After defeating Fordham on Friday in the first round of the NCAA tournament, No. 12 Syracuse (25-8, 11-5 Atlantic Coast) will take on South Dakota State (27-6, 15-1 Summit) at the Carrier Dome at 7 p.m. Monday. SU, the No. 3 seed in the Portland region, pulled away from the Rams in the fourth quarter and was paced by Tiana Mangakahia, who tallied 21 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. The sixth-seeded Jackrabbits took down Quinnipiac, 76-65, in their first-round contest.

Here’s what to know before Monday’s matchup.

All-time series: Syracuse and SDSU have never faced each other.

The South Dakota State report: The Jackrabbits currently own one of the longest winning streaks in the country, having won 17 games in a row. Their last loss came against in-state rival South Dakota on Jan. 6, when SDSU fell in double overtime. That served as the Jackrabbits’ only conference loss all season, as they dominated the Summit League and won all three of their conference tournament games by double-digits.

Even though it lost five times during its early-season nonconference slate, South Dakota State turned in impressive performances against two of the best teams in the country. Versus No. 1 overall seed Baylor on Nov. 23, the Jackrabbits lost by just 6 in a game that was tied during the fourth quarter. In December against Oregon, the No. 2 seed in the Portland region, SDSU tied the game late but ultimately lost by 8.

South Dakota State’s calling card is its offense. It ranks 12th in the country in points per game and top-10 in a handful of other categories, including field goal percentage, assists per game and assist-to-turnover ratio. While Syracuse also boasts one of the best offenses in the country, the Jackrabbits are more balanced. They take fewer 3-pointers than the Orange but are more efficient, ranking 16th in the nation in 3-point percentage.

This is the 13th 20-win season in the past 15 years and ninth tournament appearance in 11 years for SDSU, which entered the tournament ranked 27th in RPI. It’s No. 6 seed ranking is its highest ever.  

How Syracuse beats South Dakota State: Slowing down the Jackrabbits’ offense won’t be easy for the Orange, whose defense performed well against Fordham on Saturday. South Dakota State doesn’t make many mistakes and has the capability to play run-and-gun or slow it down, as it did against Quinnipiac. SDSU scored its fewest points in over a month versus the Bobcats but stayed efficient, shooting over 40 percent from 3-point range and the field overall. Syracuse must fluster the Jackrabbits with its unique zone defense and full-court press, two things at a level that they haven’t faced much this season.

South Dakota State is good enough to punish SU if it doesn’t play with his foot on the pedal. Offensively, Syracuse needs its hot shooting (9-for-14 from 3) to carry over from its game against the Rams on Saturday and maintain its momentum. Being at home will play a factor as well. In a matchup of two high-quality teams that play somewhat similar styles of basketball, every little advantage will make a difference.

Stat to know: 48.4 – The percent South Dakota State has shot from the field as a team this year. That’s seventh-best in the country, behind only the four No. 1 seeds in the tournament and two No. 2 seeds. The Jackrabbits’ offense will be the third-most efficient SU has faced all season after Oregon (2nd) and Notre Dame (3rd), who the Orange are 0-3 combined against. Three of its starters shoot over 50 percent and its best player, Macy Miller, shoots 54 percent from the field, 46 percent from 3, and 85 percent from the free-throw line. SDSU has as much offensive potential as any team in the country.

Player to watch: Macy Miller, guard, No. 12

Aside from being one of the most efficient scorers in the country, Miller also leads the Jackrabbits in steals and assists and is second on the team in rebounding. Miller, the first cousin of former NBA player Mike Miller, became the all-time leading scorer at South Dakota State earlier this season. She dominated Quinnipiac in South Dakota State’s first-round matchup by tallying 28 points and 11 rebounds and has upped her play since SDSU began its postseason, averaging 25 points and eight rebounds over her past four games.

Published on March 24, 2019 at 8:14 pm

Contact Eric: erblack@syr.edu | @esblack34