru games played Feb. 9, 2009 Sports Information Contact: Jason Hove February 13, 2009 BROOKINGS, S.D. The South Dakota State University women s basketball team will open its final regular season homestand of the season Saturday afternoon, hosting UMKC in the first game of a Summit League doubleheader. Tipoff for the annual Corduroy Classic is slated for 5 p.m. at Frost Arena. The men s game between SDSU and UMKC will follow at 7:30 p.m. The Summit League-leading Jackrabbits enter the game on a nine-game winning streak, during which they have upped their overall record to 23-2 and league mark to SDSU is currently ranked 21st in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll and 23rd by the Associated Press. UMKC will attempt to solidify its standing in the upper half of the conference. The Kanagroos are fifth among Summit League teams with a 6-6 league record and have posted an overall mark thus far. The Corduroy Classic celebrates South Dakota State University s strong relationship with FFA. JACKRABBITS ONLINE: Audio and video coverage of Saturday s game is scheduled to be available via subscription service at GoJacks.com, the official website of SDSU athletics. Monthly subscriptions for the Jackrabbit Extra, which includes live audio and video streaming of most Jackrabbit basketball games, are available for $9.95 per month or $99.95 for an entire year of coverage. An audio-only subscription also is available for $4.95 per month, with programming consisting only of live radio broadcasts. A league-wide video streaming package is available through The Summit League at Local radio coverage begins on the Jackrabbit Radio Network at 4:30 p.m. Central Time. Tyler Merriam will call the play-by-play. Brookings-based KJJQ 910 AM will serve as the flagship station of the network, with coverage of the game also available on WNAX 570 AM in Yankton, KSDR 1480 AM in Watertown and KWOA 730 AM in Worthington, Minn. THE SERIES: Saturday s game marks the fifth meeting between South Dakota State and UMKC in women s basketball, a series that dates back to season, when the Jackrabbits won the initial meeting, 75-73, at the Dial Classic in Brookings. The series remained idle until the season, when the Jackrabbits joined The Summit League. SDSU holds a 4-0 all-time record against the Kangaroos after sweeping the season series a year ago and winning the first meeting this season, 83-63, on Jan. 19 in Kansas City. FIRST MEETING THIS SEASON: Ketty Cornemann scored a career-high 23 points and helped key a late first-half run as South Dakota State defeated UMKC Jan. 19 at Swinney Recreation Center in Kansas City, Mo.

2 S C H E D U L E NOVEMBER 4 MINNESOTA-CROOKSTON [exhibition] W, SOUTHWEST MINN. STATE [exhibition] W, at Missouri W, WISCONSIN [Shrine Game] W, UTAH W, OREGON W, at Caribbean Challenge MTE; Cancun, Mexico 26 vs. Maryland L, vs. Illinois W, vs. Montana W, DECEMBER 4 *CENTENARY (La.) [DH] W, *ORAL ROBERTS (Okla.) [DH] W, at Minnesota W, at Gonzaga (Wash.) W, UC DAVIS W, VALPARAISO (Ind.) W, at Northern Iowa W, JANUARY 3 *at IPFW W, *at Oakland (Mich.) L, *IUPUI [Lamb Bonanza-DH] W, *WESTERN ILLINOIS W, *at Southern Utah W, *at UMKC W, *NORTH DAKOTA STATE W, *OAKLAND (Mich.) [Pork Classic-DH] W, FEBRUARY 2 *IPFW W, *at Western Illinois W, *at IUPUI W, *UMKC [Corduroy Classic-DH] 5 p.m. 16 *SOUTHERN UTAH 7 p.m. 21 *at North Dakota State 7 p.m. 28 *at Centenary noon MARCH 2 *at Oral Roberts (Okla.) 7:05 p.m Summit League Championship (Sioux Falls, S.D.) *Summit League game Schedule subject to change All times Central Time unless noted otherwise The first half was tightly contested as neither team held more than a two-point lead for the first 15 minutes and the game was tied on 12 occasions. Trailing with 4 minutes, 14 seconds remaining in the first half, Cornemann and reserve guard Jill Young boosted the Jackrabbits into a halftime lead with a 16-4 run. Young started the rally with a three-pointer from the right corner, followed by Cornemann scoring seven consecutive points. Cornemann, who scored 18 points in the half, closed her first-half outburst with a three-pointer, while Young buried back-to-back trifectas to give the Jackrabbits nine points in a span of 44 seconds. UMKC trimmed the deficit to single digits on a couple of occasions in the second half, the last at on a free throw by LeAndrea Thomas with 14:10 remaining. However, a 17-5 run by the Jackrabbits over the next 7:05 put the game out of reach. SDSU continued to pull away the rest of the way, leading by as many as 25 points in the closing minutes. Jennifer Warkenthien tallied 15 of her 17 points in the second half for SDSU, finishing the game 7-of-10 from the field. Young ended the night with 15 points, while Ashlea Muckenhirn tied a season high with nine points. The Jackrabbits shot better than 50 percent from the field for the third consecutive game, ending the night 30-of-57, 52.6 percent. SDSU was 5-of-14 from three-point range, and added an 18-of-21, 85.7 percent, performance from the free throw line. UMKC was led by double-digit scorers Chazny Morris and Brianna Eldridge with 15 and 12 points, respectively. The Kangaroos were 21-of-51 from the field, 41.2 percent, including 3-of-12 on three-pointers. UMKC also was efficient at the charity stripe, making 18-of-20, 90 percent. SDSU dominated the rebounding department, finishing with a advantage. Cornemann tallied nine rebounds to lead the Jackrabbits, who recorded 16 boards on the offensive end as a team. Morris shared game-high honors with nine rebounds for the Kangaroos. RABBITS RANKED: The Jackrabbit women s basketball team continues to gain national attention as SDSU cracked the Division I rankings for the first time on Dec. 16, earning the 22nd spot in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll with 97 points. SDSU currently is ranked 21st in the USA Today/ESPN coaches poll, down one spot from the