University of St. Thomas Athletics
Thursday, January 11
Brookings, S.D. / Frost Arena
7:00 p.m. Central
at
South Dakota State
Photo by: Kylie Macziewski
Women's basketball returns to conference play at SDSU
1/10/2024 11:40:00 AM | Women's Basketball
ST. PAUL, MINN. – It's back to Summit League play for the University of St. Thomas women's basketball team. After participating in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge last week, the Tommies officially closed out their nonconference schedule for the 2023-24 season. That means its conference play from here on out for St. Thomas, which will resume Summit League play against South Dakota State on Thursday, January 11, 2024.
Extending their five game win streak Thursday night won't be easy, as the Tommies are set to face the perennial power Jackrabbits in their third conference game of 2023-24. St. Thomas, though, enters the contest owning a 2-0 record in Summit League play, having upended North Dakota and UMKC in its first two conference games of the 2023-24 season. After getting off to a rocky start, South Dakota State has also seemingly found its stride as of late, having won its last three games after losing back-to-back contests to national ranked opponents. In that three game time span, the Jackrabbits have held two opponents to 53 points and upended Northern Arizona 110-102 in double overtime of game one in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge.
Tip off between St. Thomas and South Dakota State is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Frost Arena in Brookins, South Dakota. Tickets are still available for purchase online at gojacks.com. and fans who cannot attend the game in person can follow along on the Summit League Network. The home of all Summit League action, the Summit League Network is a subscription-based platform with costs $9.99 per most or $79.99 for an annual plan. The fee provides fans and alumni with the opportunity to watch St. Thomas from a variety of devices through the Midco Sports Plus app, including phones, tablets, TVs, and web-based browser interference. Additionally, the app and its exclusive Summit League content will be available on AppleTV, Fire TV and Roku, allowing fans to sign in and watch through their account on multiple devices. Fans can subscribe at www.midcosportsplus.com.
Tommie Tidbits:
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas extended its win streak in the final game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge, winning its fifth game in a row with a dominant 62-44 victory over Portland State. The Tommies raced out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. Minus a two minute stretch in the second quarter, St. Thomas led the Vikings from start to finish, outscoring its hosts 26-21 in the first half and 38-23 in the second. Amber Scalia, Jade Hill and Jo Langbehn were once again the catalysts of the Tommies offense in the victory, scoring a combined 45 of the team's 62 points. Scalia led the way with 16 points and a season high four steals, while Langbehn added 15 points and seven rebounds. In addition to scoring 14 points, Hill piloted the St. Thomas offense as the starting point guard, racking up five assists in the victory.
THE OPPOSITION: St. Thomas is certainly not easing into its return to Summit League play. The Tommies will face perennial power South Dakota State in its first conference game of the calendar year. The powerhouse Jackrabbits got off to a slow start in 2023-24, though they played one of the toughest schedules of any Summit League team this season. South Dakota State faced four top-25 teams in nonconference play in No. 1 South Carolina, No. 21 Washington State, No. 21 Gonzaga and No. 21 Creighton. That tough schedule seemingly prepared the Jackrabbits well for conference play. South Dakota State opened Summit League play with a resounding 74-53 victory over North Dakota before winning both its games in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge last week.
FEELING HOT: The Tommies are off to their best start in Summit League play in program history. St. Thomas upended the Fighting Hawks 95-76 in its conference opener, scoring 90+ points in a Summit League contest for the first time in program history. The Tommies followed that up with a 66-57 road win over UMKC later that week, improving to 2-0 in conference play for the first time in the DI era. In fact, the last time St. Thomas opened conference play with a 2-0 record was in the DIII era. Back in the COVID shortened 2020-21 season, the Tommies opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play with a 3-0 record before dropping their first conference contest of the season. In its final DIII season, St. Thomas would go 6-1 with a 5-1 record in MIAC play.
