The top-seeded Jackrabbits defeated Omaha in a 66-53 battle in the quarterfinal round of the 2024 Summit League Women’s Basketball Championships Saturday evening.
The first quarter was back and forth, with SDSU leading 17-12 after the first, by way of Paige Meyer’s seven points.
Omaha held SDSU scoreless in the first two minutes of the second frame
Omaha continued its offensive efforts, outscoring SDSU 13-7 to take a 25-24 lead near the two-minute mark. SDSU quickly took back the lead, igniting the crowd. It was silenced when Polina Nikulochkina regained the lead for Omaha. The first half ended with a Jackrabbit turnover and a made field goal from Omaha’s Morgann Gardner, sending the Mavericks into the locker room with a 29-26 lead.
The third quarter started slow, but eventually both teams went basket-for-basket. A Paige Meyer triple lit up the crowd as the Jackrabbits went up 40-36. Meyer followed herself with another field goal, forcing Omaha’s Carrie Banks into burning a timeout.
Aaliyah Stanley came out of the break with a drained triple. SDSU outrebounded and outscored Omaha in the third quarter, but the Mavericks hung around, down just five points.
Both teams went scoreless in the first two minutes of the fourth frame, with the drought broken by a Paige Meyer triple to give SDSU a 49-41 lead, forcing Banks into another timeout.
After the break, Katie Keitges used an assist from Gardner to net a three-pointer and bring Omaha back within four. Grace Cave followed with an and-one after getting her own rebound. The made free-throw put Omaha down one, 49-48, with six minutes left in the game, but Paige Meyer brought the crowd to its feet once more when she put SDSU up 52-48 from behind the arc.
With a seven-point lead and one minute left, Ellie Colbeck notched a triple to put SDSU up 10, 63-53. A couple of late fouls put Paige Meyer at the line twice, sealing the game for SDSU.
SDSU’s Tori Nelson spoke to the team’s second half.
“I think we just kind of settled in and got more connected as a team… we just let the game come to us more than anything…I think we really locked into our plan, forced them into some tough shots… thankfully, that led to some offense for us too.”
Paige Meyer echoed those sentiments.
“I think the second half, we just got more comfortable on offense.”
SDSU head coach Aaron Johnston commented on the overall product he saw today.
“There are times we could look back and feel like there were some things we want to do better, but overall a good win for us… second half I thought we played much better… we talked about being a little more patient.. I thought there were open shots out there, just a matter of finding them.”
Johnston also addressed Omaha positively.
“I think they’re really talented. You look at that guard group out there.. they also have depth inside… they’re really well coached.”
Paige Meyer led SDSU with 24 points. Mesa Byom led the defensive effort with 10 rebounds.
For Omaha, Coach Carrie Banks was proud of the fight in her team, as well as the efforts of her graduate athletes.
“The heart of our team..I think when it’s all on the line, they really really show up for Omaha women’s basketball… Deanay, she comes to Omaha and says I’m going to play my last year here and she tears her ACL in the summer. She really battled for us whether it’s on the glass or in the paint. She’s such a positive kid to be around. We’re going to miss her in the locker room, we’re going to miss her on the bus.. you just love having a kid like that in your group.. Aaliyah, she wears her heart on her sleeve.. she puts everything into everything she does. She’s just so passionate about the game of basketball and she shows it in every single way. They certainly meant so much to me as a coach, to trust me with their final year. The impact on our team, it’s been priceless.”
Senior Katie Keitges is the only senior on the team to have spent her entire career at Omaha and with Coach Banks.
“It’s just crazy to think about me and Coach Banks being together for all four years..it’s just been an amazing experience and I’m so thankful.”
Omaha was led by Aaliyah Stanley and Grace Cave, who scored 14 and 12 points, respectively.
The Mavericks finished their season 3-13 in Summit play, and 8-23 overall.
The Jackrabbits will square off with the game four winner (No. 4 South Dakota/No. 5 St. Thomas) at 12:30 p.m. Monday, March 11th on CBS Sports Network.