previous week. However, the Jackrabbits did move up one spot to No. 23 in the Associated Press poll. The Jackrabbits have been ranked in the USA Today/ESPN poll each of the last nine weeks, climbing as high as No. 19 on Jan. 27. That ranking is the highest by any Summit League (previously Mid-Continent Conference) member. SDSU had fallen out of the Associated Press rankings following its loss at Oakland on Jan. 5, ending a three-week showing in the poll, before re-entering the poll at No. 24 on Jan 26. The Jackrabbits are the first Summit League (formerly the Mid-Continent Conference) team to be ranked since Northern Illinois held a No. 25 ranking for one week during the season. Northern Illinois previously held the highest ranking by a league team with a No. 21 showing during the campaign. SDSU received one vote in the preseason AP poll, but dropped out of the list of teams receiving votes after the season opener at Missouri. It marked the second year in a row since moving to NCAA Division I that the Jackrabbits have appeared in a preseason national poll. SDSU also received votes during the season, reaching a high of five votes after season-opening wins over Middle Tennessee State and Southern California. The Jackrabbits also were the subject of a feature article that ran on the front page of the women s basketball section at ESPN.com in late November and received extensive national television coverage in CBS Sports midseason report on Jan. 3. SDSU also was recently featured in a New York Times article. Following is a view of the Jackrabbits showing in the polls this season: POLL AP USA TODAY/ESPN Preseason [Nov. 10] RV (1) NR Week 1 [Nov. 17/18] NR NR Week 2 [Nov. 24/25] RV (4) RV (1) Week 3 [Dec. 1/2] RV (12) RV (11)

3 G A M E H I G H S TEAM GAME HIGHS POINTS: 96, vs. IUPUI, FIELD GOALS MADE: 33, vs. Western Illinois, FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS: 67, vs. IUPUI, FIELD GOAL PERCENTAGE:.549 (28-of-51), at Southern Utah, POINT FIELD GOALS MADE: 14, at Gonzaga (Wash.), POINT ATTEMPTS: 31, vs. Valparaiso (Ind.), POINT PERCENTAGE:.500 (14-of-28), at Gonzaga (Wash.), FREE THROWS MADE: 26, vs. North Dakota State, FREE THROW ATTEMPTS: 38, vs. Oakland (Mich.), FREE THROW PERCENTAGE (MIN. 10 ATT.):.955 (21-of-22), vs. Oregon, REBOUNDS: 50, at Gonzaga (Wash.), REBOUND MARGIN: +14 (47-33), vs. Oral Roberts (Okla.), ASSISTS: 20, vs. Western Illinois, STEALS: 17, vs. Oregon, BLOCKED SHOTS: 9, vs. North Dakota State, TURNOVERS FORCED: 27, vs. UC Davis, , and vs. IUPUI, MOST TURNOVERS: 26, at Gonzaga (Wash.), FEWEST TURNOVERS: 9, vs. Valparaiso (Ind.), FOULS: 22, vs. Oakland (Mich.), INDIVIDUAL GAME HIGHS POINTS: 29, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. Oakland (Mich.), FIELD GOALS MADE: 11, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. Oakland (Mich.), FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS: 20, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. Oakland (Mich.), FIELD GOAL PCT. (MIN. 5 MADE):.857 (6-of-7), by Jennifer Warkenthien, at Missouri, POINT FIELD GOALS MADE: 6, by Kristin Rotert, at Minnesota, , and by Jill Young, at Gonzaga (Wash.), POINT FIELD GOAL ATTEMPTS: 12, by Kristin Rotert, vs. Valparaiso (Ind.), POINT PERCENTAGE (MIN. 4 ATT.):.857 (6-of-7), by Kristin Rotert, at Minnesota, FREE THROWS MADE: 11, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. North Dakota State, FREE THROW ATTEMPTS: 14, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. North Dakota State, REBOUNDS: 18, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. Montana, ASSISTS: 7, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. Utah, STEALS: 6, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. Oregon, BLOCKED SHOTS: 5, by Jennifer Warkenthien, vs. North Dakota State, Week 4 [Dec. 8/9] RV (27) RV (43) Week 5 [Dec. 15/16] RV (73) 22nd (97) Week 6 [Dec. 22/23] 25th (112) 21st (146) Week 7 [Dec. 29/30] 24th (146) 21st (165) Week 8 [Jan. 5/6] 23rd (186) 23rd (90) Week 9 [Jan. 12/13] RV (50) 21st (133) Week 10 [Jan. 19/20] RV (60) 20th (166) Week 11 [Jan. 26/27] 24th (97) 19th (191) Week 12 [Feb. 2/3] 24th (102) 20th (206) Week 13 [Feb. 9/10] 23rd (150) 21st (203) Note: Point total in parentheses Key: NR (not ranked), RV (receiving votes) ALL ABOUT THE RPI: The Jackrabbits have put themselves into position for a postseason berth based upon their standing in the ratings percentage index (RPI) compiled by a number of services. SDSU began the week 30th among 340 Division I teams in the RPI compiled by the NCAA. Through games played Feb. 11, SDSU ranked 23rd in the Sagarin rankings and 29th in the rankings produced by realtimerpi.com. RPI is based on a number of factors, including team s Division I winning percentage, opponent s Division I winning percentage or team s strength of schedule and opponents strength of schedule. An adjusted RPI is used in women s basketball, giving bonus points to wins over top- 50 teams and penalty points for losses to teams ranked lower than 150 in the RPI. In addition, games are weighted differently for location (home, neutral, road). LEAGUE FAVORITES: After winning the first outright regular season title in program history last year, the South Dakota State University women s basketball team has been tabbed as the favorite to win The Summit League title during the season. The Jackrabbits received 23 of 30 first-place votes in the poll conducted by the league s coaches, sports information directors and select media representatives. Oakland (Mich.) was second in the poll with three first-place votes, followed by Oral Roberts (Okla.), which also received three first-place votes. North Dakota State received the final first-place vote. Individually, Jennifer Warkenthien was selected to repeat on the all-summit League First Team, while Maria Boever was named to the preseason all-summit League Second Team. TRANSITION OVER: The NCAA Division I Management