STREAKING: Winners of five straight, the Tommie currently own the longest win streak in the Summit League along with Oral Roberts. Since losing to Wisconsin on December 13, St Thomas has won five straight over UW-Stevens Point, North Dakota, UMKC, Sacramento State and Portland State. South Dakota State's three-game streak is the second longest current win streak in the conference and is the team's lonest win streak of 2023-24.
HOOPS HYSTERIA: St. Thomas men's and women's basketball teams are on a roll to open the 2023-24 conference schedule. The Tommies are the only men's and women's teams in the Summit League to open conference play with a perfect 2-0 record. The last time both Tommie basketball teams opened the season with a perfect conference record was in 2020-21, the final Division III season for the programs. Since head men's basketball coach Johnny Tauer took over in 2011, both teams opened conference play with a 2-0 record in eight seasons (2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2013-14, 2012-13, 2011-12), and the women's team did it for 10 consecutive seasons from 2010-11 to 2019-20.
Of note: South Dakota State men's and women's teams also went undefeated in Summit League play but only played one game the weekend of December 29-31.
900/100 CLUB: Junior guard Jade Hill has made a name for herself in just three seasons with St. Thomas. During the team's trip to California, Hill joined the 800/100 club, becoming the first Tommie student-athlete in the DI era to score 800 points and tally 100 steals with St. Thomas. In the win over North Dakota, Hill became the first DI-only player to score 900 points with the Tommies and now owns 947 career points. To this date, Hill is the only Tommie in the Division I era with over 900 points, 100 steals and 250 assists since the program made the leap in 2021.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: Head coach Ruth Sinn won her 380th game as St. Thomas' head coach against Purdue Fort Wayne in early December, bringing her closer to the 400 career wins mark. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sinn surpassed Ted Riverso's previous record of 337 career wins in 2019-20 and looks to become the first coach in Tommie women's basketball history to win 400 games with the program. Additionally, Sinn would join former St. Thomas men's basketball coach and athletic director Steve Fritz, current volleyball coach Thanh Pham, former baseball coach Dennis Denning and former softball coach John Tschida as the only head coaches in St. Thomas history with over 400 wins with their respective programs.
CUP OF JO?: Jo Langbehn was nothing short of impressive during the month of December. The junior forward shot a blistering .808 from the floor during the month, missing just 10 total shots and averaging 13.7 points per game. Thanks to her hot shooting numbers, Langbehn's .718 field goal percentage leads the nation, and she continues to be the only mid-major student-athlete ranked in the top-5.
D-FENCE: Defense will be the name of the game Thursday evening. Entering the contest, South Dakota State ranks No. 1 in the Summit League in team defense, holding opponents to an overage of 61.1 points per game this season. Additionally, opponents are shooting just .357 against the Jackrabbits this season, which includes a .273 mark from beyond the arc. St. Thomas' defense has also been on point as of late. After struggling defensively through the first few games of the season, the Tommies have seemingly discovered their defensive identity, holding their last five opponents to an average of 55.6 points per game. In that five game span, St. Thomas allowed an opponent to score over 70 points just once, and held opponents under 50 points in two games.
OFFENSIVE STATE OF MIND: This Tommie team is unlike any South Dakota State has seen before. St. Thomas currently ranks second in the Summit League in field goal percentage, as the team is shooting .442 frm the floor and .325 from beyond the arc. The Tommies also have three of the top-10 scorers in the conference on their roster. Sophomore Amber Scalia ranks second in the Summit League in points per game (17.0), third in three pointers per game (2.1) and seventh in overall shooting percentage (.410). Jade Hill, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game, and second in assists, averaging 4.4 per game this season.
BIG THREE: At the beginning of the year, St. Thomas actually had a losing record when Scalia, Hill and Langbehn all scored 10+ points in the same game. That has all changed during the five game win streak. Scalia, Hill and Langbehn have scored double-digit points in four consecutive games for the Tommies, and Langbehn, in particular, has been on fire. The junior has scored 10+ points in nine consecutive games, helping St. Thomas go 7-2 in that stretch.
