BROOKINGS, S.D. – 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:
