South Dakota

March Madness: South Dakota State, UConn can both call upon deep benches as they meet in 2nd round

Published

10 months ago

March 23, 2025

March Madness: South Dakota State, UConn can both call upon deep benches as they meet in 2nd round

If South Dakota State and UConn played in March Madness last season, neither team would have many options to summon players off the bench because neither had much dept due ot injuries.

What a difference a year makes. The two teams will meet on Monday night with a spot in the Sweet 16 at stake.

South Dakota State’s starters averaged from 28 to 31 minutes per game while UConn’s top six players were on the court for at least 30 minutes per game.

Heading into the second-round game, nobody from second-seeded UConn is averaging at least 30 minutes per game while 10 players for the Jackrabbits see more than 10 minutes per contest.

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“I’ve gotten so used to not having a full complement of players that I had forgotten that coaching is hard,” UConn women’s basketball coach Geno Auriemma said. “A lot of coaches have to make decisions on what’s my lineup going to look like. I haven’t had to make that decision in four years. I haven’t had to sub in four years. So, I haven’t had any (ticked) off players in four years. Everybody plays 40 minutes and they all love life.”

KK Arnold and Ashlynn Shade started for a UConn team that reached the 2024 Final Four. With Azzi Fudd back after being limited to two games a season ago and Princeton transfer Kaitlyn Chen earning a starting role, they now come off the bench.

“Coming off the bench, you kind of emphasize that when you do when you go into the game, change the game when you are in there,” said Shade, who had 20 points in a first-round win over Arkansas State. “Just being a spark off the bench is something we take very seriously.”

South Dakota State guard Madison Mathiowetz (3) reacts in the second half against Oklahoma State in the first round of the NCAA college basketball tournament, Saturday, March 22, 2025, in Storrs, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)

Jessica Hill/AP

South Dakota State head coach Aaron Johnston tightened the rotation up a bit in the NCAA opener with Oklahoma State as he went with mostly a seven-player rotation for the 10th-seeded Jackrabbits. He can go deeper into his bench if he wants to give the favored Huskies a different look.

“Rotations every year are always different just based on injuries, who’s available, things like that,” Johnston said. “So this year’s team, it’s worked out. We do have a lot of depth just because of things we’ve dealt with over the past couple years. We’ve had several players returning this year who have been starters for us at some point in their career.”

“I think we have the talent. We have the depth where we can go into our bench and feel like it’s really productive. But at the same time, we’ve got key players that really have to be on the floor and have to play well, too.”

Minnesota Stars Reunited In Storrs

When the NCAA women’s basketball bracket came out, the four Minnesota natives on the South Dakota State team took a few seconds to wonder what it would be like to go up against Minnesota basketball prodigy Paige Bueckers and the 11-time national champion UConn Huskies in the second round of the March Madness bracket.

They will get their wish.

“Paige Bueckers is an incredible player and we are excited to battle it out with them,” said South Dakota State guard Madison Mathiowetz, who didn’t play against Bueckers in either high school or AAU but could see plenty of her Monday night. “I watched in her AAU passing through the gym and on TV growing up. She is somebody who has put a lot of time into basketball.”

South Dakota State senior forward Kallie Theisen had plenty of games against Bueckers in high school. Now, they will meet one last time in what will be Bueckers’ final home game at UConn.

“I have had quite a few matchups with her over the years,” Theisen said. “It is fun to play her on college basketball’s biggest stage. It has come a little full circle.

“People are really drawn to her, she has been a great player since high school and she has a lot of eyes on her at all times and she handles it really well.”

So why are there so many girls’ basketball players from Minnesota who make an impact at high-profile programs?

“I attribute it a little to the cold weather and wanting to be inside,” Bueckers said. “I always found myself at the gym and I am sure a lot of people can say the same thing.

“It is great for the state of Minnesota, I have always said Minnesota is a basketball state. Everybody knows it as a hockey state but for us to play on this stage and in March Madness, it is everything you dream of as kids.”

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 4, 2026

Published

1 hour ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 4, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 4 drawing

03-08-13-38-47, Lucky Ball: 02

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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South Dakota

UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT

Published

13 hours ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

UND depth shines in fending off South Dakota State in OT

GRAND FORKS — UND senior guard Garrett Anderson had shot 1-for-7 from the field before he pulled up for a deep 3-pointer in overtime.

It was a make-or-break shot for the Fighting Hawks, who trailed South Dakota State by two points with 20 seconds remaining.

Anderson’s triple fell. On a Saturday afternoon at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center where several Hawks provided clutch shots late, it was his 3-pointer that iced the victory.

UND senior guard Garrett Anderson dribbles up the court against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Gabe and Reed Uelmen / Grand Forks Herald

“That was a huge three by Garrett,” UND head coach Paul Sather said. “Happy for him, because you feel it with him — when that floodgate opens a little bit of confidence, and not just as a scorer but just as a player, he keeps fighting for it, keeps working for it, keeps keeping the right mindset.”

UND won 90-87, earning its third-straight win over the Jackrabbits and improving to 2-0 (8-10 overall) in Summit League play.