Extending their five game win streak Thursday night won't be easy, as the Tommies are set to face the perennial power Jackrabbits in their third conference game of 2023-24. St. Thomas, though, enters the contest owning a 2-0 record in Summit League play, having upended North Dakota and UMKC in its first two conference games of the 2023-24 season. After getting off to a rocky start, South Dakota State has also seemingly found its stride as of late, having won its last three games after losing back-to-back contests to national ranked opponents. In that three game time span, the Jackrabbits have held two opponents to 53 points and upended Northern Arizona 110-102 in double overtime of game one in the Big Sky-Summit League Challenge.
Tip off between St. Thomas and South Dakota State is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. at Frost Arena in Brookins, South Dakota. Tickets are still available for purchase online at gojacks.com. and fans who cannot attend the game in person can follow along on the Summit League Network. The home of all Summit League action, the Summit League Network is a subscription-based platform with costs $9.99 per most or $79.99 for an annual plan. The fee provides fans and alumni with the opportunity to watch St. Thomas from a variety of devices through the Midco Sports Plus app, including phones, tablets, TVs, and web-based browser interference. Additionally, the app and its exclusive Summit League content will be available on AppleTV, Fire TV and Roku, allowing fans to sign in and watch through their account on multiple devices. Fans can subscribe at www.midcosportsplus.com.
Tommie Tidbits:
LAST TIME OUT: St. Thomas extended its win streak in the final game of the Big Sky-Summit Challenge, winning its fifth game in a row with a dominant 62-44 victory over Portland State. The Tommies raced out to a 7-0 lead and never looked back. Minus a two minute stretch in the second quarter, St. Thomas led the Vikings from start to finish, outscoring its hosts 26-21 in the first half and 38-23 in the second. Amber Scalia, Jade Hill and Jo Langbehn were once again the catalysts of the Tommies offense in the victory, scoring a combined 45 of the team's 62 points. Scalia led the way with 16 points and a season high four steals, while Langbehn added 15 points and seven rebounds. In addition to scoring 14 points, Hill piloted the St. Thomas offense as the starting point guard, racking up five assists in the victory.
THE OPPOSITION: St. Thomas is certainly not easing into its return to Summit League play. The Tommies will face perennial power South Dakota State in its first conference game of the calendar year. The powerhouse Jackrabbits got off to a slow start in 2023-24, though they played one of the toughest schedules of any Summit League team this season. South Dakota State faced four top-25 teams in nonconference play in No. 1 South Carolina, No. 21 Washington State, No. 21 Gonzaga and No. 21 Creighton. That tough schedule seemingly prepared the Jackrabbits well for conference play. South Dakota State opened Summit League play with a resounding 74-53 victory over North Dakota before winning both its games in the Big Sky-Summit Challenge last week.
FEELING HOT: The Tommies are off to their best start in Summit League play in program history. St. Thomas upended the Fighting Hawks 95-76 in its conference opener, scoring 90+ points in a Summit League contest for the first time in program history. The Tommies followed that up with a 66-57 road win over UMKC later that week, improving to 2-0 in conference play for the first time in the DI era. In fact, the last time St. Thomas opened conference play with a 2-0 record was in the DIII era. Back in the COVID shortened 2020-21 season, the Tommies opened Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) play with a 3-0 record before dropping their first conference contest of the season. In its final DIII season, St. Thomas would go 6-1 with a 5-1 record in MIAC play.
STREAKING: Winners of five straight, the Tommie currently own the longest win streak in the Summit League along with Oral Roberts. Since losing to Wisconsin on December 13, St Thomas has won five straight over UW-Stevens Point, North Dakota, UMKC, Sacramento State and Portland State. South Dakota State's three-game streak is the second longest current win streak in the conference and is the team's lonest win streak of 2023-24.
