The Game
No. 17/12 South Dakota tips off with South Dakota State at 1 p.m. Tuesday in the championship of the Summit League Tournament inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls.
 
The Coyotes
No. 17/12 South Dakota (29-2, 16-0 Summit) rolled past Omaha 99-40 in the Summit quarterfinals, then solid defensive performance gave the Coyotes a 65-43 win over Oral Roberts in the semifinals. This is South Dakota's seventh Summit League Tournament Championship game in eight years. South Dakota ran the table in league play for the second time in three years. The Coyotes cleaned up in the Summit postseason awards, becoming the only team in Summit history to place five players on the first team, second team or honorable mention. Senior guard Ciara Duffy is the Summit League Player of the Year and junior center Hannah Sjerven joins her on the first team. Sjerven was also the league's Defensive Player of the Year. Junior guard Chloe Lamb was second team. Senior forward Taylor Frederick and senior guard Madison McKeever were both honorable mention. Frederick was also the league's Sixth Woman of the Year.
 
The Jackrabbits
South Dakota State (23-9, 13-3 Summit) cruised past both North Dakota schools to reach the Summit League Tournament Championship for the third-straight year. The Jackrabbits are led by all-Summit first team forward Paiton Burckhard. Senior Tagyn Larson earned a spot on the all-league second team. Tori Nelson was named the league's Freshman of the Year. SDSU captured the tournament championship the past two years over the Coyotes in the final, but this season will be the first in several years without the Summit League's all-time leading scorer Macy Miller on the floor. Miller had 30 points and 11 rebounds in last year's 83-71 championship game victory.
 
The Series
South Dakota State owns the lead in the in-state series rivalry 57-32. South Dakota swept the regular season this year for the third time in five years. This marks the sixth Yotes vs. Jacks matchup in the Summit League Tournament Championship game.
 
One Last Thing
South Dakota dominated the paint, 44-14 in the semifinals against Oral Roberts. Frederick and Sjerven paced the way inside with 16 and 15 points, respectively.