Cowgirls face NCAA-tested Meyer in opener

South Dakota State’s Paige Meyer already knows she can thrive in March Madness because she’s done it before.

Meyer is making her third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament. She scored 16 points in a first-round victory over Southern California two seasons ago and has averaged 13.3 points in three tournament games.

That experience gives Meyer and the 24th-ranked Jackrabbits more reason for confidence than other mid-major programs. They know they can succeed at this level. South Dakota State (29-3) faces Oklahoma State (25-6) on Saturday in Storrs, Connecticut.

“It’s fun to kind of be put on that big stage and just kind of know what SDSU can do,” Meyer said. “It’s been really special each year to do it with the different teams here.”

Meyer, a 5-foot-6 senior guard, led South Dakota State to a third straight NCAA berth by collecting 26 points and nine assists in a 84-68 Summit League Tournament championship game victory over Oral Roberts.

That represented one of Meyer’s more memorable performances in a career full of them. She has posted a double-figure scoring average each of her four seasons at South Dakota State and has 12 points, 3.1 rebounds and 5.3 assists per game this year.

Her scoring has stepped up lately. She has collected at least 23 points four times this season, all over South Dakota State’s last nine games.

“Through the whole year we’ve kind of had a lot of different weapons on the court,” Meyer sad. “That kind of opened up my scoring opportunities, too.”

Meyer and teammate Brooklyn Meyer – the two aren’t related – both earned first-team all-Summit League honors for a second straight season.

They’ve helped make South Dakota State one of the nation’s hottest teams entering this tournament. The Jackrabbits have won 19 consecutive games, with their last loss coming Dec. 22 against Texas.

Meyer is just one of several players from one-bid leagues who could make a major impact in this NCAA Tournament. Here’s a look at some others:

Ally Becki, G, Ball State

First-round game: Friday vs. Mississippi at Waco, Texas

Notes: Becki had a triple-double in her third game of the season and has maintained that momentum ever since. The Mid-American Conference player of the year is tied for fifth in Division I in assists per game (6.3) and averages 13.9 points and 5.5 rebounds.

Emani Jefferson, G, Florida Gulf Coast

First-round game: Saturday at Oklahoma.

Jefferson had 22 points, 12 rebounds and four assists last year in a 73-70 first-round loss to Oklahoma. Now she’s back to face Oklahoma in the NCAA Tournament again as the Atlantic Sun player of the year. Since losing its first two games, FGCU has gone 30-1. Jefferson has averaged 14.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.4 assists this season. She spent one season at Wright State and two at Memphis before coming to FGCU in 2023.

Diamond Johnson, G, Norfolk State

First-round game: Saturday at Maryland.

Notes: The Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference player of the year is averaging 19.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 4.1 assists and 3.6 steals while helping Norfolk State (30-4) win 19 straight. She ranks fifth in Division I in steals per game. Johnson showed her ability to produce against major-conference teams by scoring 17 points each in wins over Auburn and Missouri. The 5-5 senior also had 11 rebounds against Auburn. Johnson played one year at Rutgers and two at N.C. State before spending the last two seasons at Norfolk State.