Council Administrative Committee, acting on behalf of the DI Management Council, announced in late June 2008 that South Dakota State University has met the requirements to become an active member of NCAA Division I, starting at the beginning of the academic year. Previously a member of Division II, SDSU successfully completed the five-year process of moving its athletics programs to comply with Division I membership requirements. Requirements include compliance with Division I rules for the final four years, meeting minimum financial aid and contest scheduling limits, engaging in a rules compliance review and successfully completing the athletics certification process. SDSU officials submitted an extensive self-study to the NCAA in the spring of 2007 and a peer-review team completed the study during a campus visit in October REACHING FOR THE SUMMIT: Single-session tickets for the 2009 Summit League Basketball Tournament, to be played at the Sioux Falls Arena March 7-10, are now on sale. Each single session has two games with the exception of the two March 10 championship sessions, which will only have the championship game. The prices for the March 7-9 single-session tickets are $15 for reserved seats and $12 for general admission seats. General admission tickets for the championship sessions are $10 each. A student individual session ticket also is available for $10 by presenting a valid student ID. To order all-session or individual-session tickets, stop by the Sioux Falls Arena box office or call Ticketmaster at Orders also will be processed online by visiting ticketmaster.com. The Summit League Championship is the first NCAA Division I basketball tournament

4 U S A T O D A Y / E S P N TO P Connecticut [31] Oklahoma California Auburn (Ala.) Stanford (Calif.) Baylor (Texas) North Carolina Texas A&M Maryland Duke (N.C.) Florida Louisville (Ky.) Ohio State Texas Virginia Kansas State Florida State Tennessee Xavier (Ohio) Iowa State South Dakota State Notre Dame (Ind.) Pittsburgh (Pa.) Vanderbilt (Tenn.) DePaul (Ill.) 45 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Middle Tennessee State 34; Bowling Green (Ohio) 19; Marist (N.Y.) 6; Boston College (Mass.) 4; Arkansas-Little Rock 3; Oklahoma State 3; Gonzaga (Wash.) 3; Arizona State 2; Georgia 1; Minnesota 1; North Carolina A&T 1; Virginia Commonwealth 1. Poll released Feb. 10, 2009 [SDSU opponents in bold] to be played in South Dakota with the winners, both men and women, receiving automatic bids to the NCAA Tournament. LAST TIME OUT: The frontcourt tandem of Maria Boever and Jennifer Warkenthien combined for 37 points, leading nationally ranked South Dakota State to a victory over IUPUI in Summit League women s basketball action Monday night in Indianapolis. The Jackrabbits led wire to wire, jumping out to an 8-2 lead in the opening minutes after three-pointers by Warkenthien and Alison Anderson. In one stretch during the first half, Warkenthien scored 11 consecutive Jackrabbit points en route to 16 in the opening 20 minutes. Her spurt was part of a run in which SDSU built a lead. IUPUI countered with a 9-2 run to pull to within at the 4:41 mark, but Warkenthien stemmed the tide with her third three-pointer of the half. The Jackrabbits led at halftime.. The Jaguars got out of the gates quickly in the second half to pull to within a basket on two occasions, the last at on a Janna Eichelberger jumper with 17:06 remaining in the game. Macie Michelson answered with a three-pointer and Boever scored on a putback to keep the Jackrabbits in the lead. IUPUI got back to within three, 43-40, moments later, but SDSU strung together a 14-2 run over a five-minute span to put the game out of reach. Boever scored five of her game-high 19 points in the run. Warkenthien, who ended the game with 18 points, added a team-high nine rebounds. Kristin Rotert added 10 points for the Jackrabbits, while starting point guard Macie Michelson contributed nine points, six rebounds and three assists. SDSU finished the game 24-of-56 from the field, 42.9 percent, including 8-of-27 from three-point range. The Jackrabbits converted 8-of-9 free throw attempts, 88.9 percent. The Jaguars were led by Julia Whitted with 14 points, with Eichelberger collecting 11 points and nine rebounds as IUPUI held a advantage on the boards. IUPUI was limited to 33.3 percent shooting, 17-of-51, and did not make any of its nine three-point tries. At the line, the Jaguars were 14-of-23, 60.9 percent. WINNING RECORD: Since moving up to the NCAA Division I ranks at the start of the season, the Jackrabbits have posted a winning record against D-I opponents. In Records against D-I opponents by conference since Southeastern Conference 4-0 Alabama 3-0 Kentucky 1-0 Big Sky Conference 2-0 Idaho State 1-0 Montana 1-0 Southland Conference 2-0 Texas State 2-0 Atlantic Sun Conference 1-0 Kennesaw State (Ga.) 1-0 Mid-American Conference 1-0 Northern Illinois 1-0 West Coast Conference 1-0 Gonzaga (Wash.) 1-0 Independents 19-2 NJIT 2-0 Texas A&M-Corpus Christi 2-0 Texas-Pan American 3-0 Utah Valley State 2-0 Big Ten Conference 6-2 Illinois 1-0 Indiana 1-0 Minnesota 1-0 Purdue (Ind.) 0-1 Wisconsin 2-1 Summit League 28-3 Centenary 3-0 V S. D - I O P P O N E N T S IPFW (5-0 as independent) 9-0 IUPUI 4-0 North Dakota State (4-2 as independent) 7-2 Oakland 3-1 Oral Roberts (Okla.) 2-1 Southern Utah 3-0 UMKC 3-0 Western Illinois 3-1 Big 12 Conference 6-3 Baylor 0-1 Colorado 1-1 Kansas 1-0 Missouri 2-1 Nebraska 1-0 Oklahoma State 1-0 Big West Conference 4-2 Long Beach State (Calif.) 1-1 UC Davis (1-0 as independent) 2-0 UC Irvine 1-0 UC Riverside 1-1 Missouri Valley Conference 5-3 Creighton (Neb.) 0-1 Drake (Iowa) 0-1 Illinois State 1-0 Northern Iowa 2-0 Southern Illinois 2-1 Sun Belt Conference 4-3 Arkansas State 1-1 Florida International 1-0 Middle Tennessee State 2-1 Western Kentucky 0-1 Pacific-10 Conference 3-2 Oregon 2-0 Oregon State 0-1 Southern California 1-1 Horizon League 3-2 Valparaiso (Ind.) 1-1 Wisconsin-Green Bay 0-1 Wisconsin-Milwaukee 2-0 Mountain West Conference 2-2 Colorado State 1-0 Utah 1-1 Wyoming 0-1 Atlantic Coast Conference 1-1 Maryland 0-1 Virginia 1-0 Western Athletic Conference 1-1 San Jose State (Calif.) 1-1 Atlantic 10 Conference 0-1 George Washington 0-1 Ivy League 0-1 Brown (R.I.) 0-1 Big East 0-3 Rutgers (N.J.) 0-1 Marquette (Wis.) 0-2 OVERALL AGAINST D-I OPPONENTS 93-31

