Oh my! SDSU upends USC in NCAA tournament

BLACKSBURG, VA (Dakota News Now) – One of the greatest prep girls basketball players in South Dakota history turned in one of the best performances by a college athlete in South Dakota when it mattered most.

As South Dakota State trailed USC for two halves in the fourth quarter of its first-round NCAA Tournament game, Mya Selland scored 16 points between the fourth quarter and overtime for the Jackrabbits to beat SDSU 62-57 did

The win extends his career and sends State to the 32nd round. They will face tournament host and top-seeded Virginia Tech on Sunday at 4 p.m. for the right to advance to the Sweet 16 in Seattle.

Selland scored 29 points and Paige Meyer scored 16 points.

Both teams struggled offensively with USC going 12-2. Despite scoring just two baskets in the first quarter, State went back to three late in the quarter and took a 23-20 lead from Seland Seland in the final seconds.

The Jackrabbits opened up a seven-point lead in the third and led 34-31 heading into the fourth quarter, but went six minutes without a basket between the end of the third and the start of the fourth, falling behind 40-36.

Although Selland led SDSU back to the lead, he was unable to win in regulation. USC’s Littleton’s layup tied the game at 45 with a three-pointer with seven seconds left. Selland tried to win the game after a timeout, but her body was partially blocked.

However, Selland scored nine to open overtime and the Jacks took a 56-47 lead. USC never got closer than three the rest of the way.

It’s SDSU’s fifth NCAA Division One tournament win and first since 2019, when the Jacks defeated Quinnipiac and Syracuse to reach the program’s first Sweet 16.

Due to NCAA restrictions we are not allowed to show game highlights on our website, but Dakota News Now was live just after the game. Click the video viewer above to hear Head Coach Aaron Johnston and Drew Gilten speak!

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