HOOPS HYSTERIA: St. Thomas men's and women's basketball teams are on a roll to open the 2023-24 conference schedule. The Tommies are the only men's and women's teams in the Summit League to open conference play with a perfect 2-0 record. The last time both Tommie basketball teams opened the season with a perfect conference record was in 2020-21, the final Division III season for the programs. Since head men's basketball coach Johnny Tauer took over in 2011, both teams opened conference play with a 2-0 record in eight seasons (2020-21, 2019-20, 2018-19, 2017-18, 2016-17, 2013-14, 2012-13, 2011-12), and the women's team did it for 10 consecutive seasons from 2010-11 to 2019-20.
Of note: South Dakota State men's and women's teams also went undefeated in Summit League play but only played one game the weekend of December 29-31.
900/100 CLUB: Junior guard Jade Hill has made a name for herself in just three seasons with St. Thomas. During the team's trip to California, Hill joined the 800/100 club, becoming the first Tommie student-athlete in the DI era to score 800 points and tally 100 steals with St. Thomas. In the win over North Dakota, Hill became the first DI-only player to score 900 points with the Tommies and now owns 947 career points. To this date, Hill is the only Tommie in the Division I era with over 900 points, 100 steals and 250 assists since the program made the leap in 2021.
COUNTDOWN TO 400: Head coach Ruth Sinn won her 380th game as St. Thomas' head coach against Purdue Fort Wayne in early December, bringing her closer to the 400 career wins mark. Already the winningest coach in program history, Sinn surpassed Ted Riverso's previous record of 337 career wins in 2019-20 and looks to become the first coach in Tommie women's basketball history to win 400 games with the program. Additionally, Sinn would join former St. Thomas men's basketball coach and athletic director Steve Fritz, current volleyball coach Thanh Pham, former baseball coach Dennis Denning and former softball coach John Tschida as the only head coaches in St. Thomas history with over 400 wins with their respective programs.
CUP OF JO?: Jo Langbehn was nothing short of impressive during the month of December. The junior forward shot a blistering .808 from the floor during the month, missing just 10 total shots and averaging 13.7 points per game. Thanks to her hot shooting numbers, Langbehn's .718 field goal percentage leads the nation, and she continues to be the only mid-major student-athlete ranked in the top-5.
D-FENCE: Defense will be the name of the game Thursday evening. Entering the contest, South Dakota State ranks No. 1 in the Summit League in team defense, holding opponents to an overage of 61.1 points per game this season. Additionally, opponents are shooting just .357 against the Jackrabbits this season, which includes a .273 mark from beyond the arc. St. Thomas' defense has also been on point as of late. After struggling defensively through the first few games of the season, the Tommies have seemingly discovered their defensive identity, holding their last five opponents to an average of 55.6 points per game. In that five game span, St. Thomas allowed an opponent to score over 70 points just once, and held opponents under 50 points in two games.
OFFENSIVE STATE OF MIND: This Tommie team is unlike any South Dakota State has seen before. St. Thomas currently ranks second in the Summit League in field goal percentage, as the team is shooting .442 frm the floor and .325 from beyond the arc. The Tommies also have three of the top-10 scorers in the conference on their roster. Sophomore Amber Scalia ranks second in the Summit League in points per game (17.0), third in three pointers per game (2.1) and seventh in overall shooting percentage (.410). Jade Hill, meanwhile, ranks seventh in the conference in scoring, averaging 14.3 points per game, and second in assists, averaging 4.4 per game this season.
BIG THREE: At the beginning of the year, St. Thomas actually had a losing record when Scalia, Hill and Langbehn all scored 10+ points in the same game. That has all changed during the five game win streak. Scalia, Hill and Langbehn have scored double-digit points in four consecutive games for the Tommies, and Langbehn, in particular, has been on fire. The junior has scored 10+ points in nine consecutive games, helping St. Thomas go 7-2 in that stretch.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Basketball
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