5 ASSOCIATED PRESS TOP Connecticut [45] 1, Oklahoma 1, California 1, Duke (N.C.) Auburn (Ala.) Stanford (Calif.) Baylor (Texas) North Carolina Florida Louisville (Ky.) Maryland Texas A&M Texas Florida State Tennessee Iowa State Virginia Ohio State Pittsburgh (Pa.) Kansas State Xavier (Ohio) Notre Dame (Ind.) South Dakota State Vanderbilt (Tenn.) DePaul (Ill.) 51 OTHERS RECEIVING VOTES: Middle Tennessee State 34; Arizona State 18; Bowling Green (Ohio) 10; Rutgers (N.J.) 8; Michigan State 5; Georgia Tech 4; Mississippi State 4; Louisiana State 3; Oklahoma State 3; Utah 3; Boston College (Mass.) 2; Wisconsin-Green Bay 2; Gonzaga (Wash.) 1; Minnesota 1. Poll released Feb. 9, 2009 [SDSU opponents in bold] its first four-plus seasons competing at the Division I level, SDSU has compiled a mark (.750 winning percentage) versus D-I opposition. The Jackrabbits have posted victories over 48 different Division I teams representing 17 conferences plus independents. OPENING SUCCESS: The Jackrabbits five-point victory at Missouri on Nov. 14 marked the 16th consecutive season SDSU has opened the season with a win. The last time the Jackrabbits lost a season opener was during the season, when they fell to Moorhead State (Minn.). SDSU s 23-2 record is its best start during the Division I era. Two other times the Jackrabbits have started a season 22-2: and the Division II national championship season. 700 WINS: The Jackrabbits victory over Missouri on Nov. 18, 2007, was the 700th in the women s basketball program s history. Since the modern era of women s basketball at South Dakota State University began with a 6-0 mark during the season, the Jacks have gone on to compile an overall record of (.691 winning percentage). SDSU has assured itself of its 23rd consecutive winning season. SDSU s last losing season was an campaign during the season. WHAT A YEAR: SDSU s game at Northern Iowa on Dec. 29 marked the final game of the 2008 calendar year for the Jackrabbits. Over the 12-month span, SDSU compiled a 29-3 record, including a 17-1 mark in Summit League action. TOEING THE LINE: South Dakota State has held a big advantage at the free throw line this season, making 13 more free throws than its opponents have attempted ( ). Overall, the Jackrabbits have made 72.6 percent (395-of-544) of their attempts, while their opponents are shooting 72.0 percent (275-of-382). On Nov. 23 against Oregon, SDSU put together the second-best free throw shooting performance in the program s history, making 21-of-22 attempts, 95.5 percent. SDSU was a perfect 12-for-12 in the second half. The Jackrabbits recorded another solid performance at the free throw line on Jan. 10, converting 23-of-26 tries, 88.5 percent, against IUPUI. SDSU made a season-best 26 free throws in 32 attempts its Jan. 24 game against North Dakota State. DEPTH AND BALANCE: The Jackrabbits had at least two players score in double figures in the first 20 games of the season, a streak that ended Jan. 24 against North Dakota State. SDSU has had at least three players in double figures in 10 of the last 13 games and 15 times this season. Only once the Feb. 7 victory at Western Illinois have the Jackrabbits not had a player reach double figures. In all, eight different players have tallied double digits for scoring. Six different players have taken their turn leading the team in scoring, while senior forward Jennifer Warkenthien has been the top scorer in a team-best 11 contests. In addition, nine different players are currently averaging at least four points per game, led by Warkenthien with 15.4 points per game and Kristin Rotert at 10.0 per outing. A list of double-figure scoring games follows: GAME DOUBLE-FIGURE SCORERS Missouri Jennifer Warkenthien (15), Jennie Sunnarborg (11) Wisconsin Macie Michelson (11), Stacie Oistad (11) Utah Jill Young (20), Ketty Cornemann (11), Jennifer Warkenthien (11) Oregon Ketty Cornemann (19), Stacie Oistad (14) Maryland Jennifer Warkenthien (17), Maria Boever (10) Illinois Kristin Rotert (26), Maria Boever (11) Montana Jennifer Warkenthien (21), Maria Boever (16), Ketty Cornemann (10) Centenary Jennifer Warkenthien (11), Kristin Rotert (10) Oral Roberts Cornemann (20), Rotert (18), Warkenthien (15), Sunnarborg (10) Minnesota Kristin Rotert (27), Jennifer Warkenthien (10), Jill Young (10)

6 J A C K R A B B I T T R E N D S When leading at the half 19-1 When trailing at the half 4-1 When tied at the half 0-0 Overtime games 0-0 Home record 12-0 Away record 9-1 Neutral-court record 2-1 When out-rebounding an opponent 17-0 When being out-rebounded 5-2 When tied in rebounding 1-0 When scoring points 3-2 When scoring points 7-0 When scoring points 5-0 When scoring 80-plus points 8-0 Gonzaga Jill Young (25), Kristin Rotert (10), Jennifer Warkenthien (10) UC Davis Kristin Rotert (11), Maria Boever (10) Valparaiso Oistad (14), Rotert (13), Warkenthien (13), Young (11) Northern Iowa Boever (23), Rotert (16), Warkenthien (15), Cornemann (12), Oistad (10) IPFW Warkenthien (18), Boever (12), Young (11), Cornemann (10) Oakland Jennifer Warkenthien (18), Maria Boever (11) IUPUI Young (17), Cornemann (15), Rotert (12), Warkenthien (11) Western Illinois Warkenthien (21), Oistad (14), Cornemann (13), Young (12) Southern Utah Warkenthien (28), Rotert (12), Cornemann (10), Young (10) UMKC Ketty Cornemann (23), Jennifer Warkenthien (17), Jill Young (15) North Dakota State Jennifer Warkenthien (26) Oakland Jennifer Warkenthien (29), Jill Young (16), Stacie Oistad (13) IPFW Jennifer Warkenthien (26), Jill Young (11), Ketty Cornemann (10) Western Illinois NONE (Macie Michelson led team with eight points) IUPUI Maria Boever (19), Jennifer Warkenthien (18), Kristin Rotert (10) LINEUP SHUFFLE: Injuries and illness have forced the Jackrabbits to employ seven different starting lineups in the first 24 games of the season. Sophomore point guard Macie Michelson missed 10 games after she suffered a hand injury suffered before the Oregon game. Michelson returned to the rotation Dec. 29 at Northern Iowa and made her first start in two months in the Jan. 31 game against Oakland (Mich.). Jennifer Warkenthien and Ketty Cornemann are the only Jackrabbits to have started all 22 games this season for the Jackrabbits. Ashlea Muckenhirn, who was replaced by Michelson in starting lineup versus Oakland, started the first 21 games of the season. Working around injuries is nothing new to the Jackrabbits, who used seven different starting lineups during the after a rash of early season injuries. Following is a list of the starting lineups so far this season: GAME Missouri Wisconsin Utah Oregon Maryland Illinois Montana Centenary Oral Roberts Minnesota Gonzaga UC Davis Valparaiso Northern Iowa IPFW Oakland IUPUI Western Illinois Southern Utah UMKC North Dakota State Oakland IPFW Western Illinois IUPUI STARTING LINEUP Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Michelson, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Michelson, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Oistad, Warkenthien, Michelson, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Young, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Oistad, Warkenthien, Young, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Cornemann, Warkenthien, Oistad, Rotert, Muckenhirn Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Michelson Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Michelson Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Michelson Boever, Cornemann, Warkenthien, Rotert, Michelson BENCH POINTS: SDSU s reserves have played a key role in the Jackrabbits success this season, outscoring the opponents bench by a combined In their Dec. 12 outing at Gonzaga (Wash.), SDSU bench players combined to score a season-high 44 points, outscoring the Bulldog bench, Jackrabbit reserves have

7 SUMMIT LEAGUE LEADERS INDIVIDUAL Maria Boever 8th-Field Goal Pct th-Rebounding 5.9 rpg 15th-Free Throw Percentage th-Scoring 9.7 ppg Ketty Cornemann 26th-Scoring 8.3 ppg Kristin Rotert 8th-Free Throw Percentage th-3Pointers Per Game th-Scoring 10.0 ppg Jennifer Warkenthien2nd-Field Goal Percentage.523 3rd Rebounding 8.6 rpg 4th-Scoring 15.4 ppg 6th-Blocked Shots 1.2 bpg 10th-Free Throw Percentage th-Steals 1.5 spg Jill Young 2nd-3Point Percentage.418 5th-3Pointers Per Game 1.9 9th-Free Throw Percentage rd-Scoring 9.1 ppg TEAM Attendance 1st 2,716/game Scoring Defense 1st 54.8 ppg Scoring Offense 1st 70.7 ppg Scoring Margin 1st ppg Turnover Margin 1st +3.7 Assists 2nd 14.0 apg Assist/Turnover Ratio 2nd 0.9 Rebound Margin 2nd Point Field Goals Made 2nd 7.6/game Field Goal Percentage 3rd Point Percentage 3rd.344 Field Goal Percentage Defense 4th.380 Free Throw Percentage 4th.726 Steals 4th 8.7 spg Blocked Shots 6th 3.3 bpg Statistics based on all games through Feb. 9. Note: Rankings based on all games; players must have played in 75 percent of team s games to qualify as a league leader. combined to score in double figures in 23 of the team s 25 games, and have been outscored by an opponent s bench only four times this season, while averaging 22.2 points per game. Last season, SDSU reserves combined to score in double figures in 29 of 30 games the lone exception an eight-point combination at IUPUI. Jill Young made her long-awaited collegiate debut Nov. 17 against Wisconsin and made 2-of-4 three-point tries. She followed that outing with a 5-of-7 performance from long range en route to a team-high 20 points against Utah on Nov. 20. The Mitchell native sat out last season and the first game this year after transferring from Creighton (Neb.), and currently leads the regular reserves with an average of 9.1 points per game, after leading the reserves in scoring in 10 of the last 16 games. She set a career high with 25 points on 6-of-9 three-point shooting Dec. 12 at Gonzaga (Wash.). Young averaged 14.5 points per game in two starts during a January homestand. She made her first career start in the Jan. 10 game against IUPUI, scoring a game-high 17 points. She was 3-of-6 from three-point range and added five rebounds in 25 minutes of action. Young added 12 points on 3-of-5 shooting from long range in the Jan. 12 victory over Western Illinois. Although spending 10 games in the starting lineup this season, Stacie Oistad has been another top SDSU reserve. Oistad, who has been the team s leading scorer off the bench seven times this season, keyed a 20-2 Jackrabbit run early in the first half against Wisconsin with a pair of three-pointers en route to sharing game-high honors with 11 points. She matched her season high with 14 points off the bench Dec. 21 against Valparaiso (Ind.). Following is a comparison of bench scoring so far this season: GAME SDSU RESERVES OPPONENT RESERVES SDSU BENCH LEADER Missouri 22 4 Jennie Sunnarborg, 11 Wisconsin Stacie Oistad, 11 Utah 32 2 Jill Young, 20 Oregon Jill Young, 9 Maryland 16 4 Stacie Oistad, 8 Illinois 10 2 Stacie Oistad, 6 Montana 3 6 Stacie Oistad, 2 Centenary Sunnarborg, Young 8 Oral Roberts Jennie Sunnarborg, 10 Minnesota 19 4 Jill Young, 10 Gonzaga 44 8 Jill Young, 25 UC Davis Jill Young, 9 Valparaiso 36 9 Stacie Oistad, 14 Northern Iowa Stacie Oistad, 10 IPFW Jill Young, 11 Oakland Stacie Oistad, 9 IUPUI Kristin Rotert, 12 Western Illinois Kristin Rotert, 8 Southern Utah Jill Young, 10 UMKC Jill Young, 15 North Dakota State Maria Boever, 7 Oakland Jill Young, 16 IPFW Jill Young, 11 Western Illinois Young, Sunnarborg 6 IUPUI 8 3 Anderson, Young 3 TOTAL SPURT-ABILITY: Throughout the season, SDSU has strung together several doubledigit runs to take or maintain leads in 22 of their 23 victories this season. The lone exception came in the Jan. 24 game against North Dakota State. GAME HALF SCORE BEFORE RUN SCORE AFTER DURATION Missouri 2nd :02 Wisconsin 1st :03

