South Dakota
SDSU downs NDSU for Summit title, NCAA berth
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Paige Meyer had 18 points, Tori Nelson scored seven of her nine during a 14-0 fourth-quarter run and South Dakota State earned its 12th trip to the NCAA tournament with a 67-54 win over North Dakota State in the Summit League Tournament championship on Tuesday.
The Jackrabbits (27-5) defended their title when they forced the second-seeded Bison (21-11) into six-straight misses while they turned a one-point lead with six minutes to go into a 61-46 lead with 1:43 left.
Meyer start the run with a layup, Mesa Byom had a three-point play and then Nelson scored seven straight, sandwiching a 3-pointer around two layups. Meyer capped it with two free throws.
“We made some shots,” long-time South Dakota State coach Aaron Johnson said. “How about Tori Nelson, senior? My heart goes out to her, she didn’t finish (sprained ankle), hopefully we get some good news there. But a big 3, a couple big drives to the basket. She really played like you want to see a senior play.”
The Jackrabbits have won 20 straight since back-to-back losses to ranked Gonzaga and Creighton.
Brooklyn Meyer had 15 points and three blocks for South Dakota State, which made its first NCAA berth in 2008-09, its first season of eligibility. Madison Mathiowetz added 12 points and Byom had 11 with nine rebounds.
Heaven Hamling had 16 points for North Dakota State, in its first-ever title game. and Elle Evans had 11.
South Dakota State outscored North Dakota State by one point in each of the first three quarters to lead 42-39 entering the fourth quarter. The Jackrabbits never led by more than five until Brooklyn Meyer’s three-point play made it 47-41. But Hamling made two free throws and her 3 with 6:30 to go cut the deficit to 47-46.
South Dakota
Republican businessman Toby Doeden advances to primary runoff in South Dakota governor’s race
Republican businessman Toby Doeden has advanced to a runoff in South Dakota governor’s race, NBC News projects.
Gov. Larry Rhoden, who replaced Kristi Noem last year when President Donald Trump nominated her to lead the Department of Homeland Security, was battling with Rep. Dusty Johnson and former state House Speaker Jon Hansen for a second spot in the July 28 runoff. The primary will go to a runoff because no candidate eclipsed 35% of the vote.
Trump did not issue an endorsement in the race. Doeden branded himself on his campaign website as “a total political outsider who’s tired of the government’s failure to deliver on its promises” and one of Trump’s “fiercest supporters.”
Rhoden, a former lieutenant governor, agriculture secretary and lawmaker, campaigned on property tax cuts and lowering crime in his bid for a four-year term.
Johnson is the state’s lone representative in the House, where he previously was chair of the Republican Main Street Caucus. Hansen, who was elected to the South Dakota House in 2010, held several leadership positions before he became speaker.
The Republican nominee will be the favorite to win the general election in the solidly red state this fall. A Democrat has not served as governor in South Dakota since the 1970s, and Trump carried the state by 29 points in 2024.
News
Agronomist: eastern South Dakota crops hit and miss
An agronomist in eastern South Dakota says corn and soybeans are hit and miss as the growing season begins.
Steven Zemlicka with AgTegra Cooperative tells Brownfield, “We’ve got corn anywhere from V1 all the way up to V4. Biggest stuff’s maybe touching V5. Corn’s coming right along, looks pretty good. A little bit of hail here too, but I don’t think it’s going to be much of an issue. Stands for the most part are pretty good, pretty solid.”
Zemlicka says soybean emergence has been slow due to the wet, cool conditions, and there are a few fields that still need planted.
“People were still working on planting soybeans when we got the recent rain.”
He says recent rain totals ranged from a half inch to as much as four inches in the northeast part of South Dakota; the southern part of the state has been drier.
South Dakota’s corn is rated 61 percent good to excellent, with soybean conditions rated 57 percent good to excellent, according to USDA’s first condition ratings of the season.
RAPID CITY, S.D. (KOTA) – The South Dakota Community Foundation is encouraging nonprofits to apply for funding this June.
Beth Massa and Ginger Niemann joined us live with what you need to know before applying.
Watch the full interview above.
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