DEFENSE LIFTS SDSU OVER BALL STATE

Sunday, December 14

Brookings, S.D.

2 p.m.

South Dakota State University

10-2,0-0Summit League

Ball State

8-4,0-0MAC

Ball St.

South Dakota St.

Photo by: Evan Patzwald

12/14/2025 7:20:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score

BROOKINGS, S.D. - South Dakota State had five players reach double figures in the scoring column and Mahli Abdouch posted a program-record 10 steals Sunday afternoon as South Dakota State topped Ball State 78-59 at First Bank & Trust Arena.

The Jackrabbits - the No. 2 mid-major team in the country per the College Insider Mid-Major Top 25 - has won five straight games and improves to 10-2 overall. Ball State - rated seventh in the same poll - moves to 8-4.

Abdouch, a redshirt freshman, added 10 points to her stat line and finished with the first double-double of her career. She is the eighth player in NCAA Division I to post a points-steals double-double this season and matched the program's single-game steals record set by Karla Stevenson in 1975.

Brooklyn Meyer also put up a double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the year and 16th of her career. The senior was 8-of-10 from the floor and knocked down all four of her free throw attempts. She also tallied four steals and had one block.

Madison Mathiowetz was SDSU's second-leading scorer with 14 points and dished a season-high six assists. Maggie Hartwig contributed 11 points and five rebounds and Hilary Behrens rounded out the double-digit scorers with a career-high 10 points. Behrens is the 10th Jackrabbit to score at least 10 points in a game this season. She also had two assists, two steals and two rebounds.

South Dakota State put together two 8-0 runs in the opening quarter, which helped the Jacks to a 19-13 lead after 10 minutes. The sides traded buckets through the majority of the second period and SDSU was up by eight, 36-28, at the halftime break.

The Jacks scored the first four points of the third quarter to push their advantage to 12. Ball State briefly made it a nine-point game again at 44-35, then SDSU ended the third with 10 of the final 15 points to again take a double-digit lead and maintained that edge through the final 10 minutes.

The Jackrabbits racked up 18 steals as a team and forced 27 Ball State turnovers, which SDSU turned into 23 points off turnovers. SDSU shot 48% for the game and 40% from deep with 10 3-point buckets.

Tessa Towers scored 17 points to pace the Cardinals on an 8-of-10 shooting day. Bree Salenbien recorded 12 points, eight rebounds, five assists and four steals. Ball State out-rebounded SDSU, 35-29.

NOTES

South Dakota State's 18 steals is the most in a single game by the Jackrabbits since notching 20 against Drake in the WNIT during the 2021-22 season.
South Dakota State had two players post a double-double for the first time since Brooklyn Meyer and Haleigh Timmer each had a double-double against North Dakota in the 2024 Summit League semifinal game.
Maggie Hartwig surpassed 600 career rebounds.

UP NEXT
South Dakota State plays at Duke Thursday night, then will return to Brookings to take on Texas Sunday afternoon at First Bank & Trust Arena.

-GoJacks.com-