8 SDSU HOME RECORDS UNDER COACH JOHNSTON SEASON RECORD * TOTALS NOTE: Took over as head coach with six games remaining in season, only two of which were at home S D S U W I N S E A S O N S SEASON RECORD Utah 1st :10 2nd :18 Oregon 1st :38 Illinois 2nd :26 Montana 2nd :29 Centenary 1st :39 2nd :17 Oral Roberts 1st :22 Minnesota 1st :50 2nd :38 Gonzaga 1st :28 2nd :03 UC Davis 1st :52 Valparaiso 1st :37 2nd :43 Northern Iowa 1st :59 IPFW 1st :59 2nd :02 IUPUI 1st :01 1st :20 Western Illinois 1st :04 Southern Utah 1st :06 2nd :10 UMKC 1st :00 2nd :05 Oakland 1st :45 IPFW 1st :19 2nd :29 Western Illinois 1st/2nd :57 IUPUI 2nd :22 THREE-POINT BARRAGE: Normally a strong-shooting team from the perimeter, the Jackrabbit women s basketball team struggled from long range in the season opener at Missouri. SDSU made only 1-of-16 three-point attempts in the game, with the only make coming from senior forward Jennifer Warkenthien in the first half. The Jacks have since rebounded by averaging 7.8 made three-pointers per game over the last 24 games, shooting a combined 188-of-534 (35.2 percent) from behind the arc. Against Wisconsin on Nov. 17, SDSU tallied an 8-of-17 long-range shooting performance, making 6-of-7 attempts in the first half. On Nov. 20 versus Utah, the Jackrabbits drained 11-of-25 three-point tries. SDSU closed out the homestand by making 7-of-24 three-point attempts versus Oregon. The Jackrabbits sank a season-high 14 three-pointers in their Dec. 12 matchup at Gonzaga (Wash.), making half of their long-range attempts. Ten different SDSU players have made a three-pointer this season, with Jennifer Schuttloffel joining the group Jan. 17 at Southern Utah. The Jackrabbits are led by Jill Young with 46 made three-pointers and Kristin Rotert with 39. Young has ranked among the leaders both in The Summit League and nationally for three-point accuracy much of the season, and is currently shooting at 41.8 percent. In NCAA statistics released Feb. 9, the Jackrabbits ranked 15th in Division I with an average of 7.5 made three-pointers per game, a figure that ranks second in The Summit League. TOUGH AT HOME: SDSU s loss to Creighton (Neb.) in the first round of the Women s NIT on March 20, 2008, was a rarity during the Aaron Johnston era. In his tenure as Jackrabbit head coach, Johnston has led the Jackrabbits to a record (.905 winning percentage) at Frost Arena, including winning 52 of their last 55 home games. Since the start of the season, SDSU has a home record, losing just one game at Frost Arena each full season. Currently 12-0 this season, SDSU has been 14-1 at home each of the last two full seasons, putting together home-court winning

9 1, P O I N T C L U B 1. Shannon Schlagel ( ) 1, Megan Vogel ( ) 1, Melissa Pater ( ) 1, Brenda Davis ( ) 1, Jennifer Johnson ( ) 1, Deb Van Klei ( ) 1, Karla Stevenson ( ) 1, Leah Klaassen ( ) 1, Sherri Brende ( ) 1, Tara Tessier ( ) 1, Nancy Joyce ( ) 1, Laurie (Bruns) Kruse ( ) 1, Angie Swenson ( ) 1, Pat Dobratz ( ) 1, Carleen Rose ( ) 1,281 Erin Reiten ( ) 1, Jodi Bergemann ( ) 1, Lora Kluis ( ) 1, Ann Just ( ) 1, Jennifer Warkenthien ( ) 1, Lisa Kurtenbach ( ) 1, Rachel Halsrud ( ) 1, Lori Fish ( ) 1, Lisa Kannegieter ( ) 1, Dawn Hull ( ) 1, Sarita DeBoer ( ) 1,003 C A R E E R B L O C K E D S H O T L E A D E R S 1. Gina Mouw ( ) Angela Swenson ( ) Courtney Grimsrud ( ) Lora Kluis ( ) 108 Sarita DeBoer ( ) Tara Tessier ( ) Jennifer Warkenthien (2006-present)94 8. Leah Klaassen ( ) Angie Loken ( ) Jennifer Johnson ( ) 72 streaks of 15 and 22 in the process. The loss to Creighton snapped a 22-game home winning streak, which was the third-longest active streak in Division I at the time. The loss to Creighton also put an end to a streak of 54 consecutive wins in games in which the Jackrabbits led at halftime. SDSU is undefeated at home in Summit League play, posting a 16-0 record at Frost Arena since joining the league in The Jackrabbits have won their home conference games by an average of 25.3 points. GETTING DEFENSIVE: South Dakota State enters the week as the top defensive team in The Summit League, allowing only 54.8 points per game. The Jackrabbits entered the week ranked 40th among Division I teams in scoring defense. For the season, the Jackrabbits have allowed 50 or fewer points in a game 11 times, including eight games in Summit League play, and have given up less than 60 points six other times. SDSU s 31 points allowed to Western Illinois on Feb. 7 were the fewest the Jackrabbits have surrendered to a Summit League opponent. In sweeping the road trip at Western Illinois and IUPUI, last weekend, the Jackrabbits surrendered an average of 39.5 points per game and limited their opponents to a combined 29-of-97 (29.9 percent) from the field, including 2-of-19 from three-point range. HALFTIME ADJUSTMENTS: Leading at halftime meant little or nothing during November s Caribbean Challenge MTE as the team trailing at intermission came back to win all three games involving the Jackrabbits. SDSU held a one-point lead against Maryland, 25-24, at halftime in the opener, then overcame a deficit to Illinois on Nov. 27 and a deficit to Montana on Nov. 28. The Jackrabbits have won four games in which they have trailed at halftime this season, including the season opener at Missouri. SDSU was behind at intermission to the Tigers before rallying for a victory. SDSU s latest come-from-behind victory came Dec. 9 against Minnesota, after trailing at the break and by as many as 11 points early in the