South Dakota State defeated Southern California in the first round of the 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament Friday in Blacksburg, VA, 62-57.
USC went on a 9-2 run in the first five minutes, and Paige Meyer (SDSU) picked up two fouls in that same time. When Meyer re-entered, she immediately went coast-to-coast to give the Jacks some momentum. SDSU worked from behind and closed the gap, ending the first frame down 9-12. The Jacks took their first lead of the game, 14-12, at the beginning of the second quarter. They were able to retain a three-point lead at the half, 23-20, thanks to a Myah Selland bucket at the buzzer.
After 10 third-quarter points in the paint, SDSU was able to keep a three-point lead at the end of the third. That is when chaos ensued. The game was already physical, but the fourth quarter was even moreso. The scoring was bucket-for-bucket, and Destiny Littleton drained a game-tying three with seven seconds left, forcing overtime.
An entirely new Jackrabbit team showed up for overtime, as SDSU jumped out to a 56-47 lead. It was during this time that Selland started nailing shot after shot, with 14 points in quarters four and five combined. Deep into overtime, Kallie Theisen fouled near the baseline to send USC to the line with 47.7 seconds left in the game. It drained both to cut into the lead, 56-49. Immediately after, Myah went to the line and split her foul shots. USC’s Littleton nailed another three to make it 57-52, Jacks, with 35.9 seconds left. Then Paige Meyer was sent to the line for the Jacks. She split her foul shots, but one was enough to keep the Jacks on top.
Coach Lindsay Gottlieb had compliments for SDSU in the postgame.
“Credit South Dakota State. They’re a really good team. We knew that. I thought when they needed to, they made the winning plays.”
Destiny Littleton, who tallied 18 points, four rebounds, and four assists for the Trojans, echoed Coach Gottlieb’s thoughts.
“They’re a seasoned team. They’ve been playing together for a very long time. They forced us to take shots we wouldn’t normally take.”
She continued, answering a question about her time at Southern California.
“Obviously we don’t want to be out in the first round, but USC hasn’t been here in a very long time… my goal was to get USC back.”
Rayah Marshall finished with 17 points and 13 rebounds for USC, her 14th double-double this season. Marshall also tallied seven blocks, bringing her season total to 98 and breaking Lisa Leslie’s record of 95.
When it was SDSU’s turn in the press room, Coach Aaron Johnston had a smile on his face.
“It was an exhausting game for sure… we made quite a few plays and had to get a lot of positive things done to get that [win]. Our defense was exceptional. When we weren’t good offensively, our defense kept us in that game.”
AJ went on to speak about a recurring phrase Jacks fans have heard with this particular group: opportunity. He talked about the willingness and desire to take the next opportunity, and Selland chimed in on that as well.
“Defense will be important for us again on Sunday.”
Selland was lights out for SDSU with 29 points and nine rebounds. Paige Meyer tallied 16 points. Kallie Theisen contributed a quiet but beneficial amount of minutes, snagging 10 crucial rebounds. Haleigh Timmer grabbed eight boards for the Jacks.
SDSU will take on host-school and No. 1 Virginia Tech (28-4, 14-4 ACC) at 5 p.m. EST, 4 p.m. CST on Sunday. ESPN2 will broadcast the second-round matchup.