Latest news with #AaronJohnston
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDSU women to play Gonzaga at Pentagon
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (SDSU) — The South Dakota State women's basketball team will take on the Gonzaga Bulldogs in a nonconference contest November 20 at the Sanford Pentagon. The on-sale date for tickets will be announced later. 'This is a resume-building matchup that is going to stand out on the schedule for both teams,' said Jesse Smith, vice president of operations for Sanford Sports. 'The energy in the Sanford Pentagon always rises when the Jackrabbits play here, and Gonzaga is a national brand with a passionate fan base.' The Jackrabbits won the Summit League Championship last season and received a No. 10 seed in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. SDSU defeated No. 7 seed Oklahoma State 74-68, before falling to eventual national champion Connecticut in the second round. The Jackrabbits are 1-2 all-time at the Sanford Pentagon. 'We are excited to return to the Pentagon next season. The Pentagon is a terrific facility, and the staff provides a first-class experience,' said South Dakota State Head Coach Aaron Johnston. 'Gonzaga has a strong tradition of success and will be a great early-season test for the Jackrabbits.' Gonzaga won the West Coast Conference regular season title for the 20th time last season, finishing with a 24-11 record. They advanced to the quarterfinals of the WBIT Tournament, where they fell to eventual champion Minnesota. The Bulldogs are 1-1 all-time at the Sanford Pentagon. They defeated South Dakota 54-50 and lost to No. 1 South Carolina 79-72 during the 2-day 2020 Bad Boy Mowers Crossover Classic. 'The Sanford Pentagon is a great facility and always puts on high level events,' said Gonzaga Head Coach Lisa Fortier. 'We have a ton of respect for the South Dakota State program and always look forward to playing quality teams in our non-conference schedule. This should be a very fun, early season game.' South Dakota State leads the all-time series 3-1. Their last meeting was on Dec. 17, 2023, an 83-58 victory by the No. 14 Bulldogs. In addition to this meeting with Gonzaga, the Jackrabbits have also announced plans to play at the Cancun Challenge over Thanksgiving. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDSU gears up for battle against 11-time champ UConn
STORRS, CONN. (KELO) — A day removed from a win over Oklahoma State in round one of the NCAA Tournament, the SDSU women's basketball team is preparing for one of the biggest challenges in program history. SDSU earned its 30th win of the season Saturday, stopping Oklahoma State 74-68, en route to round two of the NCAA Tournament. The Jackrabbits were all smiles as they celebrated with friends and family, but now must turn their attention to Monday's matchup with 11-time national champion Connecticut. 'Obviously, Connecticut is fantastic in every facet, offensively, defensively,' SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston said. 'The history is impressive. I think everybody is aware of that. But tomorrow, we've got to find a way to go out there and play our best basketball, and that's what our focus has been here since the day started.' 'Obviously, they have really good players and a really good program, but at the end of the day, we're going to scout them like usual and kind of just do what we can to win,' SDSU redshirt junior Haleigh Timmer said. UCONN allowed only 34 points against Arkansas State on 17% shooting. Johnston says the Huskies' D makes it hard for a team to be comfortable. 'They have the ability to pressure you full court, they can pressure you in the half court,' Johnston said. 'They've got size where they can block shots and challenge things. They rebound really well. And then, they just turn so many of those defensive possessions into quick offense.' Connecticut is the heavy favorite, but that doesn't mean head coach Geno Auriemma is thrilled with the matchup. 'I look at the bracket and I go, okay, I don't want to see anybody in our bracket that kind of reminds me of us a little bit,' Auriemma said. 'I want somebody that has no idea how we play or what we're trying to do and their style of play is completely different than ours. Unfortunately, we didn't get that. You can't go in expecting that they're going to make enough mistakes to lose. Teams like that are dangerous in the NCAA Tournament.' UConn standout Paige Bueckers is a Minnesota native and says SDSU is always great. 'They have a great offensive tempo, and they're very disciplined in their sets and what they want to run,' Bueckers said. 'Very well fundamentally. They're just consistent in the way they play and their style of play. They've always been a team that's been great, especially in the Midwest growing up.' SDSU will attempt to pull off the upset Monday night in Storrs. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. CT. We'll have complete coverage throughout the day leading up to the game and highlights and reaction on KELOLAND News at 10. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
19-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDSU women prepping for Oklahoma State
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) — The SDSU women will play Oklahoma State in the NCAA Tournament Saturday, pitting a pair of talented teams against each other in the first round. SDSU comes into the game riding a 19 game win streak, tied for the fifth longest in the country. The Jacks own a 29-3 overall record. Oklahoma State is 25-6 this season, having gone 14-4 in Big 12 conference play. Their longest win streak was seven games to start the season. Both head coaches are familiar with each other and that adds respect ahead of Saturday's matchup. 'They shoot the ball incredibly well from the three point land. They've got size inside that can score, but also defend. There's a lot of things that we do and they do offensively, so there's some similarities there,' SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston said. 'It's a team I'm really familiar with. When I was at UMKC, we were in the Summit League, so I played them twice a year, the last two years before I got to Oklahoma State. They're very, very well coached,' Oklahoma State head coach Jacie Hoyt said. SDSU and Oklahoma State will meet Saturday at 2:30. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDSU women keeping focus on themselves
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) — The SDSU women completed a third straight undefeated conference season, earning the top spot in the conference tournament once again. The Jackrabbits went 16-0 against Summit League foes and now they're seeking a return trip to the NCAA Tournament, with three wins in Sioux Falls. SDSU's recent success hasn't gone unnoticed, which means other teams will be placing targets on the Jacks in the tournament. However, SDSU will be keeping their focus on themselves. 'We often talk about being at out best. Lets not worry about trying to figure out here's out this other team is going to play, what their energy and effort is and lets try and match that. I think we always try and talk about here's what being a great team for us means,' SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston said. SDSU will play either Denver or Omaha in the quarterfinals on Thursday around 2:30 p.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
SDSU women win 11th regular season crown
BROOKINGS, S.D. (KELO) — The SDSU women's basketball team secured its third straight outright Summit League regular season championship with an 80-60 victory at Kansas City this past weekend. The Jackrabbits improved to 14-0 in the Summit and have won all but two of those contests by double digits and are outscoring opponents by nearly 20 a game. This season marks State's 11th time winning the regular season crown. They are now two wins away from a third straight undefeated campaign against conference foes. 'I don't think any of us take for granted that it's just going to happen,' SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston said. 'So, I'm really proud of the effort that our team has put into it. They've been fantastic this year. Dedication and all those things now been rewarded with the championship, which is really exciting.' SDSU hosts Denver and St. Thomas on Thursday and Saturday to close out the regular season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