second half before rallying. The Jackrabbits lone loss when trailing at halftime this season came in their Jan. 5 matchup at Oakland (Mich.). SDSU trailed at the half, but was able to trim the margin to two in the second half before fading down the stretch in a loss. A season ago, SDSU was 1-6 in games it either was tied or trailed at the half. The lone victory was a overtime win at IPFW on Feb. 4, WARKENTHIEN REACHES 1,000: With an 18-point performance against IPFW on Jan. 3, senior Jennifer Warkenthien became the 26th member of the Jackrabbit 1,000- point club and the first to accomplish the feat by playing her entire career at the Division I level. The Willow Lake native enters Saturday s game against UMKC ranked 20th on the Jackrabbit career scoring list with 1,203 points, after being held to six points Feb. 7 at Western Illinois. Next on the list is Ann Just, who scored 1,227 points from Warkenthien currently leads the team in scoring with an average of 15.4 points per outing. She has reached double figures 20 times this season, including 17 of the last 19 games. Six times she has topped 20 points in a game, including five of the last eight outings. A first-team all-summit League selection during the campaign, Warkenthien posted double figures for scoring 18 times, including five games of 20-plus points. In addition, Warkenthien is moving up the Jackrabbit career charts in blocked shots and rebounds. With 94 blocked shots, she is in sole possession of seventh place after breaking a tie with Leah Klaassen (81 blocked shots from ). Tara Tessier is sixth with 97 blocked shots from In the rebounding department, Warkenthien has pulled down 693 career boards, cracking the Jackrabbit career top 10 with a nine-rebound performance against IPFW on Feb. 2. In ninth place is Lora Kluis, who tallied 706 rebounds from ATHLETE OF THE MONTH: South Dakota State University women s basketball player Jennifer Warkenthien collected another conference award Feb. 12, earning Summit League Women's Athlete of the Month for her efforts in January.

10 T E A M C O M PA R I S O N S SDSU (23-2, 12-1 Summit) Points/Game: Opp. Points/Game: Field Goal Pct Opp. Field Goal Pct Three-Point Pct Opp. Three-Point Pct Free Throw Pct Rebounds/Game Opp. Rebounds/Game Turnovers/Game Opp. Turnovers/Game INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Scoring Jennifer Warkenthien Rebounding Jennifer Warkenthien Field Goal Shooting (Min. 2.0 Made Per Game) Jennifer Warkenthien Point Shooting (Min. 1.0 Made Per Game) Jill Young Free Throw Shooting (Min. 2.0 Made Per Game) Kristin Rotert Assists Jennifer Warkenthien Steals Jennifer Warkenthien Blocked Shots Jennifer Warkenthien UMKC (11-12, 6-6 Summit) Points/Game: Opp. Points/Game: Field Goal Pct Opp. Field Goal Pct Three-Point Pct Opp. Three-Point Pct Free Throw Pct Rebounds/Game Opp. Rebounds/Game Turnovers/Game Opp. Turnovers/Game INDIVIDUAL LEADERS Scoring Chazny Morris Rebounding Chazny Morris Field Goal Shooting (Min. 2.0 Made Per Game) Mariah Davis Point Shooting (Min. 1.0 Made Per Game) Chazny Morris Free Throw Shooting (Min. 2.0 Made Per Game) Chazny Morris Assists Chazny Morris Steals Chazny Morris Blocked Shots Mariah Davis Note: Must have played in half of team s games to qualify for team lead A 6-foot senior forward from Willow Lake, Warkenthien led the nationally ranked Jackrabbits to a 7-1 league record during the month. She scored in double figures in all eight games and collected two consecutive Summit League Player of the Week awards in January. On Jan. 31, Warkenthien tied a career-high with 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help SDSU avenge its only league loss to Oakland. She also scored 28 points in a victory at Southern Utah on Jan. 17 and notched 26 points and 13 rebounds against rival North Dakota State among her four double-doubles. During the month, Warkenthien averaged 21.0 points per game six points better than her season average along with 8.3 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.1 steals per contest. In addition, Warkenthien shot 58 percent (59-of-102) from the floor, 56 percent (9- of-16) from three-point range and 82 percent (41-of-50) from the free throw line. Warkenthien is the fourth different SDSU student-athlete to earn a Summit League Athlete of the Month award during the academic year. Also honored were: Trent Peterson, men's golf (August/September); Mackenzie Angner, volleyball (October), and Nicole Lograsso, women's soccer (November). ACADEMIC HONORS: South Dakota State University seniors Ashlea Muckenhirn and Jennifer Warkenthien represent the Jackrabbits on the ESPN The Magazine Academic All- District VII Women s Basketball First Team, which was announced Feb. 5. Both players, who have been a part of three consecutive Jackrabbit teams to have led all divisions of women s college basketball in team grade-point average, will advance to the national ballot later this month for University Division Academic All-America consideration. A native of Osceola, Wis., Muckenhirn was selected to the seven-member first team with a perfect 4.0 GPA in sociology. Warkenthien, a forward from Willow Lake, made the first team with a 3.89 GPA in early childhood education. Selections to the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII Team are based on votes by members of the College Sports Information Directors of America from South Dakota, North Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana. Studentathletes must be at least a sophomore in athletic standing, maintain a minimum gradepoint average of 3.3 and be a starter or key reserve. MICHELSON MAKES A DIFFERENCE: Sophomore guard Macie Michelson played a key role in Jackrabbit road victories last week at Western Illinois and IUPUI. Michelson, who has started the last four games after missing 10 games earlier this season due to injury, led SDSU with eight points in a victory at