South Dakota earns the top seed in the upcoming Summit League Women’s Basketball Championship after capturing the regular season title for the third time in the last four years.
Eight teams will begin tournament play at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls, S.D., on March 3, which determines The Summit League’s automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament.
South Dakota (24-5, 14-0 SL), riding an 18-game winning streak, earns the No. 1 seed after becoming just the second team ever to go undefeated in league play. The Coyotes, ranked No. 10 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, will meet No. 8 Fort Wayne (4-23, 1-13) Saturday, March 3, at Noon CT (Midco Sports Network / ESPN3).
The second quarterfinal pits second-seeded South Dakota State (23-6, 12-2) against No. 7 North Dakota State (9-19, 2-12) at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday, on Midco Sports Network and ESPN3. The Jackrabbits, ranked No. 7 in the CollegeInsider.com Mid-Major Poll, are the No. 2 seed for the third time in the last four years and have won the tournament title a league record seven times.
On Sunday, March 4, quarterfinal action resumes with No. 4 Denver (16-13, 7-7) facing No. 5 Oral Roberts (16-12, 7-7) at Noon CT. The Pioneers (RPI – 170) earned the No. 4 seed, their highest in program history, by narrowly edging the Golden Eagles (RPI – 179) in the RPI tiebreaker. That is followed by reigning champion and third-seeded Western Illinois (21-8, 10-4) against No. 6 Omaha (12-15, 3-11) at 2:30 p.m. CT. Both games will air live on Midco Sports Network and ESPN3.
