Preview: South Dakota State at Saint Thomas (Minn.) Women’s Basketball

ST. PAUL, Minn. (Interstat) — The South Dakota State Jackrabbits look to rebound from a rare conference loss when they visit the Saint Thomas Tommies in a Summit League women’s basketball matchup Wednesday at Schoenecker Arena.

South Dakota State (17-6, 6-2 Summit) enters after a 73-54 road loss to rival South Dakota on Jan. 31, which snapped a four-game winning streak. The Jackrabbits had dominated league play prior to that, winning those four games by an average of 41.3 points.

The Tommies (10-11, 3-5), in their transition to Division I, seek a signature conference win after falling 67-55 at South Dakota in their last outing on Jan. 28.

The Jackrabbits won the season’s first meeting 67-49 in Brookings on Jan. 1. South Dakota State has relied heavily on standout forward Brooklyn Meyer, who is averaging 23.0 points and 6.4 rebounds over her last seven games. She scored 27 points with eight rebounds in the loss to South Dakota.

Saint Thomas counters with guard Alyssa Sand, who has been a consistent contributor. She posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds in a win over North Dakota on Jan. 24 and dished eight assists in a victory at Omaha on Jan. 15.

South Dakota State’s offense, which averages 78.2 points per game, will test a Saint Thomas defense allowing 63.2 points. The Tommies have shown resilience at home, going 8-4 at Schoenecker Arena this season, including a 72-54 win over North Dakota.

The Jackrabbits remain in contention for the Summit League regular-season title, while the Tommies aim to climb the standings and improve their positioning for the conference tournament.