BLACKSBURG, Va. - The South Dakota State women's basketball team gave No. 1 Virginia Tech everything they had Sunday but fell 72-60 to the Hokies in the second round of the NCAA Tournament.


The Jacks never counted themselves out of the fight. Despite a 23-point halftime deficit, SDSU outscored Tech 37-26 in the second half and was within 10 points of the Hokies with three minutes to play, just couldn't quite pull off the comeback over a top-five team playing in front of a capacity crowd on its home court.

Myah Selland tallied 17 points and nine rebounds in the finale of her six-year Jackrabbit career. She graduates as South Dakota State's second all-time leading scorer and also ranks among the top five in career rebounds and assists.

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Sophomores Haleigh Timmer and Paige Meyer scored 12 apiece for the Jacks. Tori Nelson and Kallie Theisen, both juniors, scored nine and eight points, respectively.

The Hokies were hot from the jump, going 4-for-5 from the 3-point line in the opening five minutes to lead 14-7 at the first media break. State held VT to only five more points in the period but also struggled to score and trailed 19-7 after 10 minutes. After the Hokies pushed their lead to 20 during the second, Timmer, Meyer, and Paiton Burckhard combined for six straight to pull the Jacks back within 13 before the Hokies ended the half with a 10-0 run. Tech led 46-23 at the break.

SDSU clawed their way back into it by outscoring VT 10-2 over the first half of the third period to trail 48-33. The Jacks held the home team scoreless from the floor and only allowed two free throws over the stretch. The Hokies again went up by 20 and the Jacks cut it to 13 with another run.

Facing a 16-point hole with 10 minutes to play, the Jacks worked to make it a 10-point contest following a Selland free throw with 3:13 on the clock. Selland made two more from the line in the final moments, and Meyer added a bucket, but the user effort fell just short.

Virginia Tech's Georgia Amoore scored 21 for the Hokies, all from beyond the arc. All-American Elizabeth Kitley posted a 14-point, 14-rebound double-double.

The Jacks shot 37 percent from the floor and connected on two 3-pointers, compared to a 41 percent shooting night with 12 triples by VT.

SDSU ends the season 29-6 overall. Virginia Tech improves to 28-4 and advances to the second NCAA Sweet 16 in program history.

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