South Dakota State, hot off the heels of a commanding New Year’s Day win over Omaha, fell to 1-1 in conference (8-9 overall).

“These two first league games, you need to protect your home court if you want any chance to be in play at the end of this year,” Sather said. “It’s a great way to start. But you also need to go on the road and win some games. And as I tell the guys, it’s not who, when or where, it’s how you show up to play. And having that mentality, it’s not home and road, it’s ‘Are you ready to go today?’”

The Hawks needed just about everyone to stave off SDSU.

Redshirt sophomore guard Zach Kraft and freshman guard Anthony Smith III led the way with double-digit point totals in a first half that was a high-scoring, fast-paced affair.

UND redshirt sophomore Zach Kraft shoots a 3-pointer against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

UND shot 64.3%, South Dakota State 55.6%. By halftime, the Hawks had a slight 50-45 lead.

The shooting cooled down in the second half and in overtime. In those final two frames, the Hawks turned to a variety of players, from the starting lineup to the bench, to keep up with the Jackrabbits.

“It’s hard to sustain that for 40 minutes, but we were able to kind of get ourselves back,” Sather said. “Our bench was fantastic in that first half. … We sustained it, we got back in, we stayed there within distance of it, and guys made plays. We had opportunities to make plays and close the game, but we had plays that were made to get us into overtime and win in overtime.”

Redshirt freshman Greyson Uelmen finished with a team-high 17 points and nailed the final two free throws in overtime to seal the win.

UND freshman guard Anthony Smith III stands on the court while playing South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

Kraft, who ended with 14 points, splashed a 3-pointer with 47 seconds left in regulation to take a 79-77 lead.

Junior forward George Natsvlishvili came off the bench and tied up the game just minutes earlier with a clutch second-chance layup. He also nabbed a key basket with 1 minute, 56 seconds left in overtime.

Before South Dakota State managed to rally back for its first lead of the second half, a free throw and a layup from Smith kept the Hawks’ offense on pace with the visitors. He finished with 16 points.

UND’s bench contributed 39 points.

UND redshirt freshman guard Greyson Uelmen drives to the rim for a layup against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

“I felt like our bench won the game today,” Kraft said. “In the first half, (Smith) came into the game, knocked down that three at the end of the half, and then Wylee (Delorme) in the second half, five rebounds, scoring off the offensive rebounds, it’s huge for us.”

Delorme put together his best game as a Hawk in the win. The sophomore guard from Devils Lake constantly attacked the offensive glass, flexing some creativity with slick drives to the rim.

He earned a season-high 12 points.

UND sophomore guard Wylee Delorme releases a shot against South Dakota State at the Betty Engelstad Sioux Center on Jan. 3, 2026.

“We’ve seen him more of a shooter (in practice), I haven’t really seen the behind-the-back, step-through and float,” Anderson said. “That was kind of new, that was a tough move. But he’s gotten to it in practice for sure.”

Kraft, Uelmen, Smith, Delorme and senior guard Eli King all finished with 12 or more points.

“We just relied on our guys that make those tough shots and are built for those moments,” Delorme said. “Seventh, eighth man off the bench — like Marley (Curtis), Marley can have a double-digit day too. All of us can go for 10 points, but it’s just a matter of making the easy plays and just using each other.”

UND will face its first road test of the conference slate this Thursday, when it travels to Omaha.

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South Dakota

SD Lottery Powerball, Lucky For Life winning numbers for Jan. 3, 2026

Published

1 day ago

January 4, 2026

Press Room

The South Dakota Lottery offers multiple draw games for those aiming to win big. Here’s a look at Jan. 3, 2026, results for each game:

Winning Powerball numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

18-21-40-53-60, Powerball: 23, Power Play: 3

Check Powerball payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lucky For Life numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

01-02-28-30-43, Lucky Ball: 07

Check Lucky For Life payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Lotto America numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

03-04-05-25-42, Star Ball: 03, ASB: 02

Check Lotto America payouts and previous drawings here.

Winning Dakota Cash numbers from Jan. 3 drawing

07-13-17-28-30

Check Dakota Cash payouts and previous drawings here.

Feeling lucky? Explore the latest lottery news & results

Are you a winner? Here’s how to claim your prize

Prizes of $100 or less: Can be claimed at any South Dakota Lottery retailer.
Prizes of $101 or more: Must be claimed from the Lottery. By mail, send a claim form and a signed winning ticket to the Lottery at 711 E. Wells Avenue, Pierre, SD 57501.
Any jackpot-winning ticket for Dakota Cash or Lotto America, top prize-winning ticket for Lucky for Life, or for the second prizes for Powerball and Mega Millions must be presented in person at a Lottery office. A jackpot-winning Powerball or Mega Millions ticket must be presented in person at the Lottery office in Pierre.

When are the South Dakota Lottery drawings held?

Powerball: 9:59 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday.
Mega Millions: 10 p.m. CT on Tuesday and Friday.
Lucky for Life: 9:38 p.m. CT daily.
Lotto America: 9:15 p.m. CT on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.
Dakota Cash: 9 p.m. CT on Wednesday and Saturday.

This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a South Dakota editor. You can send feedback using this form.

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