Western Illinois on Feb. 7. She added nine points, three assists and a career-high six rebounds two days later at IUPUI. DOUBLE DUTY: Forward Jennifer Warkenthien has posted nine double-doubles so far this season, running her career total to 12 with a 29-point, 12-rebound performance against Oakland (Mich.) on Jan. 31. Warkenthien had a streak of four consecutive games with a double-double snapped Dec. 12 at Gonzaga, when she fell just short by tallying 10 points and nine rebounds. Following is a list of Warkenthien s double-doubles this season: Utah 11 points, 13 rebounds Montana 21 points, 18 rebounds Centenary 11 points, 11 rebounds Oral Roberts 15 points, 17 rebounds Minnesota 10 points, 11 rebounds Oakland 18 points, 12 rebounds Western Illinois 21 points, 11 rebounds North Dakota State 26 points, 13 rebounds Oakland 29 points, 12 rebounds Junior Maria Boever narrowly missed double-doubles Nov. 17 versus Wisconsin and Dec. 12 at Gonzaga, collecting nine points and 10 rebounds in each outing. 100 GAMES: Three Jackrabbit seniors have reached the 100 games-played mark this season, with Jennifer Warkenthien becoming the latest to accomplish the feat Jan. 12 against Western Illinois. With a start in the Dec. 12 game at Gonzaga (Wash.), senior guard Ashlea Muckenhirn

11 C OAC H J O H N S T O N SEASON OVERALL CONF N/A N/A N/A TOTALS Molten/Women s Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year after leading SDSU to Division II national championship Division I Independent Women s Basketball Coach of the Year 2006 South Dakota Sportswriters Women s College Coach of the Year Division I Independent Women s Basketball Coach of the Year Summit League Women s Basketball Coach of the Year played in her 100th career game. A native of Osceola, Wis., Muckenhirn s 114 appearances have included 84 starts. A starter in 21 of 25 games this season, she ranks second on the team with 26 steals and is fourth with 39 assists. Muckenhirn also leads active Jackrabbit players with 109 career three-pointers and 131 career steals. Fellow senior Morgan Meier played in her 100th collegiate game Jan. 3 at IPFW. In her 109 appearances, Meier has made nine career starts all of which came last season. Warkenthien currently leads the team in scoring (15.4 ppg), rebounding (8.6 rpg), field goal shooting (52.3 percent), assists (52), steals (37) and blocked shots (30). She has been in the starting lineup in 92 of her 107 career games at SDSU. COACH AARON JOHNSTON: Entering his ninth season as head coach of the South Dakota State University women s basketball team, Aaron Johnston has taken the Jackrabbit program to the top of NCAA Division II and has led SDSU through a successful transition into the ranks of Division I. Johnston enters Saturday s game with a career record (.771 winning percentage), ranking second on the SDSU career victories list behind his predecessor, Nancy Neiber, who compiled a record in 16 seasons from Johnston posted his 200th career victory Dec. 4, 2008, against Centenary. His career totals have included a 28-3 record (.903 winning percentage) in Summit League play and a 15-4 mark (.789 winning percentage) in NCAA and WNIT postseason games. Over his first four full seasons, Johnston led SDSU to three consecutive NCAA Division II Elite Eight appearances, including the first national championship in the program s history during the season. During their championship run, which culminated with a victory over Northern Kentucky in the NCAA Division II championship game in St. Joseph, Mo., the Jackrabbits compiled a school-record 32 wins against just three losses. SDSU also earned a share of its first-ever North Central Conference title with a 14-2 record in league play. After leading SDSU to unprecedented success, Johnston was named the 2003 Molten/Women s Division II Bulletin Coach of the Year. The Jackrabbits attained much of the same success in the season, earning a share of their second consecutive North Central Conference title and winning the North Central Regional for the third consecutive year. SDSU finished the season with a 26-7 mark, falling to eventual national champion California (Pa.) in the first round of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight. With South Dakota State moving up to NCAA Division I during the season, the Johnston-led Jackrabbits posted their fourth consecutive 20-win season, finishing with a 21-7 record. That mark included an 8-7 record against Division I opponents, highlighted by victories over NCAA Tournament qualifier Middle Tennessee State and Southeastern Conference opponents Alabama and Kentucky. The Jackrabbits continued their rise in the Division I ranks with a 19-9 record in , then put together a breakthrough campaign during the season by posting a 25-6 overall record and becoming the first team in transition to reach the postseason, reaching the quarterfinals of the Women s NIT. SDSU won WNIT home games against Illinois State and Indiana before falling at Wyoming. Johnston led the Jackrabbits into another new era as South Dakota State began play in the 10-team Summit League during the season. SDSU continued its run of success by winning the Summit League regular season title the program s first outright conference championship. The Jackrabbits completed a 16-2 mark in league play and 23-7 overall record for their sixth 20-win season in Johnston s eight years as head coach. The Jackrabbits posted a 12-game winning streak to conclude conference play and earn their second consecutive berth in the WNIT. However, SDSU s home-court advantage was not enough as the Jacks fell to a hot-shooting Creighton (Neb.) squad, 76-69, in the tournament s first round. During their first three seasons at the Divison I level, the Jackrabbits dominated the independent ranks by posting a 19-2 overall record against fellow D-I independents, including an 18-0 record the last two seasons. In both the and