Dec. 17, 2008

Box Score

BROOKINGS, S.D. - Kristin Rotert scored 11 points and Maria Boever added 10 as No. 22 South Dakota State outscored UC Davis 13-2 over the final 9 minutes, 27 seconds of the first half to assume control as the Jackrabbits beat the Aggies 59-47 in a nonconference women's basketball game on Wednesday at Frost Arena.

The Aggies, playing a ranked team for the second time this season and beginning a stretch of three straight against postseason teams from last year, lost their second in a row and are 4-4. Paige Mintun scored a game-high 14 points for UC Davis, just missing a double-double by grabbing a game-high nine rebounds.

The Jackrabbits extended their winning streak to seven games, improving to 11-1 overall.

South Dakota State is playing its first official year at the NCAA Division I level after recently completing its reclassification from Division II. The Jackrabbits, though, are no strangers to success having participatedt in the past two Women's National Invitational Tournaments (WNIT).

They earned their first national ranking on Tuesday with their No. 22 spot in the ESPN/USA Today coaches poll and are barely outside the top 25 in the Associated Press poll, currently sitting as the top team among others receiving votes.

UC Davis, though, gave South Dakota State all it could handle in the first half, using a 14-3 run to take a 14-6 lead eight minutes into the game. Junior Haylee Donaghe had six points and Lauren Juric added four during that surge. Donaghe, though, went out with injury shortly after and did not return.

The Aggies were held without a field goal for nearly 10 minutes and without a point for more than seven as the Jackrabbits - who started with just one field goal in their first 11 attempts - rallied to take the lead for good with 4 minutes, 43 seconds to go on a layup from Jennifer Warkenthien.

South Dakota State, which led 25-18 at halftime, scored five quick points to start the second half for a 12-point lead and led by as many as 15 before UC Davis bounced back to climb to within 43-36 on a three-point play from Lisa Peterson with 11:48 to go. The Jackrabbits, though, built the lead back to double-digits, only letting the Aggies get as close as nine points one time in the final eight minutes.

"I was pleased with some things we did defensively in the first half," said Aggie coach Sandy Simpson. "Fatigue got to us a little bit in the second half, especially with Haylee down and not having her in the rotation after the first few minutes. But I liked some things we did defensively in the first half but we just couldn't sustain it in the second half."

UC Davis outrebounded a ranked team for the second time this year, 32-31, also doing so against then No. 25 Arizona State on Dec. 3. Kasey Riecks had five. Guard Hana Asano added four steals. The Aggies had just four assists in the game and were slowed by 27 turnovers.

South Dakota State had three players add nine points each while Rotert and Boever had four and five steals, respectively, to go with their scoring. Ashlea Muckenhirn had a game-high three treys for the Jackrabbits who were 9 for 26 overall from long distance.

UC Davis will remain in the midwest and play at Creighton on Saturday. Tipoff in Omaha, Neb., is 11:05 a.m. (PST). The Bluejays (2-6) beat South Dakota State in the first round of last year's WNIT. The Aggies will finish their run against teams from last year's postseason when they travel to face Stanford